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The War of the Worlds

"Mighty panorama of Earth-shaking fury as an army from Mars invades!"

1953-08-13 Science Fiction 1hr 25m

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.

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The War of the Worlds
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Storyline

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.

  • Released
    1953-08-13
  • Revenue
    n/a
  • Budget
    $2,000,000
  • Runtime
    1hr 25m
  • Genre
    Science Fiction, Action
  • Status
    Released
  • Language
    English, Español
  • imdb-logo
    7
  • Production
    Paramount Pictures

Crew

Byron Haskin
Director
Barré Lyndon
Screenplay
George Pal
Producer
Keywords:
laser gun based on novel or book dystopia mountain village street riots space invasion radioactivity martian religion los angeles, california alien invasion technicolor scientist hero martian invasion mass evacuation meteor space ship wedge maneuver impenetrable force field martian aircraft three-lensed eye h.g. wells

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Cast

Gene Barry

Gene Barry
Dr. Clayton Forrester
Ann Robinson

Ann Robinson
Sylvia Van Buren
Lewis Martin

Lewis Martin
Pastor Dr. Matthew Collins
Les Tremayne

Les Tremayne
Maj. Gen. Mann
Frank Kreig

Frank Kreig
Fiddler Hawkins (uncredited)
Vernon Rich

Vernon Rich
Col. Ralph Heffner
Sandro Giglio

Sandro Giglio
Dr. Bilderbeck
Ann Codee

Ann Codee
Dr. Duprey (uncredited)
Robert Cornthwaite

Robert Cornthwaite
Dr. Pryor (as Bob Cornthwaite)
Cedric Hardwicke

Cedric Hardwicke
Commentary (voice) (as Sir Cedric Hardwicke)
Houseley Stevenson Jr.

Houseley Stevenson Jr.
Gen. Mann's Aide (as Housely Stevenson Jr.)
William Phipps

William Phipps
Wash Perry (as Bill Phipps)
Jack Kruschen

Jack Kruschen
Salvatore
Paul Birch

Paul Birch
Alonzo Hogue (uncredited)
Paul Frees

Paul Frees
Second Radio Reporter / Opening Announcer
Henry Brandon

Henry Brandon
Cop at Crash Site
Peter Adams

Peter Adams
Pine Summit Fire Watcher (uncredited)
Eric Alden

Eric Alden
Man (uncredited)
Hugh Allen

Hugh Allen
Brigadier General (uncredited)
Ruth Barnell

Ruth Barnell
Mother (uncredited)
Edgar Barrier

Edgar Barrier
Prof. McPherson (uncredited)
Russ Bender

Russ Bender
Dr. Carmichael (uncredited)
Oscar Blank

Oscar Blank
Man in Church (uncredited)
Hazel Boyne

Hazel Boyne
Screaming Woman (uncredited)
Chet Brandenburg

Chet Brandenburg
Man in Church (uncredited)
George Bruggeman

George Bruggeman
Soldier (uncredited)
Nora Bush

Nora Bush
Woman in Church (uncredited)
Tony Butala

Tony Butala
Boy in Final Church (uncredited)
Mushy Callahan

Mushy Callahan
Burning Soldier at Pit (uncredited)
Dick Cherney

Dick Cherney
Looter (uncredited)
Edward Colmans

Edward Colmans
Spanish Priest (uncredited)
James Conaty

James Conaty
Man at Pacific Institute of Science and Technology (uncredited)
Russ Conway

Russ Conway
Rev. Bethany (uncredited)
Martin Coulter

Martin Coulter
Marine Sergeant (uncredited)
Vittorio Cramer

Vittorio Cramer
First Radio Reporter (uncredited)
Pierre Cressoy

Pierre Cressoy
Frenchman (uncredited)
Oliver Cross

Oliver Cross
Scientist (uncredited)
Jane Crowley

Jane Crowley
Woman in Church (uncredited)
Jim Davies

Jim Davies
Marine Commanding Officer (uncredited)
Helen Dickson

Helen Dickson
Woman in Church (uncredited)
Ralph Dumke

Ralph Dumke
Buck Monahan (uncredited)
Jimmie Dundee

Jimmie Dundee
Civil Defense Official (uncredited)
Al Ferguson

Al Ferguson
Police Chief (uncredited)
Dick Fortune

Dick Fortune
Marine Captain (uncredited)
Alex Frazer

Alex Frazer
Dr. James (uncredited)
Frank Freeman Jr.

