Original subtitles

Today we bring you to one of the huge shelters which the government is

constructing at top speed for our protection.

This must be by far the largest construction effort ever undertaken in

country.

The whole of our... Oh, no, Diana, make a note to fix a session with the film

editor, will you?

The whole of our armed forces, together with the civil defence organisation

and numerous... No, no, thousands of volunteers...

while working day and night on these immense shelters.

Most people in this country are facing the menace of Object Z with amazing

I can't get any corporation in this building at all. I'd be better off

for some other TV network. Have you finished that script yet? Well, come on,

come on, let's not waste any time.

I'm the only one here who seems to want to do any work.

What was the last thing I said, Diana?

With amazing calm.

Yes.

Everywhere there is confidence.

Confidence in the measures taken by the government.

Confidence that so long as we work together and avoid panic, we can survive

impact of Object Z.

I don't think.

I take it that's not meant to be in the script?

No.

Peter. Hmm?

Do you think the shelters will be ready in time?

Not a chance.

Peter, before we go out and film the script, I want you to go to King's

Where on earth's that?

It's a village in Buckinghamshire. The vicar there refuses to build shelters.

What? Why?

Oh, on the grounds that judgment objects, that is, judgment from God.

chat him up and see if you can get a program on him.

All right, well, I'd better get off right away.

Yeah, Diane, if you want to get a car for us, will you?

Peter, we'll have to get some street interviews. The whole object of this

operation is to instill confidence.

The main object is to understand and to find out, to find out what the ordinary

person is doing and thinking at this moment.

What do you think about all this?

Well, it's a bad do, of course. But we've faced this kind of thing before,

haven't we? Battle of Britain and all that.

Quite. How's your shelter getting on? Not bad.

Everyone's working on it.

Jolly hard work, too, I can tell you.

How's yours getting on?

Not bad, actually.

Everybody's pitching in.

I make myself useful brewing tea and all that.

I see they've closed down all the schools.

Want us to stay together, I suppose, when the... Quiet.

It's bound to be devastation, of course.

As long as we stick together, avoid panic and obey instructions, I'm sure

everything will be all right.

It's all a plot.

You mark my words, there's going to be a war. And they're just saying it's a

start to make us go out and build all them shelters.

War now, Albert is.

It's not fair. After a long day with the gas board, then he has to go out and

dig. But I've seen the star on the telly. Oh, yes, you can see it, all

but that don't mean it's going to hit us, does it?

No, it's all a plot. Do you think it'll miss us, then?

Yeah, of course it will.

Anyhow, I'm not going down one of them shelters. That's why I don't want to.

It's a free country, isn't it? Well, if it's free, it's reasonable.

No. One bomb and the lot comes down.

Albert can go if he likes, but I'm not going near them. Oh, you ain't awful.

Oh, well, you see, I know.

It's all a plot.

Look. Quick, Buffy.

They're afraid to come, thinking in case they get lynched.

Come on.

Well, how are we getting on?

Not too well, I'm afraid.

My reports show that barely 25 % of the shelter accommodation we need will be

ready by that day. Can't we speed them up, if it's a question of manpower?

It's not a question of manpower, John. It's a question of concrete.

Have you read Duncan's report?

Yes. According to him, if impact occurs more than 6 ,000 miles away, outside

this line, we shall have a very fair chance, though there will be flooding

some damage to buildings by blast.

At 3 ,000 to 6 ,000 miles, the risks will be much greater and the effects

worse. Most buildings will be completely destroyed by blast and we shall have to

expect severe casualties, even in the shelters.

How many will have shelters in six weeks' time?

About 10 million.

One in five.

It would be possible, of course, to select people so that the fittest, most

intelligent, had the best chance of survival.

I'm not God to decide who's fit to live and who's to die.

We must select people by lot.

Oh, a charity match.

I thought it was a bit late in the year for proper cricket. Diana!

Excuse me.

I'm very grateful to you, Vicar, for letting us do this interview.

Do you believe that the visitation of this object is a punishment for the sins

of the whole world, or just for those of King's Norton?

Oh, I hope I'm not as narrow -minded as that.

Oh, well played.

No, I don't want to share the same fate as a predecessor of mine in this parish.

He was thrown into the horse pond by his own congregation for suggesting a

similar thing. When was that?

1916. He was unwise enough to suggest that a stick of bombs which fell from a

zeppelin that year, demolishing the parish hall and killing six people, was

as a punishment for their fondness for the crowned anchor.

Most unwise.

Do you really think that this is a visitation from God?

Certainly. All visitations are.

Oh, well stopped.

Yes, I believe this dreadful thing has been sent to punish us all for our sins.

And it would be blessed for me to try to take shelter against it.

I've told my parishioners so.

In any case, you know, many of them believe that no shelter will avail

so tremendous an impact.

