History Film / TheDayTheEarthCaughtFire

''The Day the Earth Caught Fire'' is a 1961 {{BAFTA}}-winning British science-fiction film co-written and directed by Creator/ValGuest, starring Edward Judd, Leo [=McKern=], and Janet Munro. It is regarded as one of the best apocalyptic movies to come out of the 1960s and a classic in the genre.

The movie is told in {{flashback}} and is set in the aftermath of an atomic bomb disaster: it seems the United States and the Soviet Union accidentally conducted simultaneous bomb tests on opposite sides of the globe, knocking Earth off its axis. Peter Stenning (Judd), an alcoholic reporter for the ''[[BritishNewspapers Daily Express]]'' in London, is stressing through a messy divorce and is struggling to find a newsworthy story to be taken seriously, although it's down to the sabotaging work of his editor Jeff Jefferson (Arthur Christiansen), who is annoyed with his deteriorating attitude. However, Stenning manages to get the help from his friend and colleague Bill Maguire ([=McKern=]) to ghostwrite.

''The Day the Earth Caught Fire'' is a 1961 {{BAFTA}}-winning British science-fiction film co-written and directed by Creator/ValGuest, and stars Edward Judd, Leo [=McKern=], and Janet Munro. It is considered to be one of the best post-apocalyptic movies that ever came out of the 1960s and a classic in the genre.

!!Tropes

* CasualDangerDialogue: A variation. After America and the Soviet Union have used their atomic bombs, parts of the globe begin to suffer from after effects. Peter is sent to the Met Office for research, where he has a MeetCute with Jeannie.

* NightmareSequence: The entire movie. The freak storms, the temperature rising until giant pools of water are evaporating, the axis stopping the world from changing, [[spoiler:the Earth heading straight for the sun.]]

* NightmareSequence: The entire movie. The temperature rises until giant pools of water are evaporating, the axis stopping the world from changing, [[spoiler:the Earth heading straight for the sun.]]

* ShoutOut: At one point, Peter says, "[[AnythingYouCanDoICanDoBetter Anything you can split]], [[Theatre/AnnieGetYourGun I can split better]]."

* GoneHorriblyWrong: The activation of the atomic bombs. Although proven in [[WorldWarTwo history to be disastrous]], the world definitely wasn't expecting what would happen next.

* ColorWash: The beginning and ending scenes of the film have an orange tint, yet the rest of the film is black and white.

* ApocalypseAnarchy: Water rationing is imposed as the Earth hurls toward the Sun. At one point, the protagonist has to fight his way through a street full of teenagers high on drugs having a water fight. He eventually makes his way to the apartment of his LoveInterest, and they spend a more quiet time together.

* TotalEclipseOfThePlot: The first sign that the Earth's axis has been knocked is when an eclipse occurs in London.

* ItGotWorse: One bad thing after another in this film.

* {{Tragedy}}: One bad thing after another in this film.

* DaEditor: Jeff Jefferson.

The movie is told in {{flashback}} and is set in the aftermath of an atomic bomb disaster: it seems the United States and the Soviet Union accidentally conducted simultaneous bomb tests on opposite sides of the globe, knocking the world off its axis. Peter Stenning (Judd), an alcoholic reporter for the ''[[BritishNewspapers Daily Express]]'' in London, is stressing through a messy divorce and is struggling to find a newsworthy story to be taken seriously, although it's down to the sabotaging work of his editor Jeff Jefferson (Arthur Christiansen), who is annoyed with his deteriorating attitude. However, Stenning manages to get the help from his friend and colleague Bill Maguire ([=McKern=]) to ghostwrite.

