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In 1964, atomic war wipes out humanity in the northern hemisphere; one American submarine finds temporary safe haven in Australia, where life-as-usual covers growing despair. In denial about the loss of his wife and children in the holocaust, American Captain Towers meets careworn but gorgeous Moira Davidson, who begins to fall for him. The sub returns after reconnaissance a month (or less) before the end; will Towers and Moira find comfort with each other?
On the Beach (1959) is a science fiction, drama and romance film directed by Stanley Kramer, released on December 17, 1959 with a runtime of 2h 14m. It stars Gregory Peck, Ava Gardner, Fred Astaire and Anthony Perkins. Viewers rate it 6.7 out of 10 across 250 ratings.
Watch the official trailer for On the Beach before you stream it.
Official trailers, teasers, clips and featurettes for On the Beach.
Trailer
Clip
Gregory Peck
as Dwight Towers
Ava Gardner
as Moira Davidson
Fred Astaire
as Julian Osborn
Anthony Perkins
as Lt. Peter Holmes
Donna Anderson
as Mary Holmes
Guy Doleman
as Lt. Cmdr. Farrel
John Meillon
as Ralph Swain
Harp McGuire
as Lt. Sunderstrom
Lola Brooks
as Lt. Hosgood
Ken Wayne
as Lt. Benson
Joe McCormick
as Ackerman
Lou Vernon
as Bill Davidson
Directed by Stanley Kramer, written by John Paxton and Nevil Shute, produced by Stanley Kramer.
Average viewer score of 6.7/10 from 250 ratings.
Like watching paint dry. Stanley Kramer and John Paxton adapt from Nevil Shute's novel. Gregory Peck, Ava Gardner, Fred Astaire, Anthony Perkins and Donna Anderson star, with music by Ernest Gold and cinematography by Giuseppe Rotunno. After a global nuclear war, the inhabitants of Australia realise that the radiation clouds are heading their way. A group of people try to come to terms with this fact. A well…
Reviewed on September 13, 2015
Well acted story with an obvious anti-war theme, written during the cold war provided an interesting portrayal of how different people may react facing impending doom. Fearful, Angry, Fatalistic. It developed feelings for the characters as they dealt with the situation each in their own way. Overall, at the end, there was a sadness that prevailed and led one to contemplate the possibility of this occurring. That is…
Reviewed on June 10, 2017
With nuclear warfare having eradicated most of the population of the world, it seems that only Australia still has a population - and they know that it is only a matter of time before the irradiated dust reaches their coastline and death will follow. Just ahead of that, though, is the USS Sawfish under the command of the now widowed “Towers” (Gregory Peck) who arrives with a grateful but demoralised crew. Their…
Reviewed on September 5, 2025
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On the Beach (1959) is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video. Streaming availability is checked against JustWatch data and can change by region.
The main cast of On the Beach (1959) includes Gregory Peck, Ava Gardner, Fred Astaire, Anthony Perkins and Donna Anderson. The film was directed by Stanley Kramer. You can see the full cast and crew list, with character names, further up this page.
On the Beach was released on December 17, 1959 and runs for 2h 14m.
On the Beach (1959) holds an average rating of 6.7 out of 10 from 250 viewer votes, and is a good pick if you enjoy science fiction, drama and romance films. Read the viewer reviews on this page to decide for yourself.
Yes. The official On the Beach trailer is embedded in the trailer section of this page and plays instantly, no download or sign-up required.
