Day The World Ended - Plot

Plot

The film starts later in the day, following an all-out atomic war, which has apparently destroyed most (if not all) human civilization, and has left the Earth contaminated with radioactive fallout. The apparent single exception being a box canyon, surrounding by lead-bearing cliffs, in which former Navy Commander Jim Maddison, lives with his daughter, Louise, in a home stocked with supplies and located in the canyon, against just such a holocaust. Into this natural bomb shelter come stumbling several survivors, who just by happenstance were inside the canyon when the war occurred. After initially refusing to admit the others, Jim relents when his daughter pleads with him and appeals to his humanity. Among the survivors are a geologist, Rick - who just by coincidence happens to specialize in uranium mining - (Richard Denning), and a small-time hood, Tony (Mike Connors - billed in the film as "Touch" Connors), and his "moll" Ruby, on their way to San Francisco.

After establishing the basic characters, the film presents two obvious struggles for survival: the first being the simple question of whether the radioactive fallout will dissipate, and if so, before the rain comes to wash what's in the atmosphere down to Earth, contaminating their shelter. The second threat comes in the form of a giant, hideous monster, who seems bent on killing anything it comes across, but only eating those creatures who are contaminated by fallout.

A less obvious, but no less dangerous threat, is the hidden menace of Tony; although seemingly charming and helpful to the others, his true character and intentions are revealed to the audience: he wants the other men out of the way, so that he can have the two women to himself.

In a climactic, final act, all three dangers coincide, as the monster kidnaps Louise, but then releases her into a small lake, where he is obviously afraid to enter. Rick appears and attacks the creature, which then runs away, as it begins to rain. Following the creature, they find it destroyed by the rain, and realize that it used to be Louise's missing fiance. Tony, having stabbed Ruby to death, after she realizes that he wants to be with the younger Louise, then steals Jim's pistol and waits to waylay Rick when he returns with Louise. As he takes aim at the approaching Rick, Jim reveals a second, concealed pistol, and shoots Tony to death.

Jim then dies from radiation poisoning, but not before revealing that the rain is radiation-free and will wash away all of the remaining contamination, making the world safe to venture out into again, and that he has heard voices on the radio of other survivors. Rick and Louise, the final two survivors of the original group, walk hand in hand out of the canyon, with the end-card, "The Beginning" appearing on the screen.