A view which I share.

When do we start?

Just as soon as the cameras are set up.

What has the government done about all this?

About us not building a shelter, you mean?

Well, there's not much they can do, is there? I mean...

It's very difficult, as you know, to make men work if they don't want to,

especially when they're convinced they only have five weeks to live.

However, it is extremely difficult, as you all know, to make men work if

really unwilling to do so.

And it's difficult to threaten prison and fines when they're convinced they've

only got five weeks to live.

That's a very good interview you filmed there, Peter.

Thanks.

Splendid chap, that vicar.

I envy people who can feel so certain about things.

I envy the way he can order people about. Make them see his own point of

even. You know, they very nearly lynched Diana because she was wearing pants.

And kinky boots, too, I suppose.

Yes, and they weren't very much appreciated.

What's that?

Looters, I expect.

I can't see anything from here.

Ah, they're all over the place.

Bunches of ruffians, they break into pubs, drink themselves into a frenzy.

And then they go out and beat up the town. Yes, I saw them at a tiger

I'm told that looters are to be shot at fight now.

That's about the only thing that'll stop them.

Buckley?

Hello? Oh, Tom.

Yes. Oh.

Yes, I see.

Yes. Mm -hmm.

Yes, fine. I'll fix it up. Yes.

Diner, too.

Yes, I'll tell them. OK. Bye.

Well, you're off.

Who? You and Peter to Australia on tonight's plane.

You're mad!

I haven't anything with me.

Well, you'd better take a taxi round to your flattened pack then, haven't you?

Got her passport?

Yes, of course I have. Well, you'd better bring it. And they'll fix you up

the rest of your papers at the airport.

Where are we going and why?

To Woomera.

They're firing the rocket on Thursday to destroy Object Z.

The tracking installations extend for several hundred miles.

Uninhabited country.

Yes. You'll see the launching tower later on. I suppose that's where they're

going to farm it over. Yes, that's correct.

Well, look, that's all really interesting, but before you go, have you

inside information from the special branch, Captain Webb?

As I always say to the press, no comment.

Exactly what I thought you'd say. Oh, I say, look, she's rather nice.

You're looking very nice miss winters if I may say so Thank You captain way how

nice of you to say sir the car should be here shortly By the way, I'm sorry that

our last meeting was so unfriendly That's all right. We were all under a

a strain the Australian television people put their stuff at your disposal

There's a chap called Grant in charge of arrangements to meet him later on.

I suppose you want to fly your report back to England Yes, I will I'll leave

that on I'm afraid I must see it first Oh and therefore

Well, it's the security angle again, I'm afraid. I'm supposed to see all taped

or written reports before they go out.

All right.

I thought there weren't supposed to be any national secrets anymore.

That's quite true.

The Russians and the Americans are sharing their secrets.

But the great thing is to keep people's spirits up.

That's what the shelter -building programs are for, as you know.

They're not likely to be much use when it comes to the crunch.

Who's in charge of operations here?

Dr. Ramsey.

Ah, here's the car.

Are you ready?

Yes, of course.

I say, I wonder if you could help me. There was supposed to be a car here to

meet me. It hasn't turned up and I've just got to get to Woomera.

Dr. Ramsey? Yes?

What happens if this thing goes wrong?

We'll just have to start again, shan't we?

With every time?

I think so. It'll take about three weeks, of course.

And if it fails, we've had it. I'm afraid so.

We'll just have to succeed, won't we? Excuse me. The world's press are

Oh, thank you.

Good luck.

Thank you.

Gentlemen, this is Dr. Ramsey. Hello.

Now, wait a minute. Don't tell me.

It's Mr. Murray, isn't it?

Barry. Oh, yes, of course.

Sorry our program got cut short.

Well, we shall have to take it up again sometime.

Yes. Well, gentlemen, quite an imposing array of talent.

Well,

I suppose I'd better begin.

In a few minutes, we're going to launch an extremely powerful missile into outer

space. The object of this is to explode a hydrogen bomb.

This bomb is much more powerful than anything that we've ever constructed

before. The point of impact should be about 600 ,000 miles from the Earth.

Now, if this operation is successful, we hope to be able to destroy Object Z, or

at any rate, deflect it from its course.

Well, as you can hear, there's very little time left. You'll be able to get

good view from the liftoff from these screens here. How powerful is this bomb

you're firing? It's in the 1 ,000 megaton range.

It's about five times bigger than anything built before, isn't it? Yes, it

Now, Object Z has been described as six miles across and covering a mass of

several thousand million miles. This bomb that you're about to fire, can it

any impression on such a mass?

Our calculations show that if it's made of stone, a direct hit might shatter the

object completely.

We should probably still have to face a bombardment of fragments, but that would

certainly be less dangerous than a single object of this mass. What if

is composed of nickel iron, as you said it may be?

