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The War of the Worlds
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The War of the Worlds (1953) More at IMDbPro »

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The War of the Worlds (1953) -- The film adaptation of the H.G.Wells story told on radio of the invasion of Earth by Martians.
The War of the Worlds (1953) -- AllTrailers.net - Trailer (Flash)

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Overview

User Rating:
7.2/10   11,165 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 10% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Writers:
H.G. Wells (novel)
Barré Lyndon (screenplay)
Contact:
View company contact information for The War of the Worlds on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
26 August 1953 (USA) more
Tagline:
Amazing! terrifying! The most savage spectacle of all time! more
Plot:
The film adaptation of the H.G.Wells story told on radio of the invasion of Earth by Martians. full summary | full synopsis
Plot Keywords:
Awards:
Won Oscar. Another 2 wins & 2 nominations more
NewsDesk:
(9 articles)
TV star Gene Barry passes away at 90
 (From AOL - TVSquad. 11 December 2009, 11:29 AM, PST)

Us actor Gene Barry dies aged 90
 (From Monsters and Critics. 11 December 2009, 1:08 AM, PST)

User Comments:
One word describes this classic - VIVID more (181 total)
US TV Schedule:

Cast

  (in credits order) (verified as complete)

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
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)
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)
Paul Birch ... Alonzo Hogue (uncredited)
Hazel Boyne ... Screaming Woman (uncredited)
Tony Butala ... One of 3 boys in final church scene (uncredited)
Mushy Callahan ... Burning Soldier at Pit (uncredited)
Ann Codee ... Dr. Duprey (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 ... Man (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)
Charles Gemora ... Martian (uncredited)
Ned Glass ... Well-Dressed Looter (uncredited)
Fred Graham ... Looter (uncredited)

Joe Gray ... Looter (uncredited)
Nancy Hale ... Young Wife (uncredited)
Virginia Hall ... Girl (uncredited)
Ted Hecht ... KGEB Reporter (uncredited)
Douglas Henderson ... Staff Sergeant (uncredited)
Gertrude Hoffman ... Elderly Woman News Vendor (uncredited)
Patricia Iannone ... Girl (uncredited)
Jerry James ... Reporter (uncredited)
Don Kohler ... Colonel (uncredited)
Frank Kreig ... Fiddler Hawkins (uncredited)
Ivan Lebedeff ... Dr. Gratzman (uncredited)
Freeman Lusk ... Secretary of Defense (uncredited)
Herbert Lytton ... Chief of Staff (uncredited)
George Magrill ... Traffic Cop (uncredited)
Mike Mahoney ... Young Man (uncredited)
John Mansfield ... Man (uncredited)
Joel Marston ... MP in Jeep (uncredited)
Sydney Mason ... Fire Chief, Crew #3 (uncredited)
John Maxwell ... Doctor (uncredited)
Matthew McCue ... Man in Church (uncredited)

David McMahon ... Minister, First Church (uncredited)
Bill 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)
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)
Cora Shannon ... Old Woman (uncredited)
David Sharpe ... Looter (uncredited)
Teru Shimada ... Japanese Diplomat (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)
Dale Van Sickel ... Looter (uncredited)
Dorothy Vernon ... Elderly Woman (uncredited)
Edward Wahrman ... Cameraman (uncredited)

Anthony Warde ... Military Police Driver (uncredited)
Waldon Williams ... Boy (uncredited)
Bud Wolfe ... Rescuing Civil Defense Worker (uncredited)
Fred Zendar ... Marine Lieutenant (uncredited)
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Directed by
Byron Haskin 
 
Writing credits
H.G. Wells (novel)

Barré Lyndon (screenplay)

Produced by
Frank Freeman Jr. .... associate producer
George Pal .... producer
Cecil B. DeMille .... executive producer (uncredited)
 
Original Music by
Leith Stevens 
 
Cinematography by
George Barnes (director of photography)
 
Film Editing by
Everett Douglas 
 
Art Direction by
Albert Nozaki 
Hal Pereira 
 
Set Decoration by
Sam Comer 
Emile Kuri 
 
Costume Design by
Edith Head 
 
Makeup Department
Wally Westmore .... makeup supervisor
 
Production Management
Frank Caffey .... production manager (uncredited)
 
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Michael D. Moore .... assistant director
 
Art Department
Chesley Bonestell .... astronomical art
Romaine Birkmeyer .... props (uncredited)
Ivyl Burks .... props (uncredited)
Gordon Cole .... property master (uncredited)
Charles Davies .... props (uncredited)
Gene Lauritzen .... construction coordinator (uncredited)
Milt Olson .... props (uncredited)
Lee Vasque .... props (uncredited)
 
