Ladybug Ladybug (film)
| Ladybug Ladybug | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Frank Perry |
| Written by | Eleanor Perry |
| Based on | "They Thought the War Was On!" by Lois Dickert |
| Produced by | Frank Perry |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Leonard Hirschfield |
| Edited by | Armond Lebowitz |
| Music by | Bob Cobert |
Production company | Francis Productions Inc. |
| Distributed by | United Artists |
Release date |
|
Running time | 82 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $320,000[1] |
Ladybug Ladybug is a 1963 American
The film was inspired by a McCall's magazine story about an actual incident at a California elementary school during the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis.[4]
Plot
One morning, teachers at a secluded countryside elementary school are asked to accompany the pupils to their homes after a nuclear attack warning alarm sounds and the staff are unable to determine whether or not the alarm was false. One teacher and the children under her care walk through the countryside, with a slowly building sense of doom about what they believe to be the upcoming nuclear holocaust. Several of the children reach their homes; one girl cowers under a bed after her parents refuse to take the threat seriously, a boy leads his dementia-ridden grandmother to take cover in their basement, another girl runs off in a panic after finding her house empty.
When several of the children finally gain access to a bomb shelter, they do not allow a female fellow student to join them, claiming there is not enough room. The girl frantically searches for shelter and hides inside an old abandoned refrigerator; she is not seen again and her fate is never explained. A boy leaves the shelter to try and find her, and as he runs along outside a loud whining noise is suddenly heard overhead. The boy cowers in the shadow of planes passing in the sky above and repeatedly yells "Stop!" as the camera moves closer to his face, goes out of focus and then fades to black.
Cast
- Jane Connell as Mrs. Maxton
- William Daniels as Mr. Calkins
- James Frawley as Truck Driver
- Richard Hamilton as JoAnn's Father
- Kathryn Hays as Mrs. Forbes
- Judith Lowry as Luke's Grandmother
- Nancy Marchand as Mrs. Andrews
- Estelle Parsons as JoAnn's Mother
- Miles Chapin as Joel
- Alice Playten as Harriet
- Marilyn Rogers as Sarah
Critical reception
Writing in
See also
References
- ^ "Inside Stuff - Pictures". Variety. November 1963. p. 17.
- ^ "Reviews for Ladybug Ladybug". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved February 24, 2018.
- ^ Trivia for Ladybug Ladybug, IMDb.com; retrieved April 28, 2015.
- ^ Dickert, Lois (April 1963). "They Thought the War Was On!". McCall's. pp. 96–97, 201–203.
- ^ Crowther, Bosley. "Screen: Reacting to Alert:'Ladybug, Ladybug,' by the Perrys, Opens". The New York Times. The New York Times Company. Retrieved 2024-02-27.
- ^ Erickson, Glenn. "Ladybug Ladybug". Trailers From Hell. Trailers From Hell. Retrieved 2024-02-27.
External links
 | This article about a 1960s thriller film is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |