" Ann""s fears are confirmed when Judith tumbles down the stairs - the camera follows her as she moves out of sight at the top of the stairs, and then finds her in a heap at the bottom of the steps.In a memorable sequence, he overhears a young grandson (assisted by his grandfather) reading outloud part of the Gettysburg Address from the inscription.The General (Charles Evans) on site was briefed by the discouraged supervising civilian engineer Carlson (Harlan Warde): "We""ve ried everything from a blowtorch to a diamond drill.The film-noirish story was enhanced by the expressionistic black and white cinematography of Charles Lang, who capitalized on he blindingly bright and overexposed landscapes of the desert Southwest.