The movie is told in {{flashback}} and is set in the aftermath of an atomic bomb disaster: it seems the United States and the Soviet Union conducted their bomb tests at the same time on opposite sides of the globe, knocking the world off its axis. Peter Stenning (Judd), an alcoholic reporter for the ''[[BritishNewspapers Daily Express]]'' in London, is stressing through a messy divorce and is struggling to find a newsworthy story to be taken seriously, although it's down to the sabotaging work of his editor Jeff Jefferson (Arthur Christiansen), who is annoyed with his deteriorating attitude. However, Stenning manages to get the help from his friend and colleague Bill Maguire ([=McKern=]) to ghostwrite.

The movie is told in {{flashback}} and is set in the aftermath of an atomic bomb disaster: it seems the United States and the Soviet Union conducted their tests at the same time on opposite sides of the globe, knocking the world off its axis. Peter Stenning (Judd), an alcoholic reporter for the ''[[BritishNewspapers Daily Express]]'' in London, is stressing through a messy divorce and is struggling to find a newsworthy story to be taken seriously, although it's down to the sabotaging work of his editor Jeff Jefferson (Arthur Christiansen), who is annoyed with his deteriorating attitude. However, Stenning manages to get the help from his friend and colleague Bill Maguire ([=McKern=]) to ghostwrite.

The movie is told in {{flashback}} and is set in the aftermath of an atomic bomb disaster: the United States and the Soviet Union activated their weapons at the same time, knocking the world off its axis. Peter Stenning (Judd), an alcoholic reporter for the ''[[BritishNewspapers Daily Express]]'' in London, is stressing through a messy divorce and is struggling to find a newsworthy story to be taken seriously, although it's down to the sabotaging work of his editor Jeff Jefferson (Arthur Christiansen), who is annoyed with his deteriorating attitude. However, Stenning manages to get the help from his friend and colleague Bill Maguire ([=McKern=]) to ghostwrite.

The movie is told in {{flashback}} and is set in the aftermath of an atomic bomb disaster: the United States and the Soviet Union activated their weapons at the same time, knocking the world off its axis. Peter Stenning (Judd), an alcoholic reporter for the ''[[BritishNewspapers Daily Express]]'' in London, is stressing through a messy divorce and is struggling to find a newsworthy story to be taken seriously, although it's down to the sabotaging work of his editor Jeff Jefferson (Arthur Christiansen), who is annoyed with his deteriorating attitude, however, Stenning manages to get the help from his friend Bill Maguire ([=McKern=]) to ghostwrite.

The movie is told in {{flashback}} and is set in the aftermath of an atomic bomb disaster: the United States and the Soviet Union activated their weapons at the same time, knocking the world off its axis. Peter Stenning (Judd), an alcoholic journalist for [[BritishNewspapers The Daily Express]] is stressing through a messy divorce and is struggling to find a newsworthy story to be taken seriously, although it's down to the sabotaging work of his editor Jeff Jefferson (Arthur Christiansen), who is annoyed with his deteriorating attitude, however, Stenning manages to get the help from his friend Bill Maguire ([=McKern=]) to ghostwrite.

[[quoteright:182:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/earth_caught_fire_uk_film_1961.jpg]]

* XanatosGambit: It's decided that Siberia should activate their nuclear weapons to counter all the disasters. For whatever outcome, the newspapers have planned two headlines, one to correspond with what has happened: "World Saved", or "World Doomed".

* StandingRightHere: During Jeannie and Peter's first tense meeting, this moment occurs:
-->'''Peter:''' ''[under his breath to Leo]'' This girl's a bigger threat than radiation!
-->'''Jeannie:''' I heard that remark.

* IncrepidReporter: Peter, although {{justified}} because he is trying to get better work/save his job.

* NothingIsScarier: A RewatchBonus when it comes to the beginning of the movie. A man that we don't know is seen walking through a deserted London

* AfterTheEnd: The entire film is set in the south of England after the USA and the Soviet Union activated their nuclear weapons. The beginning of the film is of a man walking through deserted London, possibly the only person left in London that is trying to survive the aftermath.

* WorldWarThree: Although two powerful countries have fired bombs, they weren't for a malicious intent and the world tries desperately to help them correct their mistakes.