Archive for Friday, November 21, 2008
The glow from ‘The Day After’ hasn’t dimmed
Viewers gather at Liberty Hall 25 years after movie on nuclear war aired on ABC
Moviegoers take their seats in preparation to view "The Day After," 25 years after the television movie aired on ABC the night of Nov. 20, 1983. The movie was mostly shot and set in Lawrence. A panel discussion was conducted after Thursday's screening.
November 21, 2008
Advertisement
Audio Clips
Jon Niccum talks with "The Day After" director Nicholas Meyer
Residents relive Lawrence teledrama
It was 25 years ago yesterday that Lawrence was in the center of the television universe. Enlarge video
They celebrated the 25th anniversary of Lawrence being the center of the television universe.
Thursday night, dozens of people at Liberty Hall watched a screening of the TV movie “The Day After,” mostly shot and set in Lawrence, a quarter century after it aired on ABC the night of Nov. 20, 1983.
Sam Dixon, a longtime Lawrence resident and insurance business owner, remembers showing up as an extra for several scenes in the Cold War movie about a devastating nuclear strike.
“It was like a vacation. Everybody was all excited about it,” Dixon said.
To his knowledge, he never made the final cut, though.
The Watkins Community Museum of History organized Thursday’s event along with Kyle Harvey, an Australian doctoral student who is studying film and politics.
“It impacted almost everybody who saw it in the country,” said David Longhurst, Lawrence’s mayor at the time.
Longhurst participated in a panel discussion about the movie after the screening. Director Nicholas Meyer, producer Robert Papazian, actor Jeff East and Lawrence casting director Jack Wright were also involved in the discussion.
Harvey, who attends Macquarie University in Sydney, will spend the next week interviewing Lawrence residents who were involved in the film or their reactions to it. Participants are encouraged to contact him at 841-0314 or kyle.harvey@mq.edu.au.
Nearly 100 million viewers tuned in that night.
“People were interested in the film, interested in being in the film and seeing themselves and their town and their house, their street on the screen,” Harvey said.
Several Lawrence residents said it was a memorable time in the city’s history.
“We still were fearful of an atomic war at the time,” Dixon said.
More like this
- ‘Day After’ screening 1 comment / November 20, 2008
- Nuclear reaction 31 comments / November 16, 2008
- Reflections on the 25th anniversary of “The Day After” 1 comment / November 21, 2008
- Fallout from 'The Day After' November 14, 2003
- Old Home Town - 25 years ago September 4, 2008
Top ads RSS
Marketplace
Arts & Entertainment · Bars · Theatres · Restaurants · Coffeehouses · Libraries · Antiques · Services
- Let’s make a deal November 27, 2009 · 3 comments
- Kansas Athletics seeks football fans to invest $34M for Gridiron Club November 27, 2009 · 31 comments
- Obama to promise 17% cuts in U.S. emissions in next decade November 26, 2009 · 55 comments
- The Oread Hotel targets concerns over fire November 27, 2009 · 19 comments
- Letter claims bad conditions at juvenile facility November 27, 2009 · 3 comments
- Blog: How Has Obama's Stimulus Helped You? November 21, 2009 · 94 comments
- Turbine manufacturer passes on Lawrence site November 24, 2009 · 96 comments
- Anger control November 27, 2009 · 10 comments
- Shoppers hunt for door buster bargains November 27, 2009 · 12 comments
- Blog: Six Wins Might Not Be Enough To Get Ku Into A Bowl November 27, 2009 · 13 comments
- The Oread Hotel targets concerns over fire November 27, 2009
- Center of attention: New LAC director acclimates to challenging post November 27, 2009
- Natural scorer: Xavier Henry used to carrying points load November 27, 2009
- Kansas Legislature likely to debate judicial nomination process in 2010 session November 25, 2009
- Tight credit slows state’s business development November 27, 2009
- Kansas Athletics seeks football fans to invest $34M for Gridiron Club November 27, 2009
- Jayhawks: We are focused on Tigers November 27, 2009
- Oread owners share view from the top September 24, 2009
- Message warns students at Perry-Lecompton not to attend class today April 20, 2007
- Santa arriving in Downtown Lawrence Friday night November 27, 2009
21 November 2008
at 12:25 p.m.
Suggest removal
Permalink
3crookedhearts (Anonymous) says…
I did not grow up in Lawrence or even in the KC metro, but my best friend's parents went to KU. I saw the movie when I was five and it pretty much scared the living crap out of me. I was absolutely terrified of nuclear proliferation pretty much up until the wall came down. Like many things of that time period (e.g. Voltron, Ice Pirates, The Secret of Nimh), I remembered it being better than it actually is, but it's extremely fun to see the guy from “Police Academy” running up and down Mass St. seeing other Lawrence landmarks as they were 25 years ago. Jason Robards gives a good perfomance.
21 November 2008
at 2:40 p.m.
Suggest removal
Permalink
Lulu (Anonymous) says…
This movie rank, as one of the best movies I have ever seen. It is Number 2, on my all time list. Opray Winfrey's behind, with her spellbinding classic “Beloved.”
