looking for a movie title
 

As a child in the early 70s, I started watching an old black-and-white movie on the local channel one evening, and my mother said it was too scary and made me turn it off. It was about a family driving in the desert when they got the announcement over the radio that there was a nuclear attack. You heard the air raid sirens in the background. The family continued driving around for a while, trying to find out more, at which point my mother intervened and I went to bed.
So of course this movie has haunted me for 30 years. I suspect that if I'd been able to watch the thing in its entirety I'd have forgotten about it.
I know what this movie ISN'T: It's not "Panic in the Year Zero," with Ray Milland and Frankie Avalon, because that was on TCM several months ago and I watched it. It did not have the scenes that I remember.
I just purchased a DVD of a 1962 film called "This is Not a Test" (which didn't have any actors I'd ever heard of). The synopsis of the film sounded like a possibility, but again, after I watched it, it wasn't what I was looking for.
So what DID I start to watch that night?
Mary
P.S. I know it wasn't an episode of Twilight Zone or Outer Limits, because I remember it being a movie.

Possibilities?

The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951) black and white
On the Beach (1959) black and white

Mary,

Could it be "Seven Days in May" ?

(I'm searching via Google and ran across this title. There's also some info about the movie:

http://www.destgulch.com/movies/7days/ )

Rockit Science at cylon.org thought it sounded like a movie called "This is not a test"

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0183884/#comment

Nice try Jewels but...;) :D

Maybe you can look on this list...

http://faculty.arts.usf.edu/nickels/nukemyth/film.html

thanks for your help
 

Thanks to everyone who made suggestions. Two movies sound like possibilities: The Day the World Ended (1956) and Run for the Hills (1953). I will have to see if I can track them down to watch.
Mary

Mary -

You can take The Day the World Ended off of your list. I read the synopsis at IMDB.com and I know I've seen that one and it was even re-made in color in the late 60's as a TV film under title In the Year 2889 - none of the scenes you describe are in it and both versions were terrible to watch. I couldn't find that Run For the Hills was ever available on VHS or DVD, so it might be hard to find to take a look at it.

Best of luck on your hunt....!

Bryan
________
Body Science