The War of the Worlds
MEMORIES:
Rooney remembers...I used to think that these street lights were from War of The World ships and they would scare me. ... More »
Posted on 01/19/07
PHOTOS:
Cast:
Clayton Forrester ... Gene Barry
Sylvia Van Buren... Ann Robinson
General Mann ... Les Tremayne
Pastor Matthew Collins... Lewis Martin
Dr. Pryor (Pacific Tech)... Robert Cornthwaite
Dr. Bilderbeck (Pacific Tech)... Sandro Giglio
Wash Perry...William Phipps
Alonzo Hogue... Paul Birch
Salvatore... Jack Kruschen
Colonel Ralph Heffner ...Vernon Rich
Aide to General Mann... Houseley Stevenson Jr.
Radio Reporter... Paul Frees
Cop at Crash Site with Spot Light ... Henry Brandon
Blonde...Carolyn Jones
Man...Pierre Cressoy
Sheriff Bogany ... Walter Sande
Martian...Charles Gemora
Dr. James (Pacific Tech)... Alex Frazer
Dr. Duprey (Pacific Tech)... Ann Codee
Dr. Gratzman (Pacific Tech)... Ivan Lebedeff
Forest Ranger at Crash Site... Robert Rockwell
Zippy (Square Dance)...Alvy Moore
Fiddler Hawkins (Square Dance)... Frank Kreig
Well-Dressed Looter (L.A.) ... Ned Glass
Reverand Bethany...Russell Conway
Spanish Priest... Edward Colmans
Minister, First Church ... David McMahon
Elderly Woman News Vendor (L.A.)... Gertrude Hoffman
Secretary of Defense ... Freeman Lusk
Fire Chief, Crew #3 ... Sydney Mason
Pine Summit Fire Watcher ... Peter Adams
KGEB Reporter... Ted Hecht
Japanese Diplomat...Teru Shimada
Chief of Staff... Herbert Lytton
Buck Monahan... Ralph Dumke
Professor McPherson ... Edgar Barrier
Reporter...Walter Richards
Red Cross Official (L.A.)... Ralph Montgomery
Staff Sergeant... Douglas Henderson
MP Office (L.A.) ...Anthony Warde
Injured Civil Defense Worker... Bob Morgan
MP in Jeep (L.A.)... Joel Marston
Bum #1 Listening to Radio... George Pal
Bum #2 Listening to Radio... Frank Freeman Jr.
Looter (L.A.)... David Sharpe
Looter (L.A.)... Dale Van Sickel
Looter (L.A.)... Fred Graham
Commentary...Cedric Hardwicke
Dr. Carmichael ...Russ Bender
Civil Defense Official ... Jimmie Dundee
P.E. Official ... Bill Meader
Police Chief ... Al Ferguson
Boy...Rudy Lee
Boy...Waldon Williams
Elderly Man... Gus Taillon
Mother...Ruth Barnell
Elderly Woman... Dorothy Vernon
Brigadier General... Hugh Allen
Marine Major... Stanley Orr
Marine Captain ... Charles J. Stewart
Marine Lieutenant... Fred Zendar
Marine Commanding Officer... Jim Davies
Marine Captain... Dick Fortune
Cameraman...Edward Wahrman
Marine Sergeant ... Martin Coulter
Screaming Woman ... Hazel Boyne
Old Woman ...Cora Shannon
Young Man... Mike Mahoney
Man...John Mansfield
Man...Eric Alden
Young Wife ... Nancy Hale
Girl ...Virginia Hall
Girl...Patricia Iannone
Doctor... John Maxwell
Colonel... Don Kohler
Reporter...Morton C. Thompson
Reporter... Jerry James
Burning Soldier at Pit...Mushy Callahan
Deputy...George Cisar
Bomber Pilot... James Seay
Rescuing Civil Defense Worker...Bud Wolfe
Sylvia Van Buren... Ann Robinson
General Mann ... Les Tremayne
Pastor Matthew Collins... Lewis Martin
Dr. Pryor (Pacific Tech)... Robert Cornthwaite
Dr. Bilderbeck (Pacific Tech)... Sandro Giglio
Wash Perry...William Phipps
Alonzo Hogue... Paul Birch
Salvatore... Jack Kruschen
Colonel Ralph Heffner ...Vernon Rich
Aide to General Mann... Houseley Stevenson Jr.