21 November 2008
at 4:38 p.m.
Suggest removal
Permalink
frwent (Anonymous) says…
My oldest son and I were both in this movie. I still have my “ABC” hat they gave us for participating. I saw him in a long shot, but didn't see myself. One funny note: I was assigned to the pile of “dead bodies” with other dead/live participants and a bunch of dummies filled with something??. But that evening, several of the live/dead people were listening to a ball game on a portable radio, the Kansas City Royals were playing the Angels in Anaheim, California, where a lot of the people on the film crew lived. We would cheer and make comments when “our” team would make some positive play (this was a Royals team long, long ago and far, far, away) and the California crew would shout at us “Would the dead people please keep quiet!” It was pretty funny at the time. I think “our” team won the game.
21 November 2008
at 4:39 p.m.
Suggest removal
Permalink
coolmarv (Anonymous) says…
I thought it was good when it came out but I was 18. I have watched it several times over the years and think it is a poorly made movie with just bad acting. I did not think Jason Robards acted well at all.
21 November 2008
at 5:16 p.m.
Suggest removal
Permalink
OldEnuf2BYurDad (Anonymous) says…
Actually, if anyone saw it, the British movie “Threads” was far more scietifically realistic than TDA. In Threads, there weren't a lot of survivors, and it showed what would happen to those who did survive into the next generation. Really nasty.
21 November 2008
at 5:56 p.m.
Suggest removal
Permalink
Pywacket (Anonymous) says…
I lived in a student slum house on KY St at the time, close to 9th St. It was a short few steps out the back door and through the (then) Art Center's parking lot to get to where you could see the “destruction” they were staging at some downtown businesses. I particularly remember Undercover, a boutique selling sexy lingerie, which had tall pink columns out front. They knocked at least one of those over and made them look burned, and messed up the store front—then fixed everything after filming, so you'd never know anything had been amiss.I remember when the movie came out, how my family back home got such a kick (more than I did) at seeing those local businesses they remembered having visited when they were here to see me. They hoped to see me as an extra, but I didn't even try out—had no interest whatsoever. All these years later, I kind of wish I had—it would be funny to look back and catch a glimpse of your young self in a nuclear winter landscape.
21 November 2008
at 6:22 p.m.
Suggest removal
Permalink
jumpin_catfish (Anonymous) says…
Ok I'll say it again, lame, lame lame. Just because they filmed in Lawrence doesn't make it a good movie.
21 November 2008
at 7:08 p.m.
Suggest removal
Permalink
Pywacket (Anonymous) says…
I have to agree, catfish— I remember being disappointed in the quality even back then. An Oscar contender it wasn't… but for what it was (made for TV), and being an agenda-driven production (as opposed to purely a great story), it served its use and was entertaining.I haven't researched the making of it, but I imagine the budget wasn't huge (not that real artistic accomplishment can't be achieved on a shoestring, but…). Anyway—after all these years, it would still be fun to see it just because it was set in Lawrence, if not for any other reason.And, speaking of accomplishment on a shoestring, what do you think of that other Lawrence movie, Carnival of Souls? I think that one really is good. Still creepy and atmospheric, all these years later!
21 November 2008
at 8:23 p.m.
Suggest removal
Permalink
Multidisciplinary (Anonymous) says…
They've talked about it so much, I saw it today at trading post here, and so I bought it.It will be interesting to see the actors now.When I saw it, I don't think I knew who Guttenberg, Lithgow, or Cullen (?) were then. I knew, but didn't like Robards. So the movie meant little to me, other than some friends participated or were cut in editing.Now, I know Guttenberg from so many films, the same with Lithgow.John Cullen, (?), the farmer dad I think, I learned to love as the bar owner in Northern Exposure. Later, when rewatching a “1776”, a movie I had seen in the theatre on a jr high trip, I saw he played I think the South Carolina Senator. He sang the song about slaves..a remarkable vocal performance.(Come to think of it, I just learned I have 4or5 signers of the Declaration that are related to me, I wonder if that senator was one of them. I just checked, How funny, one of my favorite actors portrayed one of my relatives, gigles!) I then learned he did a lot of stage work all his life. You might know him from more recent appearances on E.R,. as Dr. Greene's miltary-stubborn ill father.I came to like Robards once he got older. Starting with Ron Howard's “Parenthood”.Now if I can just find a copy of The World According to Garp.Time to start the movie.
21 November 2008
at 8:42 p.m.
Suggest removal
Permalink
George_Braziller (Anonymous) says…
I also thought “The Day After” was pretty lame. I watched it just to see if I could catch a face of someone I knew. I was really thrown off when there is a scene at Spencer Museum and then they turn a corner and they are in a completely different building. The script, the acting, and the filming were all boring as hell.
21 November 2008
at 9:25 p.m.
Suggest removal
Permalink
Multidisciplinary (Anonymous) says…
Rusty's HIllcrest, immortalized!