IMDb > The War of the Worlds (1953)
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.
The War of the Worlds (1953) -- AllTrailers.net - Trailer (Flash)

Overview

User Rating:
7.2/10   11,122 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 36% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
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
Awards:
Won Oscar. Another 2 wins & 2 nominations more
NewsDesk:
(9 articles)
TV star Gene Barry passes away at 90
 (From AOL - TVSquad. 11 December 2009, 11:29 AM, PST)

Us actor Gene Barry dies aged 90
 (From Monsters and Critics. 11 December 2009, 1:08 AM, PST)

User Comments:
Flawed adaptation and a bit dated, but a definite highlight of 50s sci-fi more (180 total)

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:
Language:
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:
The two Martian machines that crash in Los Angeles are really the same machine from a different angle with the film image reversed. more
Goofs:
Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): When General Mann appears at the base the Colonel first refers to him as "Colonel". 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.
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Movie Connections:

FAQ

Where (according to the movie) did the Martians first land?
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3 out of 3 people found the following comment useful.
Flawed adaptation and a bit dated, but a definite highlight of 50s sci-fi, 26 January 2005
Author: DrLenera

H.G.Wells' The War Of The Worlds remains a terrifying novel, and two adaptations of it have justifiably passed into popular culture, the Orson Welles radio production in 1938 which convinced many Americans that creatures from Mars actually WERE invading Earth, and Jeff Wayne's 1978 musical album, which still holds up today. The film Independence Day was basically a semi-remake, and of course we are all probably looking forward to the Steven Spielberg version. Somewhat forgotten amongst all those is this 1953 film version, which is a shame. It has considerable flaws, and deviates form the book considerably. However, it's still very enjoyable.

One really needs to think how spectacular and darned frightening it must have seemed to 1953 audiences. Films about aliens visiting Earth had up to than been relatively low key, they would have aliens taking human form, or coming in peace, or just taking over a small town. Here, we had aliens intent on just one thing- the complete destruction and extermination of everything and everyone on Earth. Battles between the Martians and the army, Martian death rays frying huge numbers of people, the destruction of Los Angeles, there had been little like it before, and all this on a moderate budget, which is why the cast is strictly B Movie, although they are adequate to the film's needs.

Of course to a modern audiences many aspects are dated and may even seem laughable. The sometimes visible wires of the Martian death machines -surely they could have been removed with computer technology for the DVD?. The oft repeated stock shots of the military. The religious element, which would have offended the atheist Welles and even suggests God got rid of the Martians. Some VERY corny dialog.

Yet the film has some scenes which are still extremely effective. Most notable is a lengthy sequence in which the hero and heroine are trapped in a house by Martians, this remains genuinely scary. The designs of the briefly seen Martians, their death machines-wires notwithstanding- and their 'cameras' still look great. Of course one misses the huge tripods of the novel, and certain other aspects of the novel, such as the red weed. I'm sure Spielberg will deliver on much of this, even if he is adapting a story which will always be more effective when set in Victorian times. However, until than, this version is still worth seeing as one of the most memorable alien pictures of the 50s alongside The Day The Earth Still and Invasion Of The Body Snatchers.

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more (180 total)

Message Boards

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Recent Posts (updated daily)User
Dr. Clayton Forrester dead at age 90 aajacksoniv
RIP, Gene Barry scarletclaw
War of the worlds 2005 VS. War of the worlds 1953 kais_harrabi
God's wisdom doesn't apply universally jonjax71
Fave quote or scene Flick_Slick
What happened AFTER War of the Worlds? cartoons-5
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