One of the pure pleasures of the modern age is being able to communicate with those who might have been out of reach in earlier times. One such occasion was when I tracked down the British film director Val Guest who made one of my favorite science fiction movies of all time--The Day the Earth Caught Fire. I saw the film as a kid--probably at the Aero Theater in Santa Monica on Montana--and was enthralled by the concept of a London plagued by hurricanes followed by scorching heat and the unforgettable heat mist that rose only four stories high and was as thick as the worst London fog. Edward Judd played the lead role with Leo McKern and Janet Munro making great additions to the cast. At one point in my adult life, I had a desire to see the film again so I visited The Continental Shop on Wilshire in Santa Monica which specializes in British imports--everything from licorice toffee to fine china tea sets. They also offer an extensive collection of British films and, happily, The Day the Earth Caught Fire was among them. The gentleman behind the counter who transacted the sale fell into conversation with me about the film. It was one of his favorites, too. We talked about Val Guest and some of the other films he'd directed including a segment of the original Casino Royale on which Val was one of several directors. I made the comment that I would love to meet him. "He lives in Palm Springs, you know," said the gentleman. "He's a customer of ours." (Continued in comments) #valguest #thedaytheearthcaughtfire #edwardjudd leomckern #janetmunro #arthurchristiansen #film #scifi https://www.instagram.com/p/BqIFBN7Fsyi/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=j5pem7aiulxg