On the Beach

1959, Stanley Kramer, USA, 133 min.

Introduced by astrologer Michael Lutin

Zodiac: Pisces (governed by Neptune and referencing two characters drawn to one another but swimming apart)

There could be worse ways to spend your final days than chasing Ava Gardner down an Australian beach. Gregory Peck (also seen in Spellbound, another film in this series) heads a starry cast in the first serious film to contemplate man-made global catastrophe. This movie is about predictions coming true. It also asks: If you had only months to live, how would you spend your final days?

Little known Cold War fact: this anti-bomb movie was the first full-length American feature to have a premiere in the Soviet Union.

About Cabaret Cinema: Dreams & Prophecy

Inspired by the Astro Poets, the whimsical astrologers beloved by the Twitterverse, Cabaret Cinema looks beyond the stars of Hollywood to the stars in the sky this summer. Twelve films aligned with the signs of the zodiac ensure there’s something for everyone. Whether you were born under a Black Moon or Sans Soleil, come see what the cinema of the past portends for the future.