Then I'm afraid the effect would be, well, less satisfactory.

We might hope, however, to deflect it from its course. Under the conditions

obtaining in outer space, even a light flow might remove it from its path and

alter its velocity and produce large effects.

What is this firing effect?

I'm afraid there's no time for any more questions.

You'll be able to get a complete view from these screens here.

Now, this is a three -stage device.

The first stage is composed of six Saturn rockets developing a thrust of 1

,000 pounds.

At 1 ,600 miles, the second stage will be fired, developing a thrust of 600

pounds. The third stage will be fired, developing a thrust of 1 ,200 pounds at

,600 miles.

That's what the engineer says. At any rate, my job has been to calculate a

collision bar.

5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0.

She's off course. What?

What's the reading?

Destruct, Doctor.

Destruct! Destruct.

What are you going to do now?

What I told you that we might have to do.

Start again.

Although the results are not entirely satisfactory, much valuable information

has been gained, and our chances of scoring a direct hit at the next attempt

vastly improved.

It is very heartening indeed to see such unity among our people at this moment.

It is even more heartening to see the unity which now exists between nations.

All national... Welcome back.

All distinctions of race...

I gather that the first firing was even more of a frost than they said.

Total failure.

It's all too complicated.

We've got to get about 30 tons into orbit, set it off at a distance twice as

great as the moon, and then hit an object moving at about a mile a second.

It's just not on.

The Russians are trying next week.

Guess where they're firing it from?

Piccadilly Circus.

Cape Kennedy.

What? The Americans have put every facility at their disposal.

Apparently, their tracking devices are better than the Russians.

But the Russians have more powerful motors, so they've got together.

What's this?

He's feeding them to Pelvis Square.

shelters. About there not being enough to go around? It was becoming obvious,

wasn't it?

Down with the government!

That is the only way to save yourself!

Down with the government!

Down with those who have made such poor preparations!

Down with the traitors who have lied to you and exposed you all to him and them!

So was Hitler. Look where he got to.

He's certainly got the crowd behind him.

How can they believe him?

Building shelters for 40 million people in three weeks?

Hello. Oh, hello, Bob.

Ah, yes, yes, I've just been watching it once.

What?

Right.

There's a crowd of 60 ,000 people marching on Whitehall at this moment.

Well, get down there and cover it!

In a statement today, Sir John Shandorff said that the government had removed

Oxford because of the critical situation existing in London.

And now, over to Peter Barry for a report of events recorded earlier today.

From where I'm standing, I can see Whitehall.

The streets are littered with broken glass from this afternoon's fighting.

You can see the barricades erected by the Action Party against the police.

Firing is still going on.

The car which was attacked earlier is still burning in the street.

I can see a man lying in the street not far from here.

No one dares cross the street to pick him up.

As you saw on the news earlier, we're not the only country that's having

trouble.

In South America, the Middle East... Peter certainly laid it on with the

In Africa, tribal war.

Even in the United States, there's revolt and confusion.

The whole world is mad with fear.

More details in our next summary.

The time is now 10 .45.

You must get some rest. I'm waiting for a report from Duncan. He's putting the

latest figures through the computers.

Should be ready in about half an hour. Well, will you rest then?

What a pity.

For the first time, I suppose, in history, the whole world was united.

There was no national ambition.

No threat of war.

We were all brothers.

Now everything's falling apart simply because a few ambitious men see this

situation as a way to power.

There was a chance, you know.

If we survived, there was a chance to build a better world than we'd ever

before.

Without hatred.

Without... And now... But there's still a chance if this thing

they're firing from Kate Kennedy works.

It must work.

There won't be a second chance.

What time are they firing back at?

11 .30.

Half an hour.

9 8 7 6 5 4 3

2 1

She's off.

No trouble so far. When will she go into orbit?

In about 40 minutes. Then we hope to give her escape velocity.

What?

Right, thank you.

Oh, how's it going?

Oh, fine.

The DAC is tracking her.

She'll be over Siberia in about 10 minutes. Those are the figures? Yes.

The course is unchanged.

She's heading straight for us.

I think it's time for the Prime Minister's statement. OK,

bye -bye.

I am happy to tell you that order has been restored in London as well as in

provinces.

John Keeler, leader of the so -called Action Party, has, I'm afraid, escaped

with some of his followers.

My other news is of even greater importance.

As you all know, efforts have been made to destroy Object Z before it can reach

us.

Hitherto these efforts have not met with much success.

About 15 hours ago, however, a missile was successfully fired from Cape

I need hardly say with what we believe we must all hear this news.

No words could express the debt we owe to the scientists of every nation whose

skill and devotion made this result possible.

In a short time, we shall be giving you the results of the explosion, which are

expected to be decisive.

Good night and bless you all.

All we can do now is wait.

Bye -bye.