On the Beach

Released: 27th July 2026. Released in 1959, Stanley Kramer’s On the Beach is widely considered the first ‘important’ entry in the doomsday genre. Based on Nevil Shute’s novel, the film is set in 1964 when virtually all life on earth has been exterminated by the radioactive residue of a nuclear war. Only those survivors now in Australia have been spared – but it seems only a matter of time before they too succumb to the spreading radiation cloud.  As they await their fate, people react in wildly different ways. Some embark on a non-stop binge of revelry, while others consider the suicide pills being offered by the government. Against this backdrop, faint radio signals emanating from San Diego appear to offer a ray of hope, and one submarine commander (Gregory Peck) and his men embark on a voyage to discover whether life clings on elsewhere on Earth. Extras Presented in High Definition Audio commentary written by Dr Philip Davey, author of When Hollywood Came to Melbourne Newly commissioned audio commentary by Scott Harrison Making On the Beach (1959, 9 mins): rare 8mm footage shot by amateur filmmaker Richard Goslin Interview with Donna Anderson (2015, 20 mins): the actor discusses her time working with the cast and crew of On the Beach Kim Newman on Apocalypse Cinema (2022, 22 mins): the film critic deconstructsOn the Beach and discusses the sociopolitical environment in which the film emerged Clothes to Die For: The Costumes of Ava Gardner (2022, 16 mins): costume historian Elissa Rose explores Ava Gardner’s impressive wardrobe as worn in On the Beach A Tribute to Stanley Kramer (2004, 14 mins): a celebration of Stanley Kramer’s life and career, featuring interviews with screenwriter Abby Mann and Karen Sharpe, Kramer’s widow Operation Hurricane (1952, 33 mins): after the first Soviet atomic weapon was detonated in 1949, the British accelerated the development of their own nuclear deterrent. This haunting film documents the first atom bomb test on the Monte Bello Islands Original theatrical trailer Image gallery Stanley Kramer’s photo album Includes optional English subtitles **FIRST PRESSING ONLY** Illustrated booklet featuring new essays by Dr Christina Brennan and Barry Forshaw and a biography of Stanley Kramer by Jennifer Frost. Also includes writing on Operation Hurricane by the BFI’s Vic Pratt