We weren't the only ones unnerved by the possibility of nuclear war-the world over shared the anxiety of the age. In this early offering from England, a scientist (Barry Jones) gone batty from the tribulations of his testy research posts a note to the Prime Minister simply demanding that all atomic weapons be outlawed. If his request goes unheeded, this crazed atomizer will turn London into a smoldering ash heap in one week's time. In preparation for a massive manhunt, the PM orders London evacuated-early morning light casts an eerie pall over the city streets, empty except for the cats and dogs left behind by their owners. Director Boulting's taut documentary style tracks the ratcheted pursuit of the scientist with suspenseful detail. Jones, for his part, plays the deranged researcher with considerable sympathy-he may be mad, but a mushroom clouds his judgment.

Winner, Academy Award, Best Original Story.