The War of the Worlds (1953)

A small town in California is attacked by Martians, beginning a worldwide invasion.

Director:

Byron Haskin

Writers:

H.G. Wells (based on the novel by), Barré Lyndon (screenplay by)

Stars:

Gene Barry, Ann Robinson, Les Tremayne

Won 1 Oscar. Another 4 wins & 2 nominations.

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 (as Housely Stevenson Jr.)
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)

Storyline

H.G. Wells' classic novel is brought to life in this tale of alien invasion. The residents of a small town in California are excited when a flaming meteor lands in the hills. Their joy is tempered somewhat when they discover that it has passengers who are not very friendly.

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Plot Keywords:

alien | martian | invasion | atomic bomb | panic | 

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Taglines:

Amazing! Astounding! Terrifying!

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Genres:

Action | Sci-Fi | Thriller

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Certificate:

G

Did You Know?

Trivia

When Major General Mann first meets Dr. Forrester, he refers to an earlier meeting in Oak Ridge. This refers to Oak Ridge, Tennessee, which was the home to three Manhattan Project plants that enriched and refined uranium during World War II for use in the first atomic bombs. Of the three, one (K-25) was in use until 1985, and one (Y-12) was still in operation as of 2010.

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Goofs

When the US forces first deploy against the invaders, an officer in the command post instructs a unit to deploy on Hill 3. When the military refers to a hill by number, they are referring to a hill by its height. Hill 3, therefore, would be three meters tall which wouldn't even qualify it to be a hill.

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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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Alternate Versions

As of 2018, a 4K ultra high resolution edition has been made available on streaming services such as iTunes. This version features new replacements for many of the film's original sound effects, with the jarring result that the sound effects have fidelity far above that of surrounding dialogue in the film.

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Connections

Referenced in Remote Control (1988)

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Soundtracks

Paramount on Parade
(uncredited)
Written by Elsie Janis and Jack King
Played over the opening logo

User Reviews

One word describes this classic - VIVID

For it's day; and, even this day, this is classic, almost perfect, masterpiece. Brilliant design work on the alien ships, incredible sound effects, and sharp, vivid colors. Pacing in this film is tight, and Barry's performance as a scientist in giddy awe of the alien's capabilities is masterful. Finally, the realism of the story telling is unrivalled in most modern science fiction films. All right, it's not true to Wells' original, but what's wrong with updating the story, especially when it is this effective.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

26 August 1953 (USA)

Also Known As:

The War of the Worlds

Filming Locations:

Westminster Presbyterian Church - 1757 North Lake Avenue, Pasadena, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$2,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

85 min

Sound Mix:

3 Channel Stereo (Western Electric Recording) (5.0) (L-R)

Color:

Color (Technicolor) Black and White (newsreel archive footage before opening credits)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1