Frank Freeman Jr.
Bum #2 Listening to Radio (uncredited)
Slim Gaut

Slim Gaut
Radio Listener (uncredited)
Charles Gemora

Charles Gemora
Martian (uncredited)
Ned Glass

Ned Glass
Well-Dressed Looter (uncredited)
Jack Gordon

Jack Gordon
Man in Church (uncredited)
Fred Graham

Fred Graham
Looter (uncredited)
Joe Gray

Joe Gray
Looter (uncredited)
Herman Hack

Herman Hack
Worker Listening to Radio (uncredited)
Nancy Hale

Nancy Hale
Young Wife (uncredited)
Virginia Hall

Virginia Hall
Girl (uncredited)
Ted Hecht

Ted Hecht
KGEB Reporter (uncredited)
Douglas Henderson

Douglas Henderson
Staff Sergeant (uncredited)
Gertrude Hoffmann

Gertrude Hoffmann
Elderly News Vendor (uncredited)
Tex Holden

Tex Holden
Man in Church (uncredited)
Jimmie Horan

Jimmie Horan
Party Guest (uncredited)
Patricia Iannone

Patricia Iannone
Girl (uncredited)
Jerry James

Jerry James
Reporter (uncredited)
Michael Jeffers

Michael Jeffers
Worker Listening to Radio (uncredited)
Dick Johnstone

Dick Johnstone
Man in Church (uncredited)
Carolyn Jones

Carolyn Jones
Blonde Party Guest (uncredited)
Don Kohler

Don Kohler
Colonel (uncredited)
Ivan Lebedeff

Ivan Lebedeff
Dr. Gratzman (uncredited)
Freeman Lusk

Freeman Lusk
Secretary of Defense (uncredited)
Herbert Lytton

Herbert Lytton
Chief of Staff (uncredited)
Wilbur Mack

Wilbur Mack
Official (uncredited)
George Magrill

George Magrill
Traffic Cop (uncredited)
Mike Mahoney

Mike Mahoney
Townsman (uncredited)
John Mansfield

John Mansfield
Man (uncredited)
Joel Marston

Joel Marston
Military Policeman in Jeep (uncredited)
Sydney Mason

Sydney Mason
Fire Chief, Crew #3 (uncredited)
John Maxwell

John Maxwell
Doctor (uncredited)
Mathew McCue

Mathew McCue
Man in Church (uncredited)
David McMahon

David McMahon
Minister, First Church (uncredited)
William Meader

William Meader
P.E. Official (uncredited)
Lee Miller

Lee Miller
Reporter (uncredited)
Ralph Montgomery

Ralph Montgomery
Los Angeles Red Cross Official (uncredited)
Alvy Moore

Alvy Moore
Zippy (uncredited)
Bob Morgan

Bob Morgan
Injured Civil Defense Worker (uncredited)
Charles Morton

Charles Morton
Worker Listening to Radio (uncredited)
George Nardelli

George Nardelli
Military Officer (uncredited)
Stanley Orr

Stanley Orr
Marine Major (uncredited)
George Pal

George Pal
Bum #1 Listening to Radio (uncredited)
Walter Richards

Walter Richards
Reporter (uncredited)
Robert Rockwell

Robert Rockwell
Forest Ranger at Crash Site (uncredited)
Walter Sande

Walter Sande
Sheriff Bogany (uncredited)
James Seay

James Seay
Air Force Bomber Pilot (uncredited)
Allen D. Sewall

Allen D. Sewall
Man in Church (uncredited)
Lucile Sewall

Lucile Sewall
Woman in Church (uncredited)
Cora Shannon

Cora Shannon
Old Woman (uncredited)
David Sharpe

David Sharpe
Looter (uncredited)
Teru Shimada

Teru Shimada
Japanese Diplomat (uncredited)
Reginald Lal Singh

Reginald Lal Singh
Military Officer (uncredited)
Bobby Somers

Bobby Somers
Deputy at Crash Site (uncredited)
Bert Stevens

Bert Stevens
Man in Church (uncredited)
Charles Stewart

Charles Stewart
Marine Captain (uncredited)
Jack Stoney

Jack Stoney
Looter (uncredited)
Gus Taillon

Gus Taillon
Elderly Man (uncredited)
Morton C. Thompson

Morton C. Thompson
Reporter (uncredited)
Arthur Tovey

Arthur Tovey
Party Guest (uncredited)
Dale Van Sickel

Dale Van Sickel
Looter (uncredited)
Dorothy Vernon

Dorothy Vernon
Elderly Woman at Square Dance (uncredited)
Edward Wahrman

Edward Wahrman
Cameraman (uncredited)
Anthony Warde

Anthony Warde
Military Police Driver (uncredited)
Bob Whitney

Bob Whitney
Military Officer (uncredited)
Chalky Williams

Chalky Williams
Worker Listening to Radio (uncredited)
Waldon Williams

Waldon Williams
Boy (uncredited)
Bud Wolfe

Bud Wolfe
Rescuing Civil Defense Worker (uncredited)
Fred Zendar

Fred Zendar
Marine Lieutenant (uncredited)

