The War of the Worlds, 1953. My Journey into Science Fiction Part 22.

Hello, and welcome to My Journey into Science Fiction Part 22. The War of the Worlds, directed by Byron Haskin and produced by George Pal. The movie is loosely based on the H.G. Wells novel of the same name. Paramount Pictures released the film on August 13th 1953, and it was a box office and critical success for the studio.

A meteorite crash lands in the small town of Linda Rosa. Dr Clayton Forrester and the locals go to examine the site, and they soon realise they might have visitors. The small town and its residents wait patiently to find out if their guests are friendly, or not.

This film was my first introduction to the War of the Worlds. I can’t remember exactly when I first watched it, but it was at an early age. I know about the original novel, Jeff Wayne’s album and Steven Spielberg’s recent blockbuster. Not forgetting, the radio play by Orson Welles. However, this journey is starting to highlight just how little I know about the classic science fiction novel and its history. I have watched The Sky is Falling – The Making of The War of the Worlds for this review. Hopefully, that is all I need. The documentary has plenty of great anecdotes and acknowledges the people who helped make the film. I think it is pretty funny that George Pal tried to strangle a Paramount executive who said his script nearly ended up in the waste paper basket. Truthfully, I think the main reason I have decided to revisit this movie is only to find out why it still seems special to me, after all these years later.

I love the nostalgia of watching an old technicolour film, even more so when it’s filmed on Stage 18 at Paramount Studios. In reality, I couldn’t get motivated or wasn’t enjoying this film at this moment in time. This film does have some unforgettable cinematic moments, and I would say it’s the first modern blockbuster that I remember watching. Modern as in the advancements in cinema that happened in the fifties. The Martian war machines designed by Al Nozaki are captivating, even today. The Cobra Head design and copper body make these machines both terrifying and beautiful, at the same time. Some other names worth mentioning are make-up artist Charles Gemora and daughter Diana. Both father and daughter had to spend an entire evening reconstructing the Martian puppet, so it was ready for filming the next day.

However, I wasn’t enjoying my time with the movie, and I can’t pretend that I am. It’s hard to get motivated, and I wonder if I am only remembering certain moments of the film that resonated with me from an early age, or if my tastes have simply changed. There are maybe ten or fifteen minutes of this film that I truly adore, and the rest didn’t resonate with me. It just seemed like a product of its time, but it also had a creative team that could see where the industry was going next. I want to mention one scene that impressed me, and that is when Dr Clayton Forrester Gene Barry is walking through a desolate Los Angeles. It’s such an interesting and visually spectacular moment, and I wonder if Danny Boyle thought about it when filming 28 days later.

I will always love this film as it felt like my first step into the world of science fiction, but I have a feeling there will be a lot more depth to the original novel, which I will read now. I’m a little shocked by my reaction to this film, as I was sure I would enjoy it, but here we are. Have my tastes changed, or am I not in the mood for it? I’m not sure, but it just bored me a little. However, the show must go on, and I can return to this movie when the time is right. It’s not the greatest review, but it is honest. I have a feeling this won’t be the last time I write about it though, so stay tuned. 

So, where next in My Journey into Science Fiction Part 23? Well, I’m going to pick something that will be pretty fun, I hope. Les Tremayne played Major General Mann in War of the Worlds. He also voiced Arthur, in the animated film Starchaser, The Legend of Orin, 1985. I have just watched the trailer below, and it looks vaguely familiar. So I will be watching this film next, and I can’t wait to get started.

Thank you for visiting today, it really is appreciated. If you enjoyed this review, please leave me a like or comment below. Also, if you would like to follow my journey on this site, please subscribe for future posts.

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