Sound Department
Gene Garvin .... sound recordist
Harry Lindgren .... sound recordist
Howard Beals .... sound effects (uncredited)
Dan Johnson .... sound effects (uncredited)
Tommy Middleton .... sound effects (uncredited)
Lovell Norman .... sound editor (uncredited)
Walter Oberst .... sound effects (uncredited)
 
Special Effects by
Chester Pate .... special effects (uncredited)
Bob Springfield .... special effects (uncredited)
A. Edward Sutherland .... special effects (uncredited)
Barney Wolff .... special effects (uncredited)
 
Visual Effects by
Ivyl Burks .... special photographic effects
Jan Domela .... special photographic effects
Gordon Jennings .... special photographic effects
W. Wallace Kelley .... special photographic effects (as Wallace Kelley)
Paul K. Lerpae .... special photographic effects (as Paul Lerpae)
Irmin Roberts .... special photographic effects
Jack Caldwell .... special optical effects (uncredited)
Marcel Delgado .... miniatures (uncredited)
Jan Domela .... matte artist (uncredited)
Farciot Edouart .... process photography (uncredited)
Walter Hoffman .... special visual effects: a-bomb sequence (uncredited)
Aubrey Law .... special optical effects (uncredited)
Cliff Shirpser .... visual effects camera operator: Technicolor (uncredited)
 
Stunts
Mushy Callahan .... stunts (uncredited)
Fred Graham .... stunts (uncredited)
Joe Gray .... stunts (uncredited)
Bob Morgan .... stunts (uncredited)
David Sharpe .... stunts (uncredited)
Dale Van Sickel .... stunts (uncredited)
Bud Wolfe .... stunts (uncredited)
Fred Zendar .... stunts (uncredited)
 
Camera and Electrical Department
Soldier Graham .... chief gaffer (uncredited)
Murray Young .... key grip (uncredited)
 
Costume and Wardrobe Department
Charles Gemora .... costume maker: Martian costumes (uncredited)
Diana Gemora .... costume maker: Martian costume (uncredited)
Edith Head .... costumes (uncredited)
 
Editorial Department
Monroe W. Burbank .... color consultant: Technicolor
 
Music Department
George Parrish .... orchestrator (uncredited)
 
Other crew
Chesley Bonestell .... technical advisor (uncredited)
Gae Griffith .... assistant to producer (uncredited)
Dr. Robert S. Richardson .... technical advisor (uncredited)
 
Crew believed to be complete


Production CompaniesDistributors
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Additional Details

Also Known As:
La guerre des mondes (Belgium: French title) (Canada: French title) (France) [fr]
Kampf der Welten (Austria) (West Germany) [de]
Dünyalar çarpisiyor (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]
Klodernes kamp (Denmark) [da]
La guerra de los mundos (Spain) [es]
La guerra dei mondi (Italy) [it]
Maailmojen sota (Finland) [fi]
Oorlog der werelden (Belgium: Flemish title) [un]
Rat svetova (Serbia) [sr]
Världarnas krig (Sweden) [sv]
Wojna swiatów (Poland) [pl]
more
Runtime:
85 min
Country:
Language:
Color:
Color (Technicolor) | Black and White
Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono (Western Electric Recording) (35 mm optical prints) | 3 Channel Stereo (Western Electric Multi-Track Magnetic Stereophonic) (35 mm magnetic prints)
Certification:
USA:Approved (PCA #16011) (original rating) | Netherlands:12 | Spain:T | Germany:16 | Canada:PG (Ontario) | Iceland:12 | USA:G (re-rating) (1977) | West Germany:16 (nf) | Australia:PG | Finland:K-16 | Norway:16 (1954) | Sweden:15 | UK:PG (video rating) (1986) | UK:X (original rating) | Canada:G

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
None of the original Martian war machines exist today. They were made out of copper, and after production, they were reportedly donated to a Boy Scout copper drive. more
Goofs:
Revealing mistakes: After Forrester chops off the Martian electronic eye in the farm house, a wire can be seen pulling the neck through the roof. 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.
more
Movie Connections:

FAQ

Where (according to the movie) did the Martians first land?
more
27 out of 36 people found the following comment useful.
One word describes this classic - VIVID, 2 May 2000
9/10
Author: matt-96 from Indianapolis, IN

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.

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Message Boards

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Recent Posts (updated daily)User
What happened AFTER War of the Worlds? cartoons-5
War of the worlds 2005 VS. War of the worlds 1953 kais_harrabi
Dr. Clayton Forrester dead at age 90 aajacksoniv
RIP, Gene Barry scarletclaw
God's wisdom doesn't apply universally jonjax71
Fave quote or scene Flick_Slick
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