6.8
The residents of a small town are excited when a flaming meteor lands in the hills, until they discover it is the first of many transport devices from Mars bringing an army of invaders invincible to any man-made weapon, even the atomic bomb.
Gene Barry
Dr. Clayton Forrester
Ann Robinson
Sylvia Van Buren
Lewis Martin
Pastor Dr. Matthew Collins
Les Tremayne
Maj. Gen. Mann
Frank Kreig
Fiddler Hawkins (uncredited)
Vernon Rich
Col. Ralph Heffner
Sandro Giglio
Dr. Bilderbeck
Ann Codee
Dr. Duprey (uncredited)
Robert Cornthwaite
Dr. Pryor (as Bob Cornthwaite)
Cedric Hardwicke
Commentary (voice) (as Sir Cedric Hardwicke)
Houseley Stevenson Jr.
Gen. Mann's Aide (as Housely Stevenson Jr.)
William Phipps
Wash Perry (as Bill Phipps)
Jack Kruschen
Salvatore
Paul Birch
Alonzo Hogue (uncredited)
Paul Frees
Second Radio Reporter / Opening Announcer
Henry Brandon
Cop at Crash Site
Peter Adams
Pine Summit Fire Watcher (uncredited)
Eric Alden
Man (uncredited)
Hugh Allen
Brigadier General (uncredited)
Ruth Barnell
Mother (uncredited)
Edgar Barrier
Prof. McPherson (uncredited)
Russ Bender
Dr. Carmichael (uncredited)
Oscar Blank
Man in Church (uncredited)
Hazel Boyne
Screaming Woman (uncredited)
Chet Brandenburg
Man in Church (uncredited)
George Bruggeman
Soldier (uncredited)
Nora Bush
Woman in Church (uncredited)
Tony Butala
Boy in Final Church (uncredited)
Mushy Callahan
Burning Soldier at Pit (uncredited)
Dick Cherney
Looter (uncredited)
Edward Colmans
Spanish Priest (uncredited)
James Conaty
Man at Pacific Institute of Science and Technology (uncredited)
Russ Conway
Rev. Bethany (uncredited)
Martin Coulter
Marine Sergeant (uncredited)
Vittorio Cramer
First Radio Reporter (uncredited)
Pierre Cressoy
Frenchman (uncredited)
Oliver Cross
Scientist (uncredited)
Jane Crowley
Woman in Church (uncredited)
Jim Davies
Marine Commanding Officer (uncredited)
Helen Dickson
Woman in Church (uncredited)
Ralph Dumke
Buck Monahan (uncredited)
Jimmie Dundee
Civil Defense Official (uncredited)
Al Ferguson
Police Chief (uncredited)
Dick Fortune
Marine Captain (uncredited)
Alex Frazer
Dr. James (uncredited)
Frank Freeman Jr.
Bum #2 Listening to Radio (uncredited)
Slim Gaut
Radio Listener (uncredited)
Charles Gemora
Martian (uncredited)
Ned Glass
Well-Dressed Looter (uncredited)
Jack Gordon
Man in Church (uncredited)
Fred Graham
Looter (uncredited)
Joe Gray
Looter (uncredited)
Herman Hack
Worker Listening to Radio (uncredited)
Nancy Hale
Young Wife (uncredited)
Virginia Hall
Girl (uncredited)
Ted Hecht
KGEB Reporter (uncredited)
Douglas Henderson
Staff Sergeant (uncredited)
Gertrude Hoffmann
Elderly News Vendor (uncredited)
Tex Holden
Man in Church (uncredited)
Jimmie Horan
Party Guest (uncredited)
Patricia Iannone
Girl (uncredited)
Jerry James
Reporter (uncredited)
Michael Jeffers
Worker Listening to Radio (uncredited)
Dick Johnstone
Man in Church (uncredited)
Carolyn Jones
Blonde Party Guest (uncredited)
Don Kohler
Colonel (uncredited)
Ivan Lebedeff
Dr. Gratzman (uncredited)
Freeman Lusk
Secretary of Defense (uncredited)
Herbert Lytton
Chief of Staff (uncredited)
Wilbur Mack
Official (uncredited)
George Magrill
Traffic Cop (uncredited)
Mike Mahoney
Townsman (uncredited)
John Mansfield
Man (uncredited)
Joel Marston
Military Policeman in Jeep (uncredited)
Sydney Mason
Fire Chief, Crew #3 (uncredited)
John Maxwell
Doctor (uncredited)
Mathew McCue
Man in Church (uncredited)
David McMahon
Minister, First Church (uncredited)
William Meader
P.E. Official (uncredited)
Lee Miller
Reporter (uncredited)
Ralph Montgomery
Los Angeles Red Cross Official (uncredited)
Alvy Moore
Zippy (uncredited)
Bob Morgan
Injured Civil Defense Worker (uncredited)
