No Blade of Grass (1970)
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- R
- 1h 36min
- Drama, Sci-Fi
- 23 Oct 1970 (USA)
- Movie
An environmental catastrophe destroys civilization. Led by father John and mother Ann, the Custance clan sets out on a quest for safety in a savage world that may just end up turning them into the very thing they are fleeing.
Director:
Writers:
Stars:
Award:
- 1 nomination.
- See more »
Photos and Videos
Cast verified as complete
| Nigel Davenport | ... |
John Custance
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| Jean Wallace | ... |
Ann Custance
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| John Hamill | ... |
Roger Burnham
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| Lynne Frederick | ... |
Mary Custance
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| Patrick Holt | ... |
David Custance
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Ruth Kettlewell | ... |
Fat Woman
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M.J. Mathews | ... |
George
(as M.J. Matthews)
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| Michael Percival | ... |
Police Constable
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Tex Fuller | ... |
Mr. Beaseley
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Simon Merrick | ... |
T.V. Interviewer (Fred Gray)
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| Anthony Sharp | ... |
Sir Charles Brenner
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| George Coulouris | ... |
Mr. Sturdevant
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| Anthony May | ... |
Pirrie
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| Wendy Richard | ... |
Clara
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Max Hartnell | ... |
Lieutenant
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John Lewis | ... |
Corporal
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Norman Atkyns | ... |
Dr. Cassop
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Nigel Rathbone | ... |
Davey
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Christopher Lofthouse | ... |
Spooks
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John Avison | ... |
Yorkshire Sergeant
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| Jimmy Winston | ... |
1st. Hun
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Richard Penny | ... |
2nd. Hun
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R.C. Driscoll | ... |
3rd. Hun
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Geoffrey Hooper | ... |
Tweed Jacket
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Christopher Wilson | ... |
Farmer
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William Duffy | ... |
Murdered Farmer
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| Mervyn Cumming | ... |
Joe Ashton
(as Mervyn Patrick)
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Denise Mockler | ... |
Emily Ashton
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Ross Allan | ... |
Alf Parsons
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Karen Terry | ... |
Parson's Daughter
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Joan Ward | ... |
Mrs. Parsons
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Brian Crabtree | ... |
Joe Harris
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Susan Sydney | ... |
Liz Harris
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Michael Landy | ... |
Jess Arkwright
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Louise Kay | ... |
Susan Arkwright
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Bruce Myers | ... |
Bill Riggs
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Margaret Chapman | ... |
Prudence Riggs
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| Christopher Neame | ... |
Locke
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| Bridget Brice | ... |
Jill Locke
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Reg Staniford | ... |
Mr. Blennit
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Maureen Rutter | ... |
Mrs. Blennit
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Derek Keller | ... |
Scott
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Suzanne Pinkstone | ... |
Mrs. Scott
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Surgit Sood | ... |
Surgit
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Dick Offord | ... |
Joe
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Joanna Annin | ... |
Joe's Wife
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John Buckley | ... |
Captain
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Malcolm Toes | ... |
Sgt. Major
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| Rest of cast listed alphabetically: | |||
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Ann Barrass | ... |
Woman in Food Queue (uncredited)
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| James Payne | ... |
Man in Food Queue (uncredited)
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Nigel Rees | ... |
TV newscaster (uncredited)
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| Guy Standeven | ... |
Riot Officer Firing Into Crowd (uncredited)
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| Cornel Wilde | ... |
Radio Voice (uncredited) (voice)
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Directed by
| Cornel Wilde | ||
Written by
| Sean Forestal | ... | (screenplay) and |
| Cornel Wilde | ... | (screenplay) (as Jefferson Pascal) |