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Movie Reviews

Reviews for The War of the Worlds
reviewer avatar

A Review by John Chard 7

Written by John Chard on 2014-09-06

Smashing sci-fi film that is a landmark for special effects. Martians invade Earth with total destructive powers, seemingly unstoppable, ... read more

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

reviewer avatar

A Review by Wuchak 8

Written by Wuchak on 2020-05-26

_**Clark Kent & Lois Lane face an invasion of Martians!**_ A flaming meteor lands near a small town in rural California, yet it turns out... read more

_**Clark Kent & Lois Lane face an invasion of Martians!**_ A flaming meteor lands near a small town in rural California, yet it turns out it’s not really a meteor, but rather the beginning of an extraterrestrial invasion! “The War of the Worlds” (1953) loosely interprets H.G. Wells' classic 1898 novel and moves the events up to the mid-20th century wherein Earthlings have modern weapons at their disposal, including the atomic bomb. Gene Barry and Ann Robinson play the protagonists, who are seriously reminicent of Clark Kent & Lois Lane. The movie wisely focuses on the alien invasion as seen through their eyes, which naturally gives the story human interest. The Martian vessels are superbly depicted and very threatening. Even better, the flick doesn’t skimp on showing the aliens up-close-and-personal and they’re even better than those in the 2005 reimagining (the one with Tom Cruise). While the first two acts are compelling sci-fi cinema of the highest order (in its quaint early 50’s way), the story somewhat loses it’s captivating power in the last act when the story switches to Earth vs. the Martians and Clark, I mean Dr. Forrester, stumbling around post-apocalyptic Los Angeles desperately searching for Lois, I mean Sylvia. The film runs 1 hour, 28 minutes, and was shot in Southern Cal & Arizona. GRADE: A-/B+

reviewer avatar

A Review by JPV852 6

Written by JPV852 on 2022-09-21

Not great in terms of the script, acting or the abrupt ending, the practical effects were impressive and a lot of fun with the Martian ships... read more

Not great in terms of the script, acting or the abrupt ending, the practical effects were impressive and a lot of fun with the Martian ships flying and causing mayhem and destruction. I can imagine this wowed audiences back in '53. **3.0/5**

reviewer avatar

A Review by tensharpe 8

Written by tensharpe on 2023-01-25

“The War of the Worlds” now restored in 4K HD with its lovely looking technicolour and amazing surround sound really has elevated this movie... read more

“The War of the Worlds” now restored in 4K HD with its lovely looking technicolour and amazing surround sound really has elevated this movie to a higher level than any previous release. Made during the height of optimism in 1953 “The War of the Worlds” was and still is quite horrific and unnerving. The joys of the Atomic age are highlighted by the beauty of the alien spacecraft and the atom bomb being the answer to stopping any invading force. What is genuinely good about ”The War of the Worlds” is the way it goes for the horror element rather than any melodrama. The vague romance only acts as connecting dialogue between the hysterical panic and extreme action that takes centre stage throughout. The dark themes that were common place during the 1950’s are clearly on show, fear of invasion from a military force out to decimate and lack of confidence in governments to protect is quite apparent. Equally relevant today with recent pandemics, lock downs and threat of nuclear war in Europe, “The War of the Worlds” reminds us we all live under fear of invasion while governed by indecisive smugness.

Read Full Review (The thoughts and opinions expressed here are solely those of the reviewer.)
A Review by John Chard

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 ...

reviewer avatar

A Review by John Chard 7

Written by John Chard on 2014-09-06

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. ...

read more
reviewer avatar

A Review by Wuchak 8

Written by Wuchak on 2020-05-26

_**Clark Kent & Lois Lane face an invasion of Martians!**_ A flaming meteor lands near a small town in rural California, yet it turns out it’s not really a meteor, but rather the beginning of an ex...

read more
reviewer avatar

A Review by JPV852 6

Written by JPV852 on 2022-09-21

Not great in terms of the script, acting or the abrupt ending, the practical effects were impressive and a lot of fun with the Martian ships flying and causing mayhem and destruction. I can imagine th...

read more
reviewer avatar

A Review by tensharpe 8

Written by tensharpe on 2023-01-25

“The War of the Worlds” now restored in 4K HD with its lovely looking technicolour and amazing surround sound really has elevated this movie to a higher level than any previous release. Made during th...

read more