Panic in Year Zero

Director: Ray Milland Ray Milland

Overview

Ray Milland both starred in and directed the morose, minimalist sci-fier Panic in the Year Zero! (original title: Panic in Year Zero!). En route from Los Angeles to a vacation in the mountains, Harry Baldwin (Milland), his wife, Ann (Jean Hagen), and his teen-aged children, Rick (Frankie Avalon) and Karen (Mary Mitchell), are appalled to see a mushroom cloud forming over the L.A. skyline. With the highways clogged by panicking motorists, Milland and his family decide to head to the shelter of their fishing spot, there to wait until more news about the nuclear disaster is available. Everywhere they drive, however, the family is confronted by rampaging looters, heavily armed survivalists, and doped-up motorcycle punks. Attempting to remain calm and collected in the face of Armageddon, Milland ends up as violent and animalistic as everyone else. Though it avoids proselytizing for the most part, Panic in the Year Zero! does fall back on the old reliable "The Beginning" fadeout title. The most powerful aspect of the film is the "normalcy" of Milland's family: we are made to feel throughout that what happens to them could very well happen to us, and how then would we react?

Product Details

Release Date:	04/19/2016
UPC:	0738329200695
Original Release:	1962
Rating:	NR
Source:	Kl Studio Classics
Region Code:	1
Presentation:	[B&W, Wide Screen]
Sound:	[Dolby Digital Stereo]
Language:	English
Time:	1:33:00
Sales rank:	24,864

Special Features

Atomic Shock! Joe Dante on 'Panic in Year Zero'; Audio commentary by film historian Richard Harland Smith; Trailer gallery

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Ray Milland	Harry Baldwin
Jean Hagen	Ann Baldwin
Frankie Avalon	Rick Baldwin
Joan Freeman	Marilyn Hayes
Mary Mitchell	Karen Baldwin
Richard Garland	Mr. Johnson
Richard Bakalyan	Carl
Rex Holman	Mickey
Neil Nephew	Andy
Willis Bouchey	Dr. Strong,Dr. Strong
O.Z. Whitehead	Hogan
Byron Morrow	Evacuee From Newhall
Shary Marshall	Mrs. Johnson
Russ Bender	Harkness
Hugh Sanders	Becker
Andrea Lane	Waitress
Scott Peters	Actor
Bud Slater	Actor
Kelton Crawford	Actor
Les Baxter	Composer

Technical Credits

John Morton

Jay Simms

Ray Milland	Director
John Morton	Screenwriter
Jay Simms	Screenwriter
Arnold Houghland	Producer
Lou Rusoff	Producer
Larry Butler	Special Effects
Pat Dinga	Special Effects

Editorial Reviews

What might at first appear to be another B-movie from American International Pictures is actually one of their finest efforts. In fact, Panic in Year Zero is surprisingly thoughtful and perceptive for a low-budget effort aimed at the drive-ins. The low budget actually helps here because it forces the film to keep things on a human scale and to explore the psychological and societal ramifications of a nuclear war. The resulting focus on drama makes Panic in Year Zero a film that remains surprisingly potent. It is also directed with confidence and style by star Ray Milland: his use of stark black-and-white photography enhances the film's mood and he gets strong performances across the board, especially from Jean Hagen as the wife who doubles as a conscience to Milland. Most importantly, Milland delivers a fine performance as Harry Baldwin, creating an edgy character who has noble ideals but is capable of doing brutal things to protect those ideals. There are a few missteps, namely a jazzy score by Les Baxter that sometimes incongruous with the onscreen action, but Panic in Year Zero remains effective overall and is highly recommended to anyone interested in checking out the best film from the American International Pictures library.