MEDIC CIVIL DEFENSE TV SHOW "FLASH OF DARKNESS" 1955 28262

Originally aired on Valentine's Day 1955, this episode of the TV show "Medic" owed its existence to the U.S. Government's Office of Civil Defense and its Cold War push to inform the American people about the threat of nuclear war. Created by James E. Moser (best known for his writing work on Dragnet), the TV show Medic (1954-1956) presented realistic hospital-based medical stories. In this episode an atomic bomb blast thrust star Richard Boone (of Have Gun-Will Travel fame) into the aftermath of a nuclear bomb blast.
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This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD and 2k. For more information visit www.PeriscopeFi...

[@Xerdar36]

I like these characters faces were very expressive... good acting...

[@jonathanhansen7734]

Honestly loved the acting in this

[@Mynamesalexa]

I remember CIVIL DEFENSE & DUCK & COVER from school. Our basement in grade school was a Civil Defense "safe place" where food, water, & medical supplies were stored. From 1959 to 1962 (Especially October 1962) we practiced hiding under our desks. As that would save us from global thermonuclear war. I was a baby when this show aired. Saw it on The Nostalgia Channel in the 90's

[@patwiggins6969]

Love how they're so calm and matter of fact about shit

[@AFaceintheCrowd01]

They have to be, they just have to be.

[@deadandburied7626]

These old films are scarier than "The Day After".

[@FixItStupid]

The Nuclear Melt Downs ALL Add Up Too @ 34 CPM

[@PeterEvansPeteTakesPictures]

Better not watch Threads, the Brit version of the Day After. It's pretty terrifying.

[@ramalamadingdongdong]

The Day After is the American version of Threads which came first and is better.​@PeterEvansPeteTakesPictures

[@rmx4087]

I was thinking the same thing.

[@rmx4087]

​@@PeterEvansPeteTakesPicturesYeah a woman pisses herself.

[@fromthesidelines]

Dow Chemical was the primary sponsor of the series. General Electric became an alternate sponsor in season two- despite the fact they were sustaining one of the least watched shows on Monday nights, as "I LOVE LUCY" was opposite "MEDIC".

[@darthbigred22]

You know had Periscope Film not had the note I would have figured this was an episode of Dragnet. Richard Boone really got around back then as well. Cool stuff

[@georgefeser6483]

This is one of the reasons that I want to be a medic.

[@Daveski24]

Richard Boone is the doctor

[@williambabyak1094]

Almost 70 years old, but it still has the ability to turn stomachs, and scare the living hell out of any same man. Not exactly pretty, but then, war is a hideous business,. especially nuclear war. I'm expecting nightmares for the next month...

[@1973teledeluxe]

Written/Directed by John Meredyth Lucas, who wrote/directed/produced quite a few episodes of the original Star Trek series.

[@williambabyak1094]

Lucas also worked with Wilton Schiller on MANNIX, as well as the CTV's POLICE SURGEON (Sam Groom).

[@davidtaliaferro]

I never saw this one till now. Dr Paladin did a great job.

[@danielburch3377]

for a p.s.a. the acting was pretty good!

[@PlasmaCoolantLeak]

I remember seeing this the first time decades ago on the old KEMO channel 20 in San Francisco.

[@ColetteNasielski-v5v]

Really love this nuclear war in the mid 1950s really love the episode

[@rmx4087]

I'm surprised no one is smoking.

[@jerrycarter7843]

Wasn't there a longer version of this like a movie or something?

[@legbreaker2762]

Back in the days when nukes were (relatively) tiny and dropped from bombers not missiles. A few short years later and there'd be no civil defence left - they'd be in as bad a shape (possibly ash) as everyone else.

[@briankistner4331]

Um... The lights still work??? And a "All Clear"???? REALLY!!! I don't think this is how it would go down for real.....

[@briankistner4331]

And trucks that still run???

[@Ea-Nasir_Copper_Co]

You’re absolutely right, but unfortunately at this point in time nobody outside of a few defense scientists knew that an electromotive pulse could even be created by a nuclear explosion. In fact, defense scientists didn’t have evidence that a high-altitude EMP could damage electronics until the Starfish Prime test in 1962, or seven years after this movie was shot. The scientific community at large learned about high-altitude EMP in the very early 1980s, which is why “The Day After” is the first movie about nuclear war to show its effects. Looking back half a century or more it’s sometimes difficult to fully grasp how little even experts knew about the effects of nuclear warfare. In many ways legislators, moviemakers, and even generals were no better prepared to understand it than Jim and Hilda Bloggs in “When The Wind Blows”.

[@TheDoctor1225]

@@Ea-Nasir_Copper_Co Agreed. I think that far too many times we forget that the knowledge that we, now, possess in the 21st century was not always known, or universal. Hence ideas such as "winnable" nuclear war, or people putting shelters in their basements to "survive" an all-out nuclear war and the like. The overall effects of the weapons on both man and the planet just weren't known.

[@christopherconard2831]

@@TheDoctor1225 Two, very erroneous, theories at the time were one city one bomb, and that atomic weapons were like regular bombs with an extra kick. Today this looks almost suicidally ignorant, but it was what most of the population believed.

[@michaelmcgowan7779]

@@briankistner4331 At the time this was made vehicles still had points and standard ignition. They would still run.

[@whereswaldo5740]

No CD now. Now my house looks like that. Many don’t prepare.

[@joeb7373]

Chet Huntley on the radio......

[@tommysmith824]

Yes. I''m sure it was him.

[@butchkaminsky9470]

Jimmy follows you're brother's orders!

[@whereswaldo5740]

Is it just me or do these films seem to be more commie propaganda than educational. More terrorizing than helpful.

[@jasonm949]

Yeah, reality is propaganda. 🙄

[@booklover6753]

I've noticed the ignorant masses like to use the word "commie". Why watch this stuff when good old Tucker has your back?

[@loricagardener4826]

You have to shock people into action. They’re just going to remain in willful ignorance if you don’t. Of course these days you can’t find much information on civil defense. The search sends you to lawyers.