1962 - PANIC IN YEAR ZERO, interesting science fiction film

The actor Ray Milland occasionally directed some film and television shows.  This low budget science fiction story from American International Pictures is about a nuclear attack against the United States while a family is on vacation.  Milland is the head of the family and the film deals with their attempts to survive the attack.

 For the usual cheap AIP studios the film production is fairly decent, interesting and less pretentious than something like Stanley Kramer's On The Beach.  The film shows the breakdown of modern civilization and isn't afraid to show Milland and his son played by pretty boy Frankie Avalon, shoot people who get in their way.  The film does contain a degree of ruthlessness for an early 1060's film.

Panic In Year Zero has a decent cast Along with Milland is Jean Hagen as his wife.  Hagen was Lena Lamont in MGM's Singing In The Rain.  Joan Freeman is a woman being used as a sex slave by some creepy punks and of course Frankie Avalon before he starred in the infamous "Beach" film series for AIP. 

 The film was written by John Morton and Jay Simms and comes in at a brisk 93 minutes.