On the Beach

Synopsis: In 1964, atomic war wipes out humanity in the northern hemisphere; one American submarine finds temporary safe haven in Australia, where life-as-usual covers growing despair. In denial about the loss of his wife and children in the holocaust, American Captain Towers meets careworn but gorgeous Moira Davidson, who begins to fall for him. The sub returns after reconnaissance a month (or less) before the end; will Towers and Moira find comfort with each other?
Genre: Drama, Romance, Sci-Fi
Director(s): Stanley Kramer
Production: United Artists
  Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 4 wins & 7 nominations.
 
IMDB:
7.3
Rotten Tomatoes:
75%
APPROVED
Year:
1959
134 min
660 Views


PREPARE TO SURFACE.

[ Helmsman ]

PREPARE TO SURFACE.

- DEPTH:
58 FEET.

- DEPTH:
58 FEET, SIR.

SONAR,

ANY CONTACTS TOPSIDE ?

[ Sonar ]

NO CONTACT, SIR.

[ Equipment Beeping ]

TANK CENTER:

READY TO SURFACE, SIR.

VERY WELL.

[ Beeping Continues ]

VENTS SHUT.

READY TO SURFACE, SIR.

DEPTH:
58 FEET, SIR.

VERY WELL.

UP PERISCOPE.

POINT LONSDALE BEARING,

MARK.

013, SIR.

CAPE SCHANCK BEARING,

MARK.

125, SIR.

HOW'S THE TIDE,

BOB ?

HIGH TIDE, SIR.

CONTROLS RIGGED:

FOR SURFACING, SIR.

SURFACE.

[ Klaxon Blaring ]

SURFACE,

SURFACE, SURFACE.

BLOW MAIN BALLAST.

[ Blows Ballast ]

MAIN BALLAST BLOWN.

DEPTH:
45 FEET, SIR.

SECURE THE AIR.

[ Captain ]

OPEN MAIN INDUCTION.

MAIN INDUCTION OPEN, SIR.

[ Horn Blaring ]

[ Horn Continues ]

[ Radio Announcer ]

OUR SCIENTISTS DISAGREE...

AS TO WHEN RADIATION

WILL REACH AUSTRALIA.

THE ATOMIC WAR HAS ENDED,

BUT THE PRIME MINISTER

REPORTS...

NO PROOF OF SURVIVAL

OF HUMAN LIFE ANYWHERE

EXCEPT HERE.

[ Turns Off Radio ]

NAVY DEPARTMENT.

[ Baby Crying ]

[ Crying Continues ]

[ Baby Cooing ]

[ Cooing Continues ]

[ Cooing Continues ]

[ Baby Fussing, Quiets ]

CONGRATULATIONS.

[ Taps Spoon On Cup ]

TEA, DEAR.

I SAID, "TEA, DEAR."

GOT A BIT OF A BURN YESTERDAY

AT THE BEACH AFTER ALL.

YOU'D BETTER PUT SOME

CALAMINE STUFF ON IT.

[ Laughs ]

YOU DID GIVE JENNIFER

HER BOTTLE ?

I LAID OUT YOUR WHITE UNIFORM.

WAS THAT RIGHT ?

I ALMOST FORGO I HAVE TO DASH.

PETER ?

MM-HMM ?

THEY MUST BE GIVING YOU

A SHIP OF YOUR OWN.

NO, DARLING.

THEY DON'T GIVE SHIPS

TO LIEUTENANTS.

THEN WHY WOULD IT BE

ADMIRAL BRIDIE HIMSELF ?

IF YOU WERE JUST TO REPLACE

SOMEONE WHO'S ILL OR SOMETHING,

THAT WOULDN'T MEAN SEEING

ADMIRAL BRIDIE, WOULD IT ?

I DON'T KNOW.

YOU DON'T QUITE KNOW

WHAT TO EXPECT THESE DAYS.

I'LL PICK UP JENNY'S MILK

ON THE WAY HOME:

FROM THE STATION.

WHY DO YOU HAVE TO PICK IT UP ?

THEY JUST WON'T BE

DELIVERING IT ANYMORE,

I UNDERSTAND.

OH.

IT'S A BEAUTIFUL DAY,

PETER.

IF I WHEEL JENNIFER DOWN

TO THE CLUB AFTER LUNCH,

COULD YOU MEET ME THERE

FOR A SWIM ?

PETER ?

THEY JUST DECIDED THA YESTERDAY.

IF YOU'RE GOING TO BE

IN MELBOURNE BY 11:00,

YOU'D BETTER HURRY.

SO LONG, CHARLIE.

[ Traffic Whistle Blows,

Streetcar Bell Rings ]

[ Bicycle Bells Ringing ]

HOSGOOD ?

