Day the World Ended

Plot synopsis:
It is TD day, total destruction day The day the world was destroyed by nuclear war.Tony Lamont (Mike Connors) and Ruby (Adele Jergens) drive to a concealed ranch house during a dust storm.Rick (Richard Denning) finds a victim of radiation sickness Radek (Paul Dubov) and tries to help
Inside the house Louise Maddison (Lori Nelson) watches anxiously as her father Jim (Paul Birch) tries to make contact with the outside world. Louise looks outside to see Tony and Ruby approaching the house. Jim resolves not to let them in; he only has supplies for three people. Louise expresses frustration with her father and believes her own conscious wont let her abandon them.Tony breaks into the house and is confronted by Jim who instructs them to change their clothes and wash in the special water provided to help get rid of any radiation. Rick carrying Radek arrive soon after. Jim declares Radek beyond help. He then instructs Rick to go to his room and change.Finally an old prospector and his mule arrive. Tony has another confrontation with Jim until Pete intervenes by knocking Tony out. The Prospector then asks if he can sleep out with the mule in the kitchenJim then begins to explain how the Geiger counter. It is discussed that the chances of surviving are slim, and so far there is no contact with the outside world. He then goes into the preparations hes made in expectation of the war.Rick goes out with Jim and they take a series of readings around the house. Pete explains he is a geologist and understands the true depth of the situation. Jin discusses what might happen as a consequence of the radiation on the wild life.During the night Radek wakes and considers the wildlife he can hear moving around outside. He expresses strong desire for meat, raw red meat. Rick explains their diet is controlled by the contamination.
Three weeks later Rick, Louise and Jim discuss the fact Radek is not eating, but seems to be thriving. Rick mentions that hes seen Radek sneaking out at night, and the man seems very detached almost in a world of his own.Seven weeks later Ruby and Tony have an argument about Tonys emotion for Louise and his jealousy over the attachment Rick and Louise have. Outside, the couple are having a quiet moment when Louise hears a strange high pitched whistling sound. Concerned she rushes into the house.On the hill side Radek is hunting when he encounters a strange mutant, he runs abandoning his kill. The next morning Jim and Rick explore the same hillside and come across the remains of a freshly killed rabbit. They discuss the potential that Radek exposed to so much radiation may be beginning to mutate. Otherwise there is no explanation to how he continues to live.That night Jim explains to the group the meaning of the approaching rain. Their chances of surviving will hinge on how intense the radiation absorbed by the water is. If they are still alive they will begin planting crops and planning for long term survivalThe next day the two girls bathe at a waterfall Jim has decided is safe. They discuss Tony and how feels about the attention being paid to Louise. Louise again hears the strange sound and is convinced they are being watched through the trees. Heading back to the house they find a set of strange tracksJim and Rick examine the tracks and realize Radek is not the only one mutant in the area. Jim decides at some stage he will have to kill Radek. Jim warns against that next course of action. He wants to study Radek so he can better understand the threat mutants may represent.That night Tony ambushes Louise outside and forces his affection before she breaks away and rushes inside. Ruby uses the moment to try and gain Tony back. He responds to a point but then hatches a plan to kill the other four plus Radek. He estimates there is only about a month worth of food, killing the others means they could extend their supplies to 12 weeksLater Jim describes his experience with the H bomb tests, and some of the animal mutations hed seen after a bomb detonated. Rick sees this as a fore warning to what might be happening in the valley. He sees a situation where a battle will be fought in the valley between life of the old world, and life of the new
While Jim is asleep, Tony tries to steal his gun, by chance Rick sees what he is up to and another fight breaks out. Rick wins, and when Ruby tries to consol Tony, she rebukes himThe next day Jim speaks to Louise about him marrying Rick, Jim wants the two girls to try and have children as soon as possible. Ruby is consulted about having children with Tony. Again he expresses he has no interest and in her and ultimately slaps her to drive her offWhile Rick and Jim explore the pass out of the valley they encounter a man who seems partially mutated in ways similar to things Jim had seen during the tests. The man tells the men there are more of his kind up the hill, stronger ones that had driven him off because he needed food. Before they can get any more information from the man, he dies.Ruby seeks out Peter the prospector and helps and tries to ease some of her pain with Petes moonshine. She yet again approaches Tony, who once again refuses her advanceOne night Rick stays awake and talks to Radek when he returns. Radek explains the only reason he comes back to the house is to shelter from the other mutant in the valley. He then warns Rick that they will all be dead in a couple of weeksNext morning they find mutant tracks closer to the house. Jim decides they need to start standing night watches. As the days pass Ruby turns more and more to Petes moonshine. One night after becoming drunk she begins to do a strip dance. She reminisces about her club days and breaks down cryingDuring one of the night watches Rick discovers the prospectors mule is gone. They go searching for the mule, assuming Radek has stolen it. As they search they find the cannibalized remains of the man who had died the night beforePete wakes in the night and realizes the mule is missing. Tony offers to help search. As they do, Radek is caught unawares by the mutant and killed. Moments later Rick finds the body, Tony and Pete then arrive. It is resolved that the mutant has to be stopped one way or the otherUnaware of the drama unfolding on the hill Louise again wakes in fright convinced she could hear the same whistling noise as she heard at the lake. Unseen by her a strange shape is seen lurking close to the house
A few days later Pete has had enough and decides to walk out of the valley. Jim gives chase but Pete enters the vapor cloud at the top of the ridge and is quickly overcome after he attacks Jim.Tony yet again confronts Louise. Threatening her with a knife he leads her away from the house. He reveals his plan to kill the others including Ruby. Ruby has been following the couple and overheard what was said. She confronts Tony and tries to stab him. He fends of the attack and stabs Ruby killing her.Back at the house Rick is aware what Tony did to Louise, he confronts Tony and threatens to kill. Tony faces him off then leaves thinking Rick is weak. Jim tells Rick to start carrying a gunAt the swimming hole Louise with Rick acting as a body guard again hears the mutant and thinks she saw it moving around the trees. Again panicked she stops Rick from searching for the creature and wants to be taken home.That night as Louise sleeps the house is invaded by the mutant. She seems to be taken by some hypnotic spell and leaves the house encountering the mutant but showing no fear. Jim wakes during the night, something has disturbed him and checks on Louise to find her missingJim seeks out Rick and arms him with a rifle and sends him to find Louise. He gives Rick instructions, if the situation is hopeless dont be afraid to kill LouiseBack at the house Tony finally gets the gun from Jim, and explains how he is going to take control. Jim thinks little of his plan and tells Tony he will be dead soon enough.The mutant drops Louise in the waterhole and seems to signal Louise to do something. Before she can understand Rick arrives and begins shooting without effect. Louise instinctively believes that the creature is afraid of waterBefore Rick can process this information it begins to rain, the creature rushes off in some sort of discomfort. Rick sends Louise back to the house and goes off to chase the creatureBack at the house Tony gets a sample of the rain so that Jim can determine how long they have to live. To Jims surprise the sample is clear of radiationRick continues tracking the creature as the downpour intensifies. Finally catching up with it in a stand of trees he watches as the mutant collapses in a smoking pile and diesTony sees them returning and decides to ambush Rick, as he is getting ready, Jim produces a second pistol and kills Tony. Louise arrives home to find her father is failing fast. He explains how the rain destroyed the mutants and that hed heard a voice on the radio. He declares there is a future out there for Louise and Rick, but not for him. With that he diesA few days later Rick and Louise begin to hike out of the valley to begin a new life in a new worldchapman_glen@yahoo.com

Tags: murder

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