This film is part of Free

A Short Vision

The animated short on the terrors of nuclear apocalypse that become a sensation when it played on the Ed Sullivan show, leaving middle America highly disturbed.

Animation & Artists Moving Image 1956 6 mins

Overview

This British animated short, by Hungarian-born Peter Foldes and his wife Joan is a stunningly drawn allegory for the terrors of nuclear apocalypse. It became an overnight sensation when it was broadcast on the Ed Sullivan show on May 27th 1956, with little forewarning of the disturbing imagery that lay ahead, leading to outrage and alarm from the press and public.

It remains one of the most memorable and artistically conveyed depictions of nuclear Armageddon, despite never explicitly referencing atomic warfare.