HOSGOOD !

YES, SIR ?

HAVE YOU SEEN THIS

FROM THAT IDIO ATTENBOROUGH,

THAT GREAT CORRELATOR

OF STATISTICS ?

YES, SIR.

IT'S FINALLY SEEPED DOWN

TO HIM THAT MOST OF THE OIL

IN THE WORLD...

COMES FROM THE NORTHERN

HEMISPHERE.

ATTENBOROUGH SAYS SO.

IT'S NOW OFFICIAL.

WE WILL CAREFULLY CONSERVE

THE REMAINING SUPPLIES

OF PETROL IN THE DEPOT.

YES, SIR.

HOSGOOD !

LIEUTENANT HOLMES

IS HERE, SIR.

AH, YES.

COME IN, COME IN.

SIT DOWN.

SIT DOWN.

THANKS, SIR.

I HAVE AN ASSIGNMEN FOR YOU.

DO YOU CARE FOR SOME

OF THIS MISERABLE MUCK

THAT PASSES FOR COFFEE ?

NO, THANK YOU, SIR.

IT'S A REASONABLY

IMPORTANT APPOINTMENT,

AS THINGS GO THESE DAYS.

THAT'S GETTING TO BE QUITE

A PHRASE, ISN'T IT ?

"THESE DAYS."

YOU FIND YOURSELF

USING IT ?

YES, SIR.

I'M AFRAID I DO.

I'M SORRY IT CAN'T BE

ONE OF OUR OWN SHIPS.

IT'S SEAGOING THOUGH AND

BETTER THAN SITTING AROUND

ON YOUR BOTTOM.

LIAISON OFFICER ABOARD

THE AMERICAN SUBMARINE

SAWFISH.

SHE JUST DOCKED.

NUCLEAR-POWERED,

OF COURSE.

YOU KNOW ABOUT HER ?

YES, SIR.

I READ THE REPORT.

SHE'S AT OUR DISPOSAL

FOR A CRUISE:

RECONNAISSANCE OR WHATEVER

YOU CARE TO CALL IT.

YOU'LL SAIL SOON, BUT JUST WHEN

OR WHERE OR FOR HOW LONG

I CAN'T TELL YOU,

NOT UNTIL THE GOVERNMEN AND A PACK OF THESE LONGHAIRED

SCIENTISTS SORT THEMSELVES OUT.

SHE'S MOORED ACROSS THE DOCK

FROM THE CARRIERMELBOURNE

IN WILLIAMSTOWN.

YOU'LL REPOR TO THE CAPTAIN, TOWERS.

THAT WILL BE ALL,

HOLMES.

SIR, WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE

TO DISCUSS THE DURATION

OF THIS APPOINTMENT ?

NO.

BUT I CAN GIVE YOU

A REVIEW IN FOUR MONTHS.

THANKS VERY MUCH, SIR,

BECAUSE I'D LIKE TO BE HOME

IF POSSIBLE WHEN--

IS THERE ANY OFFICIAL ESTIMATE

AS TO HOW MUCH LONGER ?

THE BEAKER-HEADS,

THE FINGER-IN-THE-WIND

BOYS SAY,

CALCULATING THE RATE OF DRIF OR WHAT HAVE YOU...

ABOUT FIVE MONTHS

BEFORE IT GETS HERE.

THAT'S WHY I SAY

FOUR FOR REVIEW.

THERE'S TRANSPOR LEAVING FOR WILLIAMSTOWN,

IF YOU CARE TO TAKE THAT.

YES, SIR.

HOSGOOD, WHERE IS THIS

COFFEE COMING FROM ?

SUPPLY SAYS IT'S THE BES THEY CAN DO THESE DAYS, SIR.

SHALL I QUERY THEM AGAIN ?

NO, NO, NO.

IT DOESN'T MATTER.

YOU HAVE ANYTHING IMPORTAN TO DO, HOSGOOD ?

NO, SIR. WHAT IS IT ?

OH, NOTHING. I JUST THOUGH YOU MIGHT LIKE TO TAKE YOURSELF

OFF TILL MONDAY.

A FINE WEEKEND.

BOYFRIEND OR WHATEVER.

NO, I--

I GUESS NOT.

I'LL BE HERE, SIR.

???? [ Bugle ]

???? [ Continues ]

[ Man Over P.A. System ]

ALL WATCHES OF SEAMEN

FALL IN ON THE DECK.

[ Metallic Hammering ]

ROB... LIEUTENANT HOLMES

WILL BE COMING ABOARD...

MONDAY AND OFF AND ON

UNTIL WE SAIL.

