Synopsis
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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Cast
- Gene BarryDr. Clayton Forrester
- Ann RobinsonSylvia Van Buren
- Lewis MartinPastor Dr. Matthew Collins
- Les TremayneMaj. Gen. Mann
- Frank KreigFiddler Hawkins (uncredited)
- Vernon RichCol. Ralph Heffner
- Sandro GiglioDr. Bilderbeck
- Ann CodeeDr. Duprey (uncredited)
- Robert CornthwaiteDr. Pryor (as Bob Cornthwaite)
- Cedric HardwickeCommentary (voice) (as Sir Cedric Hardwicke)
Recommendations
- 90
IGN
This is an amazing film, both for what it did in 1953 and what it still does today. It's a far better interpretation of H.G. Wells' novel than Spielberg's abrupt and lopsided film. - 90
IGN
This is an amazing film, both for what it did in 1953 and what it still does today. It's a far better interpretation of H.G. Wells' novel than Spielberg's abrupt and lopsided film. - 88
Chicago Tribune
The definitive alien invasion movie, often imitated, never surpassed. [04 Sep 1987, p.54C] - 88
Chicago Tribune
The definitive alien invasion movie, often imitated, never surpassed. [04 Sep 1987, p.54C] - 80
Chicago Reader
As the perfect crystallization of 50s ideology the film would be fascinating enough, but the special effects in this 1953 George Pal production also achieve a kind of dark, burnished apocalyptic beauty. - 80
The New York Times
The War of the Worlds is, for all of its improbabilities, an imaginatively conceived, professionally turned adventure, which makes excellent use of Technicolor, special effects by a crew of experts and impressively drawn backgrounds. - 80
Variety
A socko science-fiction feature, as fearsome as a film as was the Orson Welles 1938 radio interpretation of the H.G. Wells novel. - 80
Chicago Reader
As the perfect crystallization of 50s ideology the film would be fascinating enough, but the special effects in this 1953 George Pal production also achieve a kind of dark, burnished apocalyptic beauty.
