War of the World (1953) and stuff

[Al Jackson]

The alien weapons fire from the 1953 film - and reused in the 1988 series - still makes me shiver.

The 1953 scene where the first 'tripods' rise from the crater, the power 'thrums', and then the death ray - for me that's classic cinema.

The 1953 version is a smart film. A smooth transfer to modern times (1953!). Barré Lyndon's screenplay is snappy with good dialog and Byron Haskin's direction is almost Howard Hawk's like , brisk pace , only 83 min. long! It is really best shoot-em-up alien invasion movie I know of.

 

[BAYLOR]

The 1953 version is a smart film. A smooth transfer to modern times (1953!). Barré Lyndon's screenplay is snappy with good dialog and Byron Haskin's direction is almost Howard Hawk's like , brisk pace , only 83 min. long! It is really best shoot-em-up alien invasion movie I know of.

The 1953 version of War of the Worlds still looks pretty good.

The 1964 film Robinson Crusoe on Mars also directed by Bryan Haskin reused the Martian War machines albeit without the heat ray stalk on the top and painted white . They also used used of the same sound effects too.

 

[BAYLOR]

I always remember that scene in 1953 film in the farm house with the Martian.

 

[BAYLOR]

The 1953 version is a smart film. A smooth transfer to modern times (1953!). Barré Lyndon's screenplay is snappy with good dialog and Byron Haskin's direction is almost Howard Hawk's like , brisk pace , only 83 min. long! It is really best shoot-em-up alien invasion movie I know of.

I could be mistaken , but wasn't Howard Hawkes one of the producers of the 1951 version of The Thing?

 

[Al Jackson]

I could be mistaken , but wasn't Howard Hawkes one of the producers of the 1951 version of The Thing?

Story goes that Hawks did let the director of that film do the directing but so heavily supervised that the movie was mostly directed by Hawks. I shows!

 

[clovis-man]

Story goes that Hawks did let the director of that film do the directing but so heavily supervised that the movie was mostly directed by Hawks. I shows!

You will notice that often all the characters are talking at the same time. A Hawks characteristic.

 

[Al Jackson]

I also like how the dialog is so crisp and to the point. Like the characters know what's going on , no dead space.
The only female character is no screaming mimi , she speaks directly and is part of the action, unusual for the period.

 

[reiver33]

She’s no Laura Croft though...

 

[Jeffbert]

Would have been interesting to see what Disney might have done with something like MASTER OF THE WORLD. The Vincent Price film is a favorite but soooo cheap. With a higher budget would have been grand. Also, seeing how Disney's technical guru Ub Iwerks was loaned out to Hitchcock for THE BIRDS, have to wonder what he would have done if tasked to do Martian tripods or aliens with an A budget in the late 50s early 60s.

This was always one of my favorite films as a kid. the afternoon movie on the local channel 7 (don't know if it was a network or syndicated feature) played it frequently. I especially liked the part where Robur hangs the 'proper' gentleman out the bottom, & Bronson's character demands to be lowered also. The gentleman, who would never dream of lying to his captor, would end up dead if not for CB's intercession. They cobbled this film together from both Master of the world & Robur the Conqueror. Both are well worth reading.

To the topic: WOW was a great read, & while the 1953 version was the definitive one, there were elements that were omitted, but featured in the remake. Offhand, I do not recall the massed throng of people trying to escape to safety was in the 1953, but quite sure the alien plants were not. It seems to me, though the remake may have put too much emphasis of special effects, & not enough on the story.

 

[Al Jackson]

This was always one of my favorite films as a kid. the afternoon movie on the local channel 7 (don't know if it was a network or syndicated feature) played it frequently. I especially liked the part where Robur hangs the 'proper' gentleman out the bottom, & Bronson's character demands to be lowered also. The gentleman, who would never dream of lying to his captor, would end up dead if not for CB's intercession. They cobbled this film together from both Master of the world & Robur the Conqueror. Both are well worth reading.

To the topic: WOW was a great read, & while the 1953 version was the definitive one, there were elements that were omitted, but featured in the remake. Offhand, I do not recall the massed throng of people trying to escape to safety was in the 1953, but quite sure the alien plants were not. It seems to me, though the remake may have put too much emphasis of special effects, & not enough on the story.

I am curious to see the new BBC production which will be done in period. The BBC usually does a good job with their TV productions.