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.

Director:

Rudolph Maté

Writers:

Sydney Boehm (screenplay), Edwin Balmer (novel)

Stars:

Richard Derr, Barbara Rush, Peter Hansen

Won 1 Oscar. Another 1 nomination.

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)
Stephen Chase	...	Dr. George Frye
Frank Cady	...	Harold Ferris
Hayden Rorke	...	Dr. Emery Bronson
Sandro Giglio	...	Dr. Ottinger

Storyline

South African bush pilot and carefree ladies man Dave Randall finds he has been let in on the greatest and most terrible secret in the world when an eminent astronomer pays him to deliver some mysterious photos from to an equally prominent colleague in the U.S. The recipient, Dr. Hendron, confirms the awful findings of the sender: the star Bellus will collide with Earth, destroying our planet. Despite widespread disbelief, Marston and Spiro, a pair of millionaire philanthropists, give Dr. Hendron all their assets to begin construction on a huge rocket ship that will, at least theoretically, transport a nucleus of survivors to Zyra, a planet which orbiting Bellus that may or may not be habitable. The funds aren't enough to complete the spaceship, and Dr. Hendron solicits a contribution from elderly wheelchair-bound tycoon Sydney Stanton, a wheelchair-bound old man who, unlike the selfless Marston and Spiro, demands a place on the rocket, even though space and weight will be too ...

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Plot Keywords:

planet | astronomer | cab | radio | radiogram | 

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Taglines:

Untold Excitement is Unleashed!

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Genres:

Action | Sci-Fi | Thriller

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English French Portuguese Spanish

Release Date:

15 November 1951 (USA)

Also Known As:

Cuando los mundos chocan

Filming Locations:

Calabasas, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$936,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

83 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

George Pal originally envisioned this as a big budget sci-fi movie. However, he found he was unable to secure the proper financing so he had to scale his ambition back considerably for the finished film.

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Goofs

At approximately two and a half minutes into the film, Randall is seen behind the controls of an aircraft with a woman sitting beside him. If you look carefully at the sky visible behind them the clouds are going the wrong way, as if he is flying the plane backwards.

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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 ...

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Alternate Versions

In the German dub, the observatory from the beginning of the film is located in southern Germany and is named the Kepler Observatory.

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Connections

Edited from Spawn of the North (1938)

User Reviews

The Sky Is Falling!

Loved this movie!......remember, this was 1951 so don't expect the computer generated special effects that we enjoy today. The roller coaster rocket ship take-off is like something from a comic book but, again, remember when this was made.....who knew about rockets to outer space? Richard Derr, whoever he was, is OK in the lead but seems a little bit laid back for someone who knows the world is going to end with a bang. In fact, most of the cast, seems rather off-hand until the very end when the chips are down and decisions are being made as to who lives and who gets to stay for the big one. There are a lot of familar faces (except for Derr) in this movie although they are mostly second leads and not "stars". Look for some walk-ons from actors on their way down and on their way up......John Ridgely who was a staple in WWII films, Kirk Alyn, Superman from the old serials, and Stuart Whitman who would go on to play some decent roles in the 60's and 70's. This film may not be "Independence Day", but it is the best of the early doomsday/futuristic movies of the time.