The Atomic City

The Atomic City

Year: 1952

Runtime: 85 mins

Language: English

Director: Jerry Hopper

DramaThriller

HELD FOR RANSOM! Kidnappers demand atomic secrets! Spies hold the son of a nuclear physicist (Gene Barry) hostage in exchange for the Los Alamos bomb formula.

Warning: spoilers below!

Haven’t seen The Atomic City yet? This summary contains major spoilers. Bookmark the page, watch the movie, and come back for the full breakdown. If you're ready, scroll on and relive the story!

Timeline – The Atomic City (1952)

Trace every key event in The Atomic City (1952) with our detailed, chronological timeline. Perfect for unpacking nonlinear stories, spotting hidden connections, and understanding how each scene builds toward the film’s climax. Whether you're revisiting or decoding for the first time, this timeline gives you the full picture.

1

A quiet life in Los Alamos

Frank Addison, a physicist working on top-secret projects, and his wife Martha raise their young son Tommy in Los Alamos. Tommy goes with schoolmates to Santa Fe for a carnival, accompanied by their teacher Ellen Haskell.

Los Alamos
2

Tommy disappears at the Santa Fe carnival

During a puppet show at the Santa Fe carnival, Tommy vanishes without immediate notice. The search intensifies when his name is announced as the raffle winner for a bicycle. Frank and Martha fear something sinister has happened and await a phone call.

Santa Fe
3

Ransom demand and warning to stay silent

They receive a ransom note assembled from words taken from different newspapers. A phone call instructs them to stay silent.

Los Alamos
4

Ellen Haskell alerts the FBI

Ellen, whose boyfriend is FBI agent Russ Farley, passes along her concerns to him. Farley and his partner Harold Mann begin tailing the Addison family to monitor the kidnapper's movements.

Los Alamos
5

David Rogers receives the envelope at the post office

A small-time thief, David Rogers, collects an envelope containing the file at a post office. The FBI follows him as he carries the package toward an unknown destination. The pursuit marks the early steps of the investigation into the kidnapping.

Post office
6

Rogers goes to a baseball game and the envelope disappears

Rogers heads to a baseball game, with the FBI requesting TV cameras to zoom in on him. After the game, his car explodes, killing him, and the envelope is missing. The FBI suspects he passed the file to someone at the game.

Baseball game
7

Film footage reveals Donald Clark

The FBI reviews the game footage and spots a hot-dog vendor who is actually Donald Clark, a man with Communist ties. They bring Clark in for questioning, but the information they extract is limited.

FBI office / viewing location
8

Addison confronts Clark to locate Tommy

Dr. Addison is left in an adjoining room and confronts Clark, beating him to force a confession about Tommy's whereabouts. The confrontation confirms that Tommy may be in Santa Fe or nearby, intensifying the chase.

Atomic lab
9

Tommy is moved to Puye Cliff Dwellings

Tommy is moved by his captors to Puye Cliff Dwellings in New Mexico, where they briefly encounter the Fentons, a family of tourists. The remote location increases the stakes as both the FBI and captors converge.

Puye Cliff Dwellings, New Mexico
10

Rassett discovers the file is fake

The mastermind Dr. Rassett studies the mailed file Addison mailed and determines it to be a fake. He orders Tommy killed to prevent exposure, escalating the danger.

Puye Cliff Dwellings area
11

Tommy escapes and hides in a cave

Tommy escapes from his captors and hides in a cave, evading pursuit. He remains hidden as the adults close in, unaware of his exact location.

Cave near Puye Cliff Dwellings
12

Raffle ticket leads to Tommy's location

The Fenton family's son finds the raffle ticket on the ruins and brings it back to Santa Fe to exchange it for the prize. With the area under FBI watch, agents seek to determine where the ticket originated and quickly learn Tommy's whereabouts.

Ruins / Puye Cliff Dwellings and Santa Fe
13

Final capture and Tommy's rescue

The FBI converges on the site and Rassett is arrested after killing his accomplices. Tommy is rescued and the threat is ended.

Puye Cliff Dwellings area / Santa Fe

Last Updated: October 09, 2025 at 12:39

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The Atomic City Summary

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Characters, Settings & Themes in The Atomic City

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Characters, Settings & Themes in The Atomic City

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