Ladybug Ladybug (film)
Encyclopedia
Ladybug Ladybug is a 1963
American motion picture, directed by Academy Award
-nominated filmmaker Frank Perry
. The film is a commentary about the psychological effects of the Cold War
, the title deriving from the classic nursery rhyme. It is also the motion picture debut for both William Daniels
and Estelle Parsons
.
, teachers at a secluded countryside elementary school are asked to walk their pupils home after a nuclear bomb warning alarm sounds. Unaware that the alarm was tripped by accident
, the teacher and children walk through the countryside with a slowly building sense of doom about the upcoming nuclear holocaust
. When the children finally gain access to a bomb shelter
, they do not allow an unpopular girl to enter, claiming there isn't enough room for one more. The girl frantically searches for shelter, finding an old abandoned refrigerator which she hides inside, only to suffocate to death. After a boy from the shelter fails to find her, we hear a loud whining noise overhead. The boy cowers to the ground in the shadow of bomber planes passing in the sky above. The film abruptly smashes to black with the words "STOP! STOP! STOP!" written on screen. It is left unclear whether or not a bomb is dropped, or if the children are victims of the panic and paranoia
caused by the Cold War
.
1963 in film
The year 1963 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* June 12 - Cleopatra starring Elizabeth Taylor, Rex Harrison and Richard Burton premieres at the Rivoli Theatre in New York City....
American motion picture, directed by Academy Award
Academy Awards
An Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...
-nominated filmmaker Frank Perry
Frank Perry
Frank J. Perry, Jr. was an American stage and film director, producer and screenwriter. His directorial debut, the 1962 film David and Lisa, earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Director....
. The film is a commentary about the psychological effects of the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
, the title deriving from the classic nursery rhyme. It is also the motion picture debut for both William Daniels
William Daniels
William David Daniels is an American actor and former president of the Screen Actors Guild . He is known for his performance as Dustin Hoffman's father in The Graduate , as John Adams in 1776, as Carter Nash in Captain Nice, as Mr. George Feeny in ABC's Boy Meets World, as the voice of KITT in...
and Estelle Parsons
Estelle Parsons
Estelle Margaret Parsons is an American theatre, film and television actress and occasional theatrical director.After studying law, Parsons became a singer before deciding to pursue a career in acting. She worked for the television program Today and made her stage debut in 1961...
.
Plot
During the 1962 Cuban missile crisisCuban Missile Crisis
The Cuban Missile Crisis was a confrontation among the Soviet Union, Cuba and the United States in October 1962, during the Cold War...
, teachers at a secluded countryside elementary school are asked to walk their pupils home after a nuclear bomb warning alarm sounds. Unaware that the alarm was tripped by accident
False alarm
A false alarm, also called a nuisance alarm, is the fake report of an emergency, causing unnecessary panic and/or bringing resources to a place where they are not needed. Over time, repeated false alarms in a certain area may cause occupants to start to ignore all alarms, knowing that each time it...
, the teacher and children walk through the countryside with a slowly building sense of doom about the upcoming nuclear holocaust
Nuclear holocaust
Nuclear holocaust refers to the possibility of the near complete annihilation of human civilization by nuclear warfare. Under such a scenario, all or most of the Earth is made uninhabitable by nuclear weapons in future world wars....
. When the children finally gain access to a bomb shelter
Bomb shelter
A bomb shelter is any kind of a civil defense structure designed to provide protection against the effects of a bomb.-Types of shelter:Different kinds of bomb shelters are configured to protect against different kinds of attack and strengths of hostile explosives. For example, an Air-raid shelter...
, they do not allow an unpopular girl to enter, claiming there isn't enough room for one more. The girl frantically searches for shelter, finding an old abandoned refrigerator which she hides inside, only to suffocate to death. After a boy from the shelter fails to find her, we hear a loud whining noise overhead. The boy cowers to the ground in the shadow of bomber planes passing in the sky above. The film abruptly smashes to black with the words "STOP! STOP! STOP!" written on screen. It is left unclear whether or not a bomb is dropped, or if the children are victims of the panic and paranoia
Paranoia
Paranoia [] is a thought process believed to be heavily influenced by anxiety or fear, often to the point of irrationality and delusion. Paranoid thinking typically includes persecutory beliefs, or beliefs of conspiracy concerning a perceived threat towards oneself...
caused by the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
.
Cast
- Doug Chapin as Gary
- Miles ChapinMiles ChapinMiles Chapin is an American actor.Chapin was born in New York City, New York, the son of Betty , a descendant of Henry E. Steinway , and Schuyler Chapin, an author who was the General Manager of the Metropolitan Opera...
as Joel - Jane Connell as Mrs. Maxton
- William DanielsWilliam DanielsWilliam David Daniels is an American actor and former president of the Screen Actors Guild . He is known for his performance as Dustin Hoffman's father in The Graduate , as John Adams in 1776, as Carter Nash in Captain Nice, as Mr. George Feeny in ABC's Boy Meets World, as the voice of KITT in...
as Mr. Calkins - James FrawleyJames FrawleyJames Frawley is an American director and actor. Frawley was born in Houston, Texas. He has worked on Smallville, Ghost Whisperer, Judging Amy and The Monkees, as well as many other programs...
as Truck driver - Richard HamiltonRichard Hamilton (actor)Richard Hamilton was an American film, television, theater, and radio actor. He was raised in California, where he worked at the Pasadena Playhouse, before moving to Broadway. There, he performed in award-winning productions of Buried Child and Mornings at Seven...
as JoAnn's Father - Kathryn HaysKathryn HaysKathryn Hays is an American actress. She was born in Princeton, Illinois and grew up in Joliet, Illinois.In the 1966-1967 television season, Hays appeared as Elizabeth Reynolds Pride in the NBC western series The Road West, with co-stars Barry Sullivan, Andrew Prine, Kelly Corcoran, and Glenn...
as Mrs. Forbes - Judith LowryJudith LowryJudith Lowry was an American actress.Born as Judith Ives in Fort Sill, Oklahoma, Lowry labored in occasional bit parts in film and television from the 1940s until she began to get more substantial roles in her eighties. Ms. Lowry also had an uncredited role in Valley of the Dolls as Aunt Amy...
as Grandmother - Nancy MarchandNancy MarchandNancy Marchand was an American actress, whose career encompassed both stage and screen. She appeared in various theatre productions throughout the early 1950s, before being offered roles on film and television....
as Mrs. Andrews - Estelle ParsonsEstelle ParsonsEstelle Margaret Parsons is an American theatre, film and television actress and occasional theatrical director.After studying law, Parsons became a singer before deciding to pursue a career in acting. She worked for the television program Today and made her stage debut in 1961...
as JoAnn's Mother - Alice PlaytenAlice PlaytenAlice Playten was an American actress and singer.-Life and career:Born Alice Plotkin in New York City, Playten began her career in the Broadway musical Gypsy...
as Harriet
External links
- Ladybug Ladybug at The Internet Movie Database
- Ladybug Ladybug at All Movie Database