I've stated a love for post-apocalyptic stories elsewhere on Phantom Empires, as well as an affinity for the 1970's; my fondness for the TV movies of that era is also something that I blab on about quite often. Well, 1974's WHERE HAVE ALL THE PEOPLE GONE? is the best of all these worlds. Starring prolific 70's TV actor Peter Graves, this is surprisingly uncompromising and grim coming from the small screen, though it was a time when the TV movie was often quite serious; it was a decade of adult issues and stark visions, and here we have a theme that meets that mark.
Graves plays Steven Anders, a man on a mountain camping trip with his family. His wife, played by character actor Jay MacIntosh, needs to return home early, leaving him with his teen children David and Deborah, played by George O'Hanlon jr. (most recently seen in LOST) and Kathleen Quinlan (in everything from Ironside to CSI), respectively. While exploring a cave, mysterious waves of light (ostensibly freakish solar flares) flashed across the California sky. The three come out of the mountain to a changed world. As the mother had taken the vehicle, they are forced to hike home to Malibu, on a quest to reunite with her.
Graves plays Steven Anders, a man on a mountain camping trip with his family. His wife, played by character actor Jay MacIntosh, needs to return home early, leaving him with his teen children David and Deborah, played by George O'Hanlon jr. (most recently seen in LOST) and Kathleen Quinlan (in everything from Ironside to CSI), respectively. While exploring a cave, mysterious waves of light (ostensibly freakish solar flares) flashed across the California sky. The three come out of the mountain to a changed world. As the mother had taken the vehicle, they are forced to hike home to Malibu, on a quest to reunite with her.
The first thing they find is a near-complete lack of people. The light flashes somehow have reduced the bulk of the human race to dust; only a few survivors, like themselves, seem to have a genetic immunity. The few survivors encountered, as in most apocalyptic fiction, are either frightened or hostile, with a desperation that makes them dangerous. Animals also seem to have been negatively effected, making any interaction with any living thing rife with deadly possibilities. To make things worse, the flares have rendered most running electronic devices useless. Steven drives the family toward home with a steely determination...navigating danger while safeguarding his children's emotional stability.
This is a fantastic picture. It sits in a special category of mine, with other such post-apocalyptic gems as the stark Ray Milland doomsday film PANIC IN THE YEAR ZERO, and well-known classics like THE OMEGA MAN and THE PLANET OF THE APES. Peter Graves is a surprisingly strong figure here (much as Milland was in the aforementioned), and the kids were both very good. Verna Bloom is captivating as a distraught mother. It's an unusual plot for television, and I think they pull it off memorably.
It's on Youtube for those that wish to see it; I'd love to see a DVD release.
This is a fantastic picture. It sits in a special category of mine, with other such post-apocalyptic gems as the stark Ray Milland doomsday film PANIC IN THE YEAR ZERO, and well-known classics like THE OMEGA MAN and THE PLANET OF THE APES. Peter Graves is a surprisingly strong figure here (much as Milland was in the aforementioned), and the kids were both very good. Verna Bloom is captivating as a distraught mother. It's an unusual plot for television, and I think they pull it off memorably.
It's on Youtube for those that wish to see it; I'd love to see a DVD release.
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