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The War of the Worlds
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The War of the Worlds (1953) More at IMDbPro »

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The War of the Worlds (1953) -- The film adaptation of the H.G.Wells story told on radio of the invasion of Earth by Martians.

Overview

User Rating:
7.2/10   10,393 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 145% in popularity this week. See rank & trends on IMDbPro.
Director:
Byron Haskin
Writers:
H.G. Wells (novel)
Barré Lyndon (screenplay)
Contact:
View company contact information for The War of the Worlds on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
26 August 1953 (USA) more
Tagline:
Amazing! terrifying! The most savage spectacle of all time! more
Plot:
The film adaptation of the H.G.Wells story told on radio of the invasion of Earth by Martians. full summary | full synopsis
Plot Keywords:
more
Awards:
Won Oscar. Another 2 wins & 2 nominations more
NewsDesk:
(2 articles)
The War Of The Worlds gets Zombified
 (From Fangoria. 23 April 2009, 6:29 AM, PDT)

Copying: A Sign of Our Times
 (From Studio Briefing - Film News. 10 September 2002)

User Comments:
Freaked Me Out more

Cast

  (Complete credited cast)
Gene Barry ... Dr. Clayton Forrester
Ann Robinson ... Sylvia Van Buren
Les Tremayne ... Maj. Gen. Mann
Robert Cornthwaite ... Dr. Pryor (as Bob Cornthwaite)
Sandro Giglio ... Dr. Bilderbeck
Lewis Martin ... Pastor Dr. Matthew Collins
Houseley Stevenson Jr. ... Gen. Mann's aide
Paul Frees ... Second Radio Reporter / Opening Announcer
William Phipps ... Wash Perry (as Bill Phipps)
Vernon Rich ... Col. Ralph Heffner
Henry Brandon ... Cop at Crash Site
Jack Kruschen ... Salvatore
Cedric Hardwicke ... Commentary (voice) (as Sir Cedric Hardwicke)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Cliff Clark ... Australian Policeman (scenes deleted)
Rudy Lee ... Boy (scenes deleted)
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Additional Details

Runtime:
85 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Color:
Color (Technicolor) | Black and White
Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono (Western Electric Recording) (35 mm optical prints) | 3 Channel Stereo (Western Electric Multi-Track Magnetic Stereophonic) (35 mm magnetic prints)
Certification:
USA:Approved (PCA #16011) (original rating) | Netherlands:12 | Spain:T | Germany:16 | Canada:PG (Ontario) | Iceland:12 | USA:G (re-rating) (1977) | West Germany:16 (nf) | Australia:PG | Finland:K-16 | Norway:16 (1954) | Sweden:15 | UK:PG (video rating) (1986) | UK:X (original rating) | Canada:G

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Albert Nozaki based his designs of the Martian machines on the shape and movements of swans. more
Goofs:
Continuity: After the heat-ray tries to shoot down the air force plane, it makes a sweep across the area clockwise. However, when everyone is jumping into the ditch, the fires are starting as though the heat-ray is moving counterclockwise. more
Quotes:
[first lines]
Radio Reporter: [voiceover] In the First World War, and for the first time in the history of man, nations combined to fight against nations using the crude weapons of those days. The Second World War involved every continent on the globe, and men turned to science for new devices of warfare, which reached an unparalleled peak in their capacity for destruction. And now, fought with the terrible weapons of super-science, menacing all mankind and every creature on the Earth comes the War of the Worlds.
more
Movie Connections:
Spoofed in The Chubbchubbs! (2002) more

FAQ

Where (according to the movie) did the Martians first land?
more
24 out of 32 people found the following comment useful:-
Freaked Me Out, 24 November 2004
Author: dvanwormer23 from Washington, DC

Cheesy, Yes! But...

Probably the creepiest and most horrifying scenes in Filmdom was when the Martian crept up behind our heroine and clamped its tarsier-like fingers on her shoulder.

She freaked, but not immediately. She paused. Reacted to that touch. Slowly turned her head around and LOOKED at the offending appendages.

This entire moment of horror and violation took about four to six seconds.

Her mind - finally - comprehended it. IT had touched her.

Then she lost it.

One of the best screams in film history. Great acting and just overwhelming.

For that one scene, I love this movie. Creepy as hell!

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Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for The War of the Worlds (1953)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
God's wisdom doesn't apply universally jonjax71
corny plot? herbsierra
Metro Los Angeles 1953 versus 2009 jonjax71
Ray Harryhausen's take. Hyperboievr
Fave quote or scene Flick_Slick
Differences between UK + US special editions? ChrisWN
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