The Beginning or the End
| The Beginning or the End | |
|---|---|
 1947 Theatrical Poster |
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| Directed by | Norman Taurog |
| Produced by | Samuel Marx |
| Written by | Frank Wead Robert Considine (story) |
| Starring | Brian Donlevy Hume Cronyn Robert Walker Audrey Totter Tom Drake Hurd Hatfield |
| Music by | Daniele Amfitheatrof |
| Cinematography | Ray June |
| Editing by | George Boemler |
| Distributed by | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |
| Release date(s) | February 19, 1947 |
| Running time | 112 min. |
| Country | U.S.A. |
| Language | English |
The Beginning or the End (1947) is a drama film about the development of the atomic bomb in World War II, directed by Norman Taurog, starring Brian Donlevy and Hume Cronyn, and released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.
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[edit] Plot
The film dramatizes the creation of the atomic bomb in the Manhattan Project and the subsequent bombing of Japan.
[edit] Accuracy
The technical details of atomic processes and the bomb's design are wildly inaccurate by intention. These details were highly classified and the true nature of the weapon could not even be hinted at. One inaccuracy, independent of necessary military secrecy, is the portrayal of anti-aircraft shells bursting around the aircraft on the bombing run. The historical and political details are also inaccurate, for propaganda purposes.[1]
[edit] Production
A number of experts from Oak Ridge and Los Alamos acted as technical advisors: Dr. H.T. Wensel, Dr. Edward R. Tompkins, Dr. David Hawkins, and W. Bradford Shank. Of particular importance is the role Leslie Groves played:
"Groves also played a significant role in the development of the MGM film The Beginning or the End. Indeed, after MGM won White House approval for the project, one of its first moves was to hire Groves as a primary consultant -- for the then-unheard-of-fee of $10,000, MGM was authorized to depict Groves' role in the film and Groves agreed to offer his "best cooperation" in the production of the picture." [2]
Other military technical advisors included Colonel William A. Considine and Lieutenant Colonel Charles W. Sweeney, pilot of the second atom bomb attack on Nagasaki.
[edit] See also
- Fat Man and Little Boy - 1989 movie
[edit] References
- ^ B.V.A. Roling. The Tokyo Trial. p. 112
- ^ Gar Alperovitz, The Decision to Use the Atomic Bomb - And the Architecture of an American Myth pp. 600-601. This book discusses Groves participation in the argument that the dropping of the bomb saved lives: "The minimum estimate of our losses is a half million men".
[edit] External links
- The Beginning or the End at the Internet Movie Database
- The Beginning or the End at AllRovi
- movie poster
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