Although Philip Wylie & Edwin Balmer's classic science fiction novel was optioned for film for Cecil B. DeMille in 1933, a movie version did not appear until 1951. That's probably a good thing. Producer George Pal purchased the screen rights in 1949. His plans for a lavish production were cut back due to budget restraints, but the final film remains immensely vieable due mainly to its extraordinary special effects, which won an Academy Award. Alas, some clunky writing, plot holes, scientific gaffes, and some so-so acting combined to make this a far less classic film than it should have been.
When it was discovered that two interplanetary rogue objcts was headed on a collision course to Earth, insuring the complete destruction of our planet, a desperate plot to save humanity was developed. Zyra, an Earth-sized planet would be the first to approach Earth, followed by Bellus (which was an actual rogue star) some nineteen days later. Zyra would cause a lot of damage to the planet, but Bellus would completely obliverate it. (In the original novel, the celestial visitors were Bonson-Alpha, a gas giant, and Bronson-Beta, and Earth-sized planet that could possibly sustain life. The idea of changing the larger body into a rogue star was just plain dumb.) An ark is hastily built to take a few humans chosen by lottery to Zyra.
There is destruction, both cosmic and man-made. There is desperation and panic, rioting, murder, and double dealing. Eventually (Spoiler Alert) a few humans make it to their new world.
Noted astronomical painter Chesley Bonestell created most of the artwork for the film, in addition to designing the space ark. Because of time and budgets restrains, the final scene in the film, depicting a sunrise on Zyra, used Bonestell's preliminary sketch rather than a finished painting