Charles Morton
Worker Listening to Radio (uncredited)
George Nardelli
Military Officer (uncredited)
Stanley Orr
Marine Major (uncredited)
George Pal
Bum #1 Listening to Radio (uncredited)
Walter Richards
Reporter (uncredited)
Robert Rockwell
Forest Ranger at Crash Site (uncredited)
Walter Sande
Sheriff Bogany (uncredited)
James Seay
Air Force Bomber Pilot (uncredited)
Allen D. Sewall
Man in Church (uncredited)
Lucile Sewall
Woman in Church (uncredited)
Cora Shannon
Old Woman (uncredited)
David Sharpe
Looter (uncredited)
Teru Shimada
Japanese Diplomat (uncredited)
Reginald Lal Singh
Military Officer (uncredited)
Bobby Somers
Deputy at Crash Site (uncredited)
Bert Stevens
Man in Church (uncredited)
Charles Stewart
Marine Captain (uncredited)
Jack Stoney
Looter (uncredited)
Gus Taillon
Elderly Man (uncredited)
Morton C. Thompson
Reporter (uncredited)
Arthur Tovey
Party Guest (uncredited)
Dale Van Sickel
Looter (uncredited)
Dorothy Vernon
Elderly Woman at Square Dance (uncredited)
Anthony Warde
Military Police Driver (uncredited)
Bob Whitney
Military Officer (uncredited)
Chalky Williams
Worker Listening to Radio (uncredited)
Waldon Williams
Boy (uncredited)
Bud Wolfe
Rescuing Civil Defense Worker (uncredited)
Fred Zendar
Marine Lieutenant (uncredited)
Director
Byron Haskin
Novel
H.G. Wells
Screenplay
Barré Lyndon
September 6, 2014
7
Smashing sci-fi film that is a landmark for special effects.
Martians invade Earth with total destructive powers, seemingly unstoppable, mankind must find a way to beat them before all is Lost.
In spite of the uproar and considerable success of Orson Welles' 1938 radio adaptation of the H.G Wells novel, War Of The Worlds was a topic that directors were staying well away from. Such high esteemed men like as Cecil B. DeMille & Alfred Hitchcock were mooted to be interested but it always came down to a worry that the special effects needed for the story were too much of a headache. Enter producer George Pal, noted for puppetoon shorts, he managed to sway the big wigs at Paramount that it could indeed be done, and thus the chain of big colour spaceships blasting, sci-fi creatures lurking and blockbuster bums on seats movies began.
Directed by Byron Haskin, this version of the source moves the location from Edwardian England to 20th Century America, and this works a treat because the watching American public were genuinely unnerved at the sight of contemporary America being reduced to rubble by an invading force. The makers further our sense of dread by only letting us glimpse the aliens once in a wonderful scene (respectfully homaged in Stephen Spielberg's 2005 version of the source), other than that scene we are subjected to attack after attack from shiny flying saucers, slick and ground breaking effects working their magic on an impressionable audience.
Outside of those known to hardcore sci-fi fans, the cast doesn't contain any stars of note, probably due to all the money being used on the effects? And for sure many of them come across as wooden beyond compare (though the lovely Ann Robinson lights up every scene she is in), while if I'm to be over critical: then the romantic thread in the film is tiresome and the religious overtone is tardily done. But War Of The Worlds 1953 still stands proud as a brave and hugely enjoyable picture thats importance has never been (nor should it be) understated, and even allowing for nostalgic fervour from this particular viewer, I heartily recommend this film to anyone interested in template movies for the sci-fi genre. 7/10
Status:
Released
Original Language:
English
Budget:
$2,000,000.00
Revenue:
$2,000,000.00