"MJC" wrote in message
...
There was a great sci-fi movie in the late 50's called "On the Beach"
which told the story of a submarine crew that survived a worldwide nuclear
holocaust because they were out in the ocean under water. While waiting
for
the "end" to come to an end, they constantly monitored radio broadcasts
from
around the world but more and more stations kept dropping off the air as
most of the earth became silent.
After some weeks and the nuclear dust cleared, they made their way to
Australia because they figured that was the safest place what with
radiation
and all. Anyway, it really was a classic (and certainly one of the early
leftist's attempts to scare people into buying into their anti-war agenda
although still a great movie just the same), but the reason that I mention
it here is that all throughout the movie, the song "Waltzing Matilda" was
the background music that gave a common musical theme for the movie which
was set, for the most part, in Australia.
I'm thinkin' that perhaps you had seen that movie as a kid and the
song's Australian connection never left you.
Sorry, just rambling....
Now I have to PLONK myself.

MJC

Don't remember much from the movie, but I did read the book. Did the movie
keep the SW radio subplot? The sub crew kept receiving encouraging CW
gibberish, even well after all the other signals went dark. They were able
to direction find the signal to the Pacific Northwest. If I recall, the
elements of the solved mystery involved a pop bottle, a loose window
shutter, and most implausably -- a power grid that never blew it's fuse.

Frank Dresser

In article ,
"Frank Dresser" writes:


Don't remember much from the movie, but I did read the book. Did the movie
keep the SW radio subplot? The sub crew kept receiving encouraging CW
gibberish, even well after all the other signals went dark. They were able
to direction find the signal to the Pacific Northwest. If I recall, the
elements of the solved mystery involved a pop bottle, a loose window
shutter, and most implausably -- a power grid that never blew it's fuse.

Frank Dresser


Yes, the movie kept the SW radio Subplot.. With everyone in Australia
preparing for the end, Grimly partying or whatever,
( Or falling Hard for Ava Gardner)
They're Always picking up a signal from the Pacific Northwest.
Following the signal with a direction finder, walking up a flight of stairs,
turning into the room..
Eerie scene... just an open window, flapping windowshade with the cord hooked
onto a telegraph key..

Nevile Shute is the author of the book " On The Beach" BTW . . .

"Diverd4777" wrote in message
...


Yes, the movie kept the SW radio Subplot.. With everyone in Australia
preparing for the end, Grimly partying or whatever,
( Or falling Hard for Ava Gardner)
They're Always picking up a signal from the Pacific Northwest.
Following the signal with a direction finder, walking up a flight of
stairs,
turning into the room..
Eerie scene... just an open window, flapping windowshade with the cord
hooked
onto a telegraph key..

Nevile Shute is the author of the book " On The Beach" BTW . . .




That's good. I've seen bits and pieces of the movie on TV, but I don't
think I've seen it all. I thought the radio stuff was the best part of the
book.

I generally prefered end of the world stories from late night cheesy 50s
movies, especially Roger Corman's. They were quicker paced than the big
Hollywood productions, and showed more skin.

I also have a dim Sunday School memory of somebody pulling out an old record
player and playing an even older doomsday blast from the past:

http://www.harvestnet.org/prophecies/aaallenvision.htm

Something for us kiddies to think about, I'm sure.

Oh well. The Cold War is over and TV has replaced cheap late nite movies
with infomertials. At least we still have the SW radio doomsayers.

Frank Dresser