One of my all time favorites.

The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.

The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

After directing two westerns, Roger Corman turned into territories where he is best known of - science fiction and monster movies. 'Day the World Ended' is typical Corman's vehicle. After an atomic war destroys human civilization, a small group of people trying to survive in the house prepared for nuclear holocaust by former Navy commander. The group of people must face many threats and problems - how the radioactive contamination affects them and when will it dissipate, there is also a monster loose in the valley, and of course the most important, the relationships between people who all want to stay alive as long as possible, while the supplies of clean food and water decline.The film starts with nuclear blast, and we are already thrown into a post apocalyptic world where these seven people might be the only survivors. All the action takes place in one house and in the valley surrounding it, so no need to get excited about seeing ruined city landscapes. There are plenty pseudoscience and some outright laughable moments, but all this is compensated by pretty good acting and hauntingly claustrophobic atmosphere through most part of the film (until the finale reveals the monster who we only saw through shadows and moving leaves) that is pretty close to the eerie feeling in 'Night of the Living Dead'. While we only get the subtle glimpses of the monster, the thing is not that bad and I actually kept the fingers crossed that it could stay that way. Of course, I know it's Roger Corman's movie, and finally we have to see the hideous (in the movie's context and in awful costume's context) beast in it's laughable glory so the main hero could have heroic battle with it.With all that 'Day the World Ended' remains one of the best and most haunting early Corman monster movie, and for a hardcore fan - it is a treat.

"Day the World Ended" is a better than average "B" movie. Richard Denning, Lori Nelson and Paul Birch shine in their roles as does Mike "Touch" Connors. Nuclear war destroys most of mankind except for a lucky few. The handful of survivors are huddled together in a house clear from fallout and have to fight to survive from mutants as well as each other. The directing is well done and the acting is very good for a low budget film. The pace moves along well and there is enough action to keep the viewer interested. I would say this is one of Roger Corman's better efforts and a must see for fans of 1950s Sci-Fi. Catch this one if you get the chance.

I was 9 years old when I saw this movie. I was being "babysat" by a friend of our family while my parents were out of town and he took me to see this. Afterward, when I had gone to bed, he went outside, and scratched on the window of my room, I looked and he flashed a flash light under his face and he had some sort of masking tape and tree bushes on his face...Jeezeus Keehriest! He scared the crap out of me. So, this film always stuck in my mind.I loved the music...very, very creepy and well timed. The monster, though stupid by modern standards, was all the rage in it's day.I remember the screams in the theater when it was first seen full view.The story was rather frightening for the era, too. We all were thinking quite a lot about nuclear war happening to us right at home. People were really building bomb shelters int heir backyards...or had "escape kits" pre-loaded in their station wagons. Yes. It really was that bad.I believe this film would be well worth re-watching, although, I have only seen it once again since I saw it on the big screen and the second showing it seemed a bit less spooky to me. But, the acting was good, the story was practical though of a totally unimaginable theme, and the monster, though rather "over the top", and a bit corny, was scary enough when combined with the well timed and creepy music.I definitely would watch it again, just for the memories.

The Geiger counter is off the meter in this Roger Corman effort. Red hot. Searing. Out of the radioactive mist stagger seven survivors. One, a man, has suffered radiation poisoning. The other six characters are relatively intact. But exposed. Beefy Richard Denning performs his best fireman's carry of the infected man, plucking him out of the lethal, contaminated fog. They all arrive safely in a valley protected by a natural barrier of mountainous lead. Or something. It's best not to think too much about such matters. Stumbling into a place where there are very few people, natural shields and a house with supplies, is alway a plus in this type of genre film. Mike Connors arrives and soon cracks thick skulls with Denning. They both want to take charge. He also has the hots for the daughter of the military man, in whose house they've all crashed. The gruff, older gentleman has only enough supplies for three people: his daughter, her fiancée and himself. The fiancé never makes it. Or does he? The Captain views the others as uninvited guests--extra mouths to feed. The daughter takes pity on them and allows them to stay the night. And longer. Softy. A stripper and prospector (complete with burrow) fill out the remaining cast. The characters fight, argue, dance, bicker, swim, fight (some more) and plan for the future. The father even marries off his daughter to Denning. His philosophy: start making babies as soon as possible. But what if the radioactive rains come too fast? Well, then they will all be pushing up daises. The surrounding hills are populated by mutated humans in different stages of decay and rot. The fog creeps and slithers around the rim of the valley like mustard gas. The movie does convey a spooky atmosphere very well, and violence and religious overtones are present and applied liberally. All you need for a rainy Saturday afternoon of viewing. But keep clear of any radioactive pellets cascading from the sky. They're killers. Now whatever happened to that fiancé?