A Day Called 'X' - Part 2/3

THIS FILM IS PUBLIC DOMAIN

A Day Called 'X' was a dramatized CBS documentary showing a civil defence exercise in Portland, Oregon in which the entire city is evacuated in anticipation of a nuclear air raid, after Soviet bombers had been detected by radar stations to the north. It was filmed in September 1957 and aired December 8 of that year. It was presented by Glenn Ford.

Its local rebroadcast in 2004 and appearance in the on-line Prelinger Archives attracted interest among local history buffs due to its extensive outside shots of the city, and the use of non-actor participants (local officials and broadcasters).

On September 27, 1955, Portland actually conducted an exercise evacuation of downtown called "Operation Greenlight," and the film is often misattributed to that year.

Category:

Film & Animation

Tags:

• Day
• Called
• X
• glenn
• ford
• civil
• defence
• cold
• war
• atomic
• bomb
• 1950s
• Portland
• Oregon
• nuclear

[brucearmstrong1]

Amen, brother! People in America panic and stampede when a new toy or model of iPhone goes on sale. I could only imagine what today's America would do if the sirens sounded.

[DefconWarningSystem]

I other words, completely fictional.

[fab42]

Soooo......

Whats the United States Air Force doing while this is going on?

Wouldnt you think that jets would be scrambled and take out the threat?

Dont get me wrong....I love the USAF....just wondering why they arent in this film.

[SpokaneGirl85]

I just checked on googlemaps and they aren't sealed off.

[SpokaneGirl85]

OMG that is the building I work in. 1:07-1:12. The doors people came out of, that side on the first floor is the day care now and I think those doors are sealed off. On that curb there is the bus stop.

[ObssesedNuker]

I think those sirens going on and on for three hours would get a little grating...

[FloridaLawDawg]

@brucearmstrong1 tweet about it and put it up on their facebook

[Sheri451]

Did this really happen? People practicing to be ready for nuclear annialation? Boy! I bet people had nightmares every night, imagine having to comfort a screaming child all the time. I sure am glad I wasn't born then. Maybe that's why the children grew up and turned crazy in the late 60s, the Baby Boomers, Tune out and turn on, I bet half of them are so brain damaged from all that dope they done they won't live past their 80th birthdays.

[MattShizzle]

@MacPete187

To be honest, a nuke that would EMP the entire US would need to be detonated so high up as to not cause any thermal/blast damage. One that would destory a city would only knock out electronics a hundred miles or so beyond the blast radius.

And anyway at the time this movie was made electronics were too primitive to be effected by EMP.

[pavilionking06]

Wow Portland looks so different back in 1957. I live downtown and only recognize a few of the buildings.