War Of The Worlds (1953/ Paramount/ Special Edition)

When a mysterious object crashes near a small California town, scientist Dr. Clayton Forrester joins local residents to investigate what first appears to be a meteorite. But the object is an alien spacecraft, and its occupants soon unleash devastating heat-ray weapons against the people who approach it. As more Martian war machines arrive across the world, humanity's armed forces prove powerless against their shields and terrifying technology. With civilization on the brink of destruction, Forrester and Sylvia Van Buren search desperately for a way to survive an invasion unlike anything Earth has ever faced.

Movie Details

• Edition: Special Edition
• Based on: The novel by H. G. Wells
• Screenwriter: Barré Lyndon
• Runtime: Approximately 85 minutes
• Rating: G
• Format: DVD, 1 disc, Region 1, full screen
• Condition: Used

Cast and Characters

• Gene Barry — Dr. Clayton Forrester
• Ann Robinson — Sylvia Van Buren
• Les Tremayne — Major General Mann
• Robert Cornthwaite — Dr. Pryor
• Sandro Giglio — Dr. Bilderbeck
• Lewis Martin — Pastor Matthew Collins
• Paul Frees — Radio Reporter
• Cedric Hardwicke — Narrator

Five Movie Facts

1. The film adapts H. G. Wells's landmark 1898 science-fiction novel, relocating much of the action to contemporary 1950s California.
2. Its imaginative visual effects won the Academy Award for Best Special Effects.
3. Producer George Pal was a pioneer of fantasy and science-fiction filmmaking and helped shape the film's striking look.
4. Rather than using the novel's walking tripods, the Martian machines appear to glide through the air, creating one of classic science fiction's most recognizable designs.
5. Gene Barry and Ann Robinson later made cameo appearances in Steven Spielberg's 2005 adaptation of the same story.

Why It's Worth Watching

Combining Cold War-era unease, vivid Technicolor spectacle and memorable alien technology, The War of the Worlds remains a defining science-fiction classic. Its tension, inventive effects and dramatic depiction of an overwhelmed civilization still make for exciting viewing.

Used DVD notice: A digital redemption code, if originally included, is not guaranteed.