IMDb > When Worlds Collide (1951)
When Worlds Collide
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When Worlds Collide (1951) More at IMDbPro »

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When Worlds Collide (1951) -- As a new star and planet hurtle toward a doomed Earth, a small group of survivalists frantically work to complete the rocket which will take them to their new home.

Overview

User Rating:
6.7/10   2,332 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 5% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Writers:
Edwin Balmer (novel)
Sydney Boehm (writer)
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Contact:
View company contact information for When Worlds Collide on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
August 1951 (USA) more
Genre:
Tagline:
Romance! Thrills! Adventure! more
Plot:
As a new star and planet hurtle toward a doomed Earth, a small group of survivalists frantically work to complete the rocket which will take them to their new home. full summary | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
Awards:
Won Oscar. Another 1 nomination more
NewsDesk:
(10 articles)
Hollywood vs. New York: Four Decades of Destruction
 (From Slash Film. 30 November 2009, 11:50 AM, PST)

2012 (Film Review)
 (From Fangoria. 16 November 2009, 11:00 PM, PST)

User Comments:
Money to burn!!!! more (83 total)

Cast

  (Complete credited cast)
Richard Derr ... David Randall
Barbara Rush ... Joyce Hendron
Peter Hansen ... Dr. Tony Drake
John Hoyt ... Sydney Stanton
Larry Keating ... Dr. Cole Hendron
Rachel Ames ... Julie Cummings (as Judith Ames)
Alden 'Stephen' Chase ... Dr. George Frye (as Stephen Chase)
Frank Cady ... Harold Ferris
Hayden Rorke ... Dr. Emery Bronson
Sandro Giglio ... Dr. Ottinger
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Create a character page for: ?

Additional Details

Runtime:
83 min
Country:
Color:
Color (Technicolor)
Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono (Western Electric Recording)
Certification:

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
The rocket was designed by space artist Chesley Bonestell. more
Goofs:
Factual errors: A star approaching Earth would heat up the surface long before the collision. more
Quotes:
[first lines]
Narrator: [spoken over a shot of outer space] Needles in a heavenly haystack. There are more stars in the heavens than there are human beings on Earth. Through telescopes men of science constantly search the infinitesimal corners of our solar system seeking new discoveries, hoping to better understand the laws of the Universe. Observatories dedicated to the study of astronomy are set in high and remote places, but there is none more remote than Mt. Kenna Observatory in this part of South Africa.
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Movie Connections:
Referenced in Frostbite (2005) (V) more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
40 out of 43 people found the following comment useful.
Money to burn!!!!, 1 March 2002
8/10
Author: Ruddfactor from USA

This movie rocks!

Okay, I know it's dated. know what?? I Don't care! This kind of movie making would put half the people in Hollywood out of work today. Maybe that's not such a bad thing. They did it right in the early days. They had their priorities right:

Story first

Then characters

Then Special effects

Seems simple, doesn't it? How come they can't get it right today? (with few exceptions, of course). Nope, today it's Special effects, stars, then story.... in fact, even the stories aren't original!!!

This sums up why I like this movie so much and many like it from the same era. They're exciting, fun, and captivating. The kind of movie that leaves you thinking, dreaming, having nightmares, all in the name of fun. You're left dreaming of what it would be like, how you'd react, what you'd do. You'd sit and ponder about a new life on a new planet. And not once would the level of special effects tarnish your view of this gem.

When was the last time you felt that way coming out of a modern movie? My guess is a lonnnnnng time. There are very few exceptions today. The special effects in movies like "Worlds" was icing on the cake... BUT IT WAS THE CAKE THAT MATTERED! Today, it's all icing and the cake can't support it (crappy icing, in fact!!)

Eat your cake and have it too! Watch "When Worlds Collide"!

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