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 -- 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:
6.6/10   3,159 votes »
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Director:
Rudolph Maté
Writers:
Sydney Boehm (screenplay)
Edwin Balmer (novel) ...
(more)
Contact:
View company contact information for When Worlds Collide on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
August 1951 (USA) See more »
Genre:
Sci-Fi See more »
Tagline:
Romance! Thrills! Adventure! See 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 » | Full synopsis »
Plot Keywords:
See more »
Awards:
Won Oscar. Another 1 nomination See more »
NewsDesk:
(30 articles)
When Worlds Collide 2012 – ‘Niagara Falls Comic Can/MacabreCon’
 (From Horror News. 1 May 2012, 3:01 PM, PDT)
Geek Gossip: The X Files producer pushes for third film; The Mummy franchise to be revived by Prometheus writer
 (From The Geek Files. 9 April 2012, 7:01 PM, PDT)
What’s the Best Movie About Space Objects Destroying the Earth?
 (From Speakeasy/Wall Street Journal. 21 February 2012, 1:00 PM, PST)
User Reviews:
Good Despite its Flaws See more (89 total) »

Cast

  (in credits order) (verified as complete)
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)
Stephen Chase ... Dr. George Frye
Frank Cady ... Harold Ferris
Hayden Rorke ... Dr. Emery Bronson
Sandro Giglio ... Dr. Ottinger
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Kirk Alyn ... Rioter Bringing Guns (uncredited)
Gertrude Astor ... Traveler (uncredited)
Robert Chapman ... Student (uncredited)
Gene Collins ... Newsdealer (uncredited)
James Congdon ... Eddie Garson (uncredited)
Marcel De la Brosse ... Headwaiter (uncredited)
Estelle Etterre ... Traveler (uncredited)
Sam Finn ... Complaining Man at Airport (uncredited)
Paul Frees ... Narrator / U.S. President (voice) (uncredited)
Art Gilmore ... Paul - Dr. Bronson's Assistant (uncredited)

Charmienne Harker ... Student (uncredited)
Ramsay Hill ... French U.N. Representative (uncredited)
Walter Kelley ... Student (uncredited)
Hassan Khayam ... Indian U.N. Chairman (uncredited)
Rudy Lee ... Mike - Little Boy with Dog (uncredited)
Freeman Lusk ... Rudolph Marsden (uncredited)
Chad Madison ... Student (uncredited)
Wayne Mallory ... Student (uncredited)
Dolores Mann ... Student (uncredited)
William Meader ... Jerry, the Clerk (uncredited)
Joseph Mell ... Glen Spiro - Astronomer (uncredited)
Leonard Mudie ... British U.N. Representative (uncredited)
Mary Murphy ... Student (uncredited)
Gay Nelson ... Leda (uncredited)
Keith Richards ... Stanley - Dr. Bronson's Assistant (uncredited)
John Ridgely ... Chief Customs Inspector (uncredited)
Kasey Rogers ... Stewardess (uncredited)
Frances Sandford ... Alice - Hendron's Receptionist (uncredited)
Jeffrey Sayre ... Taxi Driver (uncredited)
James Seay ... Donovan, New York Sentinel Reporter (uncredited)
Queenie Smith ... Matron with Cigarette (uncredited)
Harry Stanton ... Dr. Zenta, Astronomer (uncredited)
Robert Sully ... Student (uncredited)
Richard Vath ... Student (uncredited)

Stuart Whitman ... Man by Bank During Riot Instigation (uncredited)
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Directed by
Rudolph Maté 
 
Writing credits
Sydney Boehm (screenplay)

Edwin Balmer (novel) and
Philip Wylie (novel)

Produced by
George Pal .... producer
Cecil B. DeMille .... executive producer (uncredited)
 
Original Music by
Leith Stevens 
 
Cinematography by
W. Howard Greene 
John F. Seitz 
 
Film Editing by
Arthur P. Schmidt  (as Arthur Schmidt)
 
Art Direction by
Albert Nozaki 
Hal Pereira 
 
Set Decoration by
Sam Comer 
Ross Dowd 
 
Costume Design by
Edith Head 
 
Makeup Department
Glen Alden .... makeup artist
Gertrude Reade .... hair stylist
Wally Westmore .... makeup artist
 
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Michael D. Moore .... assistant director (as Mickey Moore)
 
Art Department
Gene Lauritzen .... construction coordinator
 
Sound Department
Gene Merritt .... sound
Walter Oberst .... sound
Howard Beals .... sound editor (uncredited)
 
Special Effects by
Harry Barndollar .... special effects
Gordon Jennings .... special effects
Tim Baar .... special effects (uncredited)
Barney Wolff .... special effects (uncredited)
 
Visual Effects by
Farciot Edouart .... process photography
Jan Domela .... matte artist (uncredited)
Paul K. Lerpae .... optical cinematography (uncredited)
Cliff Shirpser .... effects camera operator: Technicolor (uncredited)
 
Music Department
Sidney Cutner .... orchestrator (uncredited)
George Parrish .... orchestrator (uncredited)
Leo Shuken .... orchestrator (uncredited)
 
Other crew
Chesley Bonestell .... technical advisor
Robert Brower .... technicolor color consultant
 

Production CompaniesDistributors
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Additional Details

Also Known As:
See more »
Parents Guide:
View content advisory for parents
Runtime:
83 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English | French | Portuguese | Spanish
Color:
Color (Technicolor)
Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 See more »
Sound Mix:
Mono (Western Electric Recording)
Certification:
USA:G (rating) | Netherlands:AL | West Germany:12 | Netherlands:18 (original rating) (1951) | USA:Approved (PCA #15223)
Filming Locations:
Paramount Studios - 5555 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA
Company:
Paramount PicturesSee more »

Did You Know?

Trivia:
The rocket was designed by space artist Chesley Bonestell.See more »
Goofs:
Revealing mistakes: When David Randall (Richard Derr) climbs from the helicopter to rescue a boy from a rooftop, it's obviously not Derr in the scene, but rather a stuntman who somewhat resembles him.See 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.
See more »
Movie Connections:
Referenced in The Sky Is Falling: Making 'The War of the Worlds' (2005) (V)See more »

FAQ

Who was technical advisor on the 1951 film _When Worlds Collide_?
See more »

User Reviews

   (Review this title)
22 out of 23 people found the following review useful.
Good Despite its Flaws, 20 February 2004
Author: Brian Washington (Sargebri@att.net) from Los Angeles, California

When I was younger, this was one science fiction film that definitely made an impression on me. This was one of those where I actually was scared that one day my world would come to an end. However, as I got older I realized that this was just a movie, but still it is one of the best genre films of its era. Sure, it has its flaws (especially the painted background at the end), but still it is a film that was a product of its time and it will always be one of my favorites.

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Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for When Worlds Collide (1951)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
No Black People at the Camp muitoconfidencial
What was Randall's plane? rory-100
Sumarian + Nibaru wolfenzero
Harold Ferris, Homer Simpsons Boss? StanleyBrewer
After Worlds Collide thornnnn
No logic in the selection process. rjackson331
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