A small town in California is attacked by Martians, beginning a worldwide invasion.
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Title: The War of the Worlds (1953)
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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) | |
| Rest of cast listed alphabetically: | |||
| Cliff Clark | ... | Australian Policeman (scenes deleted) | |
|
|
Rudy Lee | ... | Boy (scenes deleted) |
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Plot Summary
|
Plot Synopsis
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. Written by KC Hunt <khunt@eng.morgan.edu>
Taglines:
Amazing! Astounding! Terrifying! See more »Parents Guide:
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See full technical specs »
Details
Country:
USARelease Date:
26 August 1953 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
Kampf der Welten See more »Filming Locations:
Westminster Presbyterian Church - 1757 North Lake Avenue, Pasadena, California, USA See more »Edit
Box Office
Budget:
$2,000,000 (estimated)Gross USA:
$4,360,000Company Credits
Show more on
IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Sound Mix:
3 Channel Stereo (Western Electric Recording) (5.0) (L-R)Aspect Ratio:
1.66 : 1
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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.
See more »
(uncredited)
Written by Elsie Janis and Jack King
Played over the opening logo
See more »
Did You Know?
Trivia
In 2011, The War of the Worlds (1953) was added to the National Film Registry by the United States Library of Congress. See more »Goofs
At approximately 16:00, the hatch that opens is too small for the Martian machines to fit through. See 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.
See more »
Soundtracks
Paramount on Parade(uncredited)
Written by Elsie Janis and Jack King
Played over the opening logo
See more »
Frequently Asked Questions
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To be an effective thriller, a sci-fi film absolutely must impart to the viewer a sense of --- coldness, either the physical coldness of outer space or other worlds, or the emotional coldness of science.
Cedric Hardwicke's opening narrative in "The War Of The Worlds" is brutally cold, and the added images uninviting. The martian machines, vaguely resembling "legless swans", are both beautiful and terrifying. They move slowly, in a graceful but calculating manner. They warn of their approach with an eerie, unearthly "pinging" sound.
In the scene where the priest walks toward one of the "swans", the aliens do not impulsively open fire. Instead, they wait. The cruel "eye" peers down on the priest, studying him, in a foreboding prelude to his inevitable annihilation.
Other scenes in the first half also convey this needed sense of alien coldness. We can, therefore, forgive the film for its somewhat corny plot.
The film's second half is weaker because the aliens have to compete for screen time with Los Angeles mob scenes, a showy and irksome display of American military hardware, and dry narration of military war tactics. But even in this second half, suspense filters through, as we watch the heartless "swans" eject their heat rays on a helpless Los Angeles.
For sci-fi films made before "2001: A Space Odyssey", "The War Of The Worlds" is one of my three favorites, along with "Robinson Crusoe On Mars" and "Forbidden Planet".