George Pal produced and is generally considered the “author” of the film (not director Byron Haskin) – Pal would go on to make (and actually direct) 1960’s The Time Machine – both adaptations of essential sci-fi novels
Gordon Jennings won the Oscar for his special effects work
It’s an update of the HG Wells novel- Wells’ novel is 1897 London and this is 1953 California—it puts it in the modern political sphere so we have the cold war (though it isn’t explicitly about the Soviets) – we’re in the nuclear age
It could benefit from a better cast—they’re really stiff and there aren’t many that I honestly ever seen in anything else and I’ve seen hundreds of movies from this era
The black and white news reel opening talking about World War 1 and World War 2 and how we have more modern weapons “now” is powerful
Narrator Cedric Hardwicke – omnipotent and omniscient voice in the sky authoritative – it’s a great opening as we tour the planets and he explains why the Martians can’t visit them and why it’s Earth they want
Gene Barry with the glasses and the voice is like a cross between Gregory Peck and Cary Grant in appearance- not a tremendous actor but I like his work in this film
The whirling electronic red flashing light—this is largely a war film if I had to give it a description and genre beyond the obvious sci-fi
Miniatures are well done in the special effects department
Very influential on films like Independence Day –destroying miniature of buildings
The themes are there- anti-nuclear- these weapons are useless. It’s about the finale with the church and how the natural air and atmosphere kills them
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