| John Christopher | ... | (novel) |
Produced by
| Cornel Wilde | ... | producer |
Music by
| Burnell Whibley | ||
Cinematography by
| H.A.R. Thomson | ... | director of photography |
Editing by
| Eric Boyd-Perkins | ||
| Frank Clarke | ||
Art Direction by
| Elliot Scott | ||
Costume Design by
| Tony Armstrong | ||
Makeup Department
| George Blackler | ... | makeup artist |
| Biddy Chrystal | ... | hair stylist |
Production Management
| Terence A. Clegg | ... | unit manager |
| Sydney Streeter | ... | production supervisor |
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
| John Stoneman | ... | assistant director |
| Raymond Becket | ... | third assistant director (uncredited) |
| Richard Jenkins | ... | third assistant director (uncredited) |
Art Department
| Bill Gold | ... | poster designer (uncredited) |
| John Jarvis | ... | set dresser (uncredited) |
Sound Department
| Roy Baker | ... | sound editor |
| Ken Barker | ... | dubbing editor |
| Cyril Swern | ... | sound recordist |
| Graham V. Hartstone | ... | re-recording mixer (uncredited) |
| Otto Snel | ... | re-recording mixer (uncredited) |
Special Effects by
| Terry Witherington | ... | special effects |
Stunts
| Cyd Child | ... | stunts (uncredited) |
Camera and Electrical Department
| Wally Byatt | ... | camera operator (as Walter Byatt) |
| Dennis Fraser | ... | grip |
| Cecil Cooney | ... | camera operator: locations (uncredited) |
| Derek Gatrell | ... | best boy (uncredited) |
| Ginger Gemmel | ... | camera operator: locations (uncredited) |
| Peter Hammond | ... | focus puller (uncredited) |
| Bob Penn | ... | still photographer (uncredited) |
| Frank Wardale | ... | gaffer (uncredited) |
Costume and Wardrobe Department
| Dorothy Edwards | ... | wardrobe supervisor |
Location Management
| George Pollock | ... | location manager (uncredited) |
Music Department
| Burnell Whibley | ... | conductor / music arranger |
Script and Continuity Department
| Kay Rawlings | ... | continuity |
Additional Crew
| Mo Coppitters | ... | secretary to producer (uncredited) |
| Gladys Pearce | ... | production secretary (uncredited) |
| Janet Turner | ... | production secretary (uncredited) |
Production Companies
Distributors
- Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1970) (United States) (theatrical)
- MGM-EMI (1970) (United Kingdom) (theatrical)
- Fotorama (1971) (Norway) (theatrical)
- Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1971) (Argentina) (theatrical)
- MGM Home Entertainment (1987) (United Kingdom) (VHS)
- Warner Home Video (2011) (United States) (DVD) (dvdr)
- Cinefear (United States) (VHS)
- HBO Max (2020) (United States) (video) (VOD)
- The Criterion Channel (2020) (United States) (tv) (digital)
Special Effects
Other Companies
- Lee Lighting (lighting)
- Warner Bros. Entertainment (DVD package design)
Storyline
| Plot Summary |
No room to run. No place to hide. Maddened by fear they turn against each other. An environmental catastrophe destroys civilization. Thousands are starving. Millions are dead. Resources are used up, poisoned and polluted. Found among the survivors are the Custance clan. Led by father John (Nigel Davenport) and mother Ann (Cornel Wilde's spouse and frequent collaborator Jean Wallace), the Custance clan sets out on a quest for safety in a savage world that may just end up turning them into the very thing they are fleeing. Actor-turned-independent director Cornel Wilde created 8 unique films over the span of two decades. But nothing prepared the audiences of 1970 for the sights that awaited them in No Blade of Grass. Raw, uncompromising and violent -maybe too much so, as the film went largely unseen. Now available in a full, uncut edition, No Blade of Grass can at last be seen in all its grim, daring, gory glory. |
| Plot Keywords | |
| Taglines | The creeping terror drifted towards them stamping out all civilization in its eerie path! See more » |
| Genres | |
| Parents Guide | View content advisory » |
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Box Office
| Budget | $1,500,000 (estimated) |
Did You Know?
| Trivia | The rape scene had nearly a minute and a half deleted from the final cut of the film before release but was included in later DVD releases. The reasoning for the heavy editing was because Lynne Frederick (who was one of the rape victims in the scene) was only 15 at the time and questions of the usage of a body double for Frederick remains a controversial question to this day. See more » |
| Goofs | For a man with military experience, John made a major tactical mistake walking along a road when the goal was to be inconspicuous. Even so, he should have been able to hide the group from the large gang on motorcycles which certainly made enough noise to warn John before they were within line-of-sight. All the hikers would have had to do was lie down behind the stone wall along the road. Instead, they wind up in a costly gunfight. Stupid. See more » |
| Movie Connections | Featured in 42nd Street Forever, Volume 4: Cooled by Refrigeration (2009). See more » |
| Soundtracks | No Blade Of Grass See more » |
| Quotes |
Fat Woman:
George, do you know what I think caused the virus? It's 'cause them Chinese fertilize everything with human shit! [husband George, sitting by her side, ignores her, so she elbows him] Fat Woman: George, ya hear what I said? George: [turning to look directly at her] Yes, I did. And if it's true, I could sell you to them chinks for a blooming fortune! See more » |