On the Beach (1959)

Another entry in the Gregory Peck festival, this one seemingly less remembered but important for showcasing Peck's anti-nuke stance. It is not a "beach movie," one lighthearted beach scene notwithstanding. Novelist Nevil Shute evidently chose the title for a touch of irony. It's set mostly in post-apocalyptic Australia and features a dangerous auto race, but that's about where its similarity to the Mad Max franchise ends.

In 1964 (incidentally when Dr. Strangelove and Fail-Safe debuted), bombs have rendered Australia the only reportedly habitable place left in the world -- and not for much longer, as radiation sickness spreads. Naval officers Dwight (Peck) and Peter (pre-Psycho Anthony Perkins) must leave their loves -- new girlfriend Moira (Ava Gardner) and wife Mary (Donna Anderson), respectively -- in order to investigate the first sign of outside life in a while: incessant, indecipherable telegraphy from the ruins of California. Tip: Don't get your hopes up for a Children of Men-like ending.

Friendly Persuasion (1956)

William Wyler was an unusual director, in that he made many hits and I've seen nearly half his body of work, yet I can hardly characterize his style. He did mostly drama, with perhaps greater overall emphasis on women than other directors did, but could excel in multiple genres. That explains why I keep forgetting -- completely -- which movies he directed, even after reviewing two of them on this blog.

In this case, I think I was drawn in less by the credit to Wyler and more by the plot summary. Based on a book by Jessamyn West, it details the Birdwells, a family of five Quakers in rural Indiana during the War Between the States. Their faith solidly supports abolitionism but forbids fighting in its name, or even in self-defense. But several factors weaken their convictions during the story, and not just regarding violence. Eliza (Dorothy McGuire), the mother, remains the most devout and thus the most upset by the changes, while father Jess (Gary Cooper) and elder son Josh (early Anthony Perkins) face building pressure to take up arms. Yeah, that's kind of a running theme in Cooper's acting career.