"War of the Worlds" Through The Years

A Martian craft from the 1953 film

H.G. Well’s 1898 novel War of the Worlds has enthralled and fascinated readers ever since it was first published. The thrilling story of an invasion from Mars set the standard for the many tales of alien contact (and conflict) which followed in the science-fiction genre. The book has been adapted several times over the years, including the famous 1938 radio broadcast by Orson Welles and his Mercury Theatre, which panicked some listeners who thought it was an actual account of an invasion from Mars. There’s also the classic 1953 film version produced by George Pal, a 1988-90 TV series which starred Jared Martin, and Steven Spielberg’s 2005 remake featuring Tom Cruise, which was produced in the aftermath of 9/11, and whose stark tone was influenced by those horrible events. The 1978 album Jeff Wayne’s War of the Worlds, featuring Richard Burton, David Essex and Justin Hayward of the Moody Blues, is a cool rock opera retelling of the story. Recently, there have been two newer adaptations of the tale, a BBC produced mini-series set in the nineteenth-century time period of the novel, and a modern-day re-imagining featuring Gabriel Byrne and Elizabeth McGovern, which aired recently on the EPIX cable network.

Most fans consider the 1953 film version of the novel to be the definitive re-telling of this classic story. The rights to War of the Worlds had been held by Paramount for years, and at one point, Cecil B. DeMille had plans to work on a cinematic adaptation of the book. Eventually, George Pal, who had produced the successful science-fiction films Destination Moon and When Worlds Collide, took on the project. Former cinematographer Byron Haskin was brought on board to direct the film, and relative newcomers Gene Barry and Ann Robinson were selected to star in the movie. Barry plays Dr. Clayton Forrester, a nuclear physicist, and Robinson co-stars as Sylvia Van Buren, whom Forrester meets while investigating what is at first thought to be a meteor which has crashed to Earth. The duo are catapulted headlong into a strange and harrowing situation when several more of these objects arrive. The “meteors” turn out to be alien ships from Mars, and similar objects have landed all over the world. It’s the beginning of an invasion, and the Martian ships weave a path of death and destruction across the Earth. No weapon or force seems to be able to stop them. The fate of the world hangs in the balance. Is this the end of humanity?

The film is exciting and suspenseful. Haskin’s direction is solid, and he keeps the action moving at a crisp pace. The script by Barre Lyndon updates the action of the novel to the present day, and the change works beautifully. We’re able to relate to Clayton and Sylvia’s experiences, and we see the terrifying events of the alien invasion through their eyes. The cast, aside from Barry and Robinson, is full of character actors and familiar faces, including Les Tremayne, Jack Kruschen, and Robert Cornwaithe, who appeared in the 1951 classic The Thing. Ann Robinson later reprised the character of Sylvia Van Buren in the 1988-90 TV series, which was set after the events of this film. The special-effects (which won on Oscar) are first-rate, and are still quite impressive. The cool, sleek design of the Martian craft and their powerful death rays, the marvelous sound effects, and the excellent matte work all combine to create a stunning vision of the indestructible Martians and their devastating power. Like a pair of other well-regarded films that followed, Forbidden Planet and This Island Earth, it’s obvious that War of the Worlds was produced on an “A” budget, unlike the many sci-fi movies that followed in the later years of the decade. The movie also clearly influenced many modern day big budget sci-fi thrillers, including the 1996 epic, Independence Day.

Cover for The Criterion Collection release

War of the Worlds was produced with great care and attention to detail by George Pal, and it shows. The movie holds up remarkably well, and is still an engrossing and exciting tale. It’s one of Pal’s best films, along with his other Wells adaptation, 1960’s The Time Machine. The movie has recently been issued on Blu-ray by The Criterion Collection. The film has been re-mastered in high-definition using an original Technicolor print as a reference, and this release also features a new 5.1 mix of the soundtrack. The excellent array of extras includes an informative commentary by director Joe Dante, movie historian/collector Bob Burns and the late Bill Warren, who wrote the definitive study of 1950’s science-fiction films, Keep Watching The Skies, as well as a vintage audio interview with George Pal, an audio recording of Orson Welles’ radio broadcast, and a brief interview Welles conducted with author H.G. Wells. There are also some wonderful featurettes, which include interviews with members of the cast, as well as the talented team who worked on the film’s restoration, including Ben Burtt and Craig Barron. If you’re looking to own a copy of the film, this disc is a must-have. For more info on this excellent disc from The Criterion Collection, follow this link: https://www.criterion.com/films/29942-the-war-of-the-worlds.

War of the Worlds has been re-interpreted and re-invented by several generations of artists since H.G. Wells first released the novel in 1898. But for kids of a certain age, the 1953 film will always hold a special place in our hearts. Here’s the original trailer for the 1953 version of War of the Worlds: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_DUxdhdSyk. For more on Jeff Wayne’s War of the Worlds, the rock and roll version of the novel, head over to CultureSonar, and check out my story on the album by following this link: https://www.culturesonar.com/war-of-the-worlds/.