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IMDbPro

Battle of the Worlds

Original title: Il pianeta degli uomini spenti
  • 19611961
  • UnratedUnrated
  • 1h 24m
IMDb RATING
4.2/10
841
YOUR RATING
Battle of the Worlds (1961)
AKA Pianeta degli uomini spenti, Il
Play trailer1:27
1 Video
14 Photos
  • Horror
  • Sci-Fi
A runaway asteroid dubbed "The Outsider" mysteriously begins orbiting the Earth and threatens it with lethal flying saucers.A runaway asteroid dubbed "The Outsider" mysteriously begins orbiting the Earth and threatens it with lethal flying saucers.A runaway asteroid dubbed "The Outsider" mysteriously begins orbiting the Earth and threatens it with lethal flying saucers.
IMDb RATING
4.2/10
841
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Antonio Margheriti
  • Writer
    • Ennio De Concini(story)
  • Stars
    • Claude Rains
    • Bill Carter
    • Umberto Orsini
Top credits
  • Director
    • Antonio Margheriti
  • Writer
    • Ennio De Concini(story)
  • Stars
    • Claude Rains
    • Bill Carter
    • Umberto Orsini
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 32User reviews
    • 21Critic reviews
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Videos1

    Battle of the Worlds
    Trailer 1:27
    Battle of the Worlds

    Photos14

    Battle of the Worlds (1961)
    Battle of the Worlds (1961)
    Claude Rains, Maya Brent, and Bill Carter in Battle of the Worlds (1961)
    Claude Rains in Battle of the Worlds (1961)
    Battle of the Worlds (1961)
    Battle of the Worlds (1961)
    Battle of the Worlds (1961)
    Battle of the Worlds (1961)
    Battle of the Worlds (1961)
    Battle of the Worlds (1961)
    Battle of the Worlds (1961)
    Battle of the Worlds (1961)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Claude Rains
    Claude Rains
    • Prof. Benson
    Bill Carter
    Bill Carter
    • Cmdr. Bob Cole
    Umberto Orsini
    Umberto Orsini
    • Dr. Fred Steele
    Maya Brent
    • Eve Barnett
    Jacqueline Derval
    • Cathy Cole
    Renzo Palmer
    Renzo Palmer
    • Barrington
    Carlo D'Angelo
    Carlo D'Angelo
    • Gen. Varreck
    • (as Carlo d'Angelo)
    Carol Danell
    • Mrs. Collins
    Jim Dolen
    • Boyd
    Joe Pollini
    • Pat
    • (as Joseph Pollini)
    John Stacy
    John Stacy
    • Dr. Cornfield
    Aldo D'Ambrosio
    • United Commission Member
    Massimo Righi
    Massimo Righi
    • Lewis Boyd
    Giuliano Gemma
    Giuliano Gemma
    • Moran
    Annamaria Mustari
      John Karlsen
      John Karlsen
      • United Commission Leader
      • (uncredited)
      • Director
        • Antonio Margheriti
      • Writer
        • Ennio De Concini(story) (screenplay)
      • All cast & crew
      • See more cast details at IMDbPro

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      Storyline

      Edit

      Did you know

      Edit
      • Trivia
        After the less-than-stellar distribution of its previous film, [ Assignment: Outer Space (1960) ], n the US, Ultra Film decided it could improve its performance in the lucrative US market for this film by adding a "name" American actor. Claude Rains had just played the grumpy Prof. Challenger in The Lost World (1960) and decided that he would be perfect to play the grumpy Prof. Benson in this film.
      • Quotes

        Cmdr. Robert Cole: Poor Benson. If they opened up his chest, they'd find a formula... where his heart should have been.

      • Connections
        Featured in Aweful Movies with Deadly Earnest: Battle of the Worlds (1972)

      User reviews32

      Review
      Top review
      6/10
      Some of my favorite cheese...
      I happened to see this many times in the 1960's, at kiddie matinees in the theater. Imagine 50 cents for a triple feature every weekend, for years on end. There were a lot of dog films, but this one stood out with decent f/x and unique sound effects. It's one of the earliest space-operas depicting dog fighting ships in space, preceded only by the 1959 Toho production of "Battle In Outer Space". Say what you want about the bad voice dubbing and the unknown Italian cast. Films like this were not being produced in the U.S. during this period, due to lack of effects technology, and budget constraints. At the time, it was a bold attempt in a genre that was just beginning. Jaded modern viewers should see this in context within the history of fantasy films. Pure science fiction was rare during this period, and a treat for fans at the time. Claude Rains has some very good dialouge, as a cynical mathmatician guiding efforts to thwart alien invaders. The ships are well conceived, with the footage re-used in later films. Unfortunately, the editing is choppy and the video transfers that exist are very poor. It would be nice to see a widescreen restoration.
      helpful•38
      8
      • scifiguy-2
      • Aug 31, 2002

      Details

      Edit
      • Release date
        • March 1963 (United States)
      • Country of origin
        • Italy
      • Language
        • Italian
      • Also known as
        • El planeta de los hombres verdes
      • Filming locations
        • Mushroom Tower, Piazza Pakistan, Rome, Lazio, Italy
      • Production companies
        • Ultra Film
        • Sicilia Cinematografica
      • See more company credits at IMDbPro

      Technical specs

      Edit
      • Runtime
        1 hour 24 minutes
      • Color
        • Color
      • Sound mix
        • Mono
      • Aspect ratio
        • 2.35 : 1

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