HAVE BENSON ISSUE HIM

WHAT CLOTHING HE'LL NEED.

YES, SIR.

I'LL SEE YOU MONDAY,

LIEUTENANT.

THANKS.

IT'S FUNNY.

SOMEHOW I GE THE FEELING...

THEY'RE PUTTING HER

IN MOTH BALLS.

SIR ?

I'M AFRAID I'LL HAVE

TO BUNK YOU WITH THIS

SCIENTIST FELLOW...

WHO'S COMING ABOARD

FROM THE C.S.I.R.

SORRY. I DON'T KNOW

WHO HE'LL BE JUST YET.

THAT'S ALL RIGHT, SIR.

I'LL MANAGE.

CARE FOR A DRINK

BEFORE LUNCH ?

YES, SIR,

IF IT'S ALL RIGHT.

IT'S AUSTRALIAN COUNTRY

IN THE FLATTOP--

I'LL HAVE TO STICK TO COKE.

YOU HAVE WHATEVER YOU LIKE.

[ Bell Ringing ]

I'M A BIT PUZZLED

ABOUT THIS CRUISE, SIR.

OUR DESTINATION, I MEAN.

ADMIRAL BRIDIE SEEMS...

A BIT INDEFINITE.

OF COURSE,

IF THERE'S SOME REASON

I SHOULDN'T KNOW--

NO, THERE'S NO REASON

WHY YOU SHOULDN'T KNOW.

BUT OUTSIDE OF THE FAC THAT IT'S RECONNAISSANCE,

I DON'T KNOW ANY MORE

ABOUT IT THAN YOU DO.

OF COURSE, THE CREW

HAS IT ALL DOWN PAT.

WE'RE SAILING THE END

OF NEXT WEEK.

WE'RE GOING NORTH,

AND WE'LL BE BACK

IN TWO MONTHS.

[ Chuckles ]

BUT I'LL LET YOU KNOW...

AS SOON AS I HEAR

ANYTHING MORE OFFICIAL.

DO YOU LIVE:

IN MELBOURNE ?

JUST OUTSIDE, ACTUALLY,

IN FRANKSTON.

THAT'S THREE-QUARTERS

OF AN HOUR BY ELECTRIC TRAIN.

YOU MAKE OUT ALL RIGHT ?

ANY SERIOUS SHORTAGES YET ?

YES, A FEW.

PETROL MAINLY,

BUT WE MANAGE.

SAY, UH--

I'VE BEEN STICKING

PRETTY CLOSE HERE LATELY.

THINK I'M DUE

FOR SOME SHORE FOOD.

YOU KNOW OF A PLACE

WHERE WE MIGHT GE A GOOD STEAK ?

YES, I SUPPOSE SO.

THE ADMIRAL FIXED ME UP

WITH A TEMPORARY CARD...

FOR SOMETHING CALLED

THE PASTORAL CLUB.

WHAT'S THAT LIKE ?

IT'S A MAHOGANY-

AND-POLISHED-BRASS PLACE.

SOME PEOPLE USED TO CLAIM

IT WAS THE STUFFIEST CLUB

IN THE COMMONWEALTH.

I SUPPOSE THERE'S

NO ARGUMENT ABOUT THAT NOW.

WOULD THEY HAVE:

ANY SCOTCH LEFT ?

YES, IF ANYONE DOES.

MY WIFE'S UNCLE LIVES THERE;

MOSTLY AT THE BAR THESE DAYS,

I UNDERSTAND.

I WOULD THINK THEY WOULD HAVE

SOME SCOTCH, YES.

SOUNDS GOOD.

LET'S GIVE IT A TRY.

I'LL BE WITH YOU

IN FIVE MINUTES.

SOMETIMES I THINK

THAT CHILD COULD FLOA A BATTLESHIP.

THAT'S WHA I TOLD THE ADMIRAL.

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John Paxton

John Paxton (May 21, 1911, Kansas City, Missouri - January 5, 1985, Santa Monica, California) was an American screenwriter. He was married to Sarah Jane, who worked in public relations for 20th Century Fox.Some of his films include Murder, My Sweet in 1944, Cornered in 1945, Crossfire in 1947 (an adaptation of the controversial novel The Brick Foxhole that earned him his only Oscar nomination). He helped adapt the screenplay for the controversial movie The Wild One in 1953 starring Marlon Brando. Paxton's work twice received the Mystery Writers of America's Edgar Award for Best Motion Picture Screenplay, for Murder, My Sweet and Crossfire. more…

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Submitted on August 05, 2018

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    "On the Beach" Scripts.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 19 Dec. 2024. <https://www.scripts.com/script/on_the_beach_15190>.

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