Radio Reporter... Paul Frees
Cop at Crash Site with Spot Light ... Henry Brandon
Blonde...Carolyn Jones
Man...Pierre Cressoy
Sheriff Bogany ... Walter Sande
Martian...Charles Gemora
Dr. James (Pacific Tech)... Alex Frazer
Dr. Duprey (Pacific Tech)... Ann Codee
Dr. Gratzman (Pacific Tech)... Ivan Lebedeff
Forest Ranger at Crash Site... Robert Rockwell
Zippy (Square Dance)...Alvy Moore
Fiddler Hawkins (Square Dance)... Frank Kreig
Well-Dressed Looter (L.A.) ... Ned Glass
Reverand Bethany...Russell Conway
Spanish Priest... Edward Colmans
Minister, First Church ... David McMahon
Elderly Woman News Vendor (L.A.)... Gertrude Hoffman
Secretary of Defense ... Freeman Lusk
Fire Chief, Crew #3 ... Sydney Mason
Pine Summit Fire Watcher ... Peter Adams
KGEB Reporter... Ted Hecht
Japanese Diplomat...Teru Shimada
Chief of Staff... Herbert Lytton
Buck Monahan... Ralph Dumke
Professor McPherson ... Edgar Barrier
Reporter...Walter Richards
Red Cross Official (L.A.)... Ralph Montgomery
Staff Sergeant... Douglas Henderson
MP Office (L.A.) ...Anthony Warde
Injured Civil Defense Worker... Bob Morgan
MP in Jeep (L.A.)... Joel Marston
Bum #1 Listening to Radio... George Pal
Bum #2 Listening to Radio... Frank Freeman Jr.
Looter (L.A.)... David Sharpe
Looter (L.A.)... Dale Van Sickel
Looter (L.A.)... Fred Graham
Commentary...Cedric Hardwicke
Dr. Carmichael ...Russ Bender
Civil Defense Official ... Jimmie Dundee
P.E. Official ... Bill Meader
Police Chief ... Al Ferguson
Boy...Rudy Lee
Boy...Waldon Williams
Elderly Man... Gus Taillon
Mother...Ruth Barnell
Elderly Woman... Dorothy Vernon
Brigadier General... Hugh Allen
Marine Major... Stanley Orr
Marine Captain ... Charles J. Stewart
Marine Lieutenant... Fred Zendar
Marine Commanding Officer... Jim Davies
Marine Captain... Dick Fortune
Cameraman...Edward Wahrman
Marine Sergeant ... Martin Coulter
Screaming Woman ... Hazel Boyne
Old Woman ...Cora Shannon
Young Man... Mike Mahoney
Man...John Mansfield
Man...Eric Alden
Young Wife ... Nancy Hale
Girl ...Virginia Hall
Girl...Patricia Iannone
Doctor... John Maxwell
Colonel... Don Kohler
Reporter...Morton C. Thompson
Reporter... Jerry James
Burning Soldier at Pit...Mushy Callahan
Deputy...George Cisar
Bomber Pilot... James Seay
Rescuing Civil Defense Worker...Bud Wolfe
Studio:
Paramount
Release History:
1953 - The War of the Worlds
Loosely based on the H.G. Wells novel of the same name, The War of the Worlds kicked things off with a meteor crash landing in the hills near a small Southern California town called Linda Rosa. Three hapless deputies go out to investigate the meteor and are vaporized when Martians pop out from the meteor’s interior. The Martians—in their saucer-like ships, with what looks like a streetlight on top—go on to wreak havoc in the countryside. On scene is a scientist by the name of Dr. Clayton Forrester who may be there to study the meteor or hit on the local preacher’s niece, Sylvia. He does the former half-heartedly but the latter goes very well indeed.
The Martians vaporize Sylvia’s uncle, but she and Dr. Forrester escape to an abandoned farmhouse where they are beset by Martian ships. There are some close calls and a little hand-to-tentacle combat, which they manage to survive. Meanwhile, the army and their atomic weapons prove ineffective against the invaders, putting the Earthlings’ survival in great jeopardy. It seems that the Martians are unstoppable, inexorably leaving a trail of destruction across the land. Luckily, the Martians meet their match in Earth's germs—they basically catch cold and die, crashing their ships all over the place.
The movie terrified audiences when it appeared in theaters, with its implacable villains who didn’t want to talk or negotiate but rather wipe out humanity and squat in our houses. Audiences barely caught a glimpse of the invaders, imbuing the Martians with an air of mystery and menace. Only their hovering ships were visible, complete with eerie propulsion noises that heightened the suspense. The movie’s special effects were elaborate and very nicely executed, earning an Academy Award. The War of the Worlds became a hit and influenced many sci-fi movies of that alien invasion genre, from 1956’s Earth vs. the Flying Saucers and 1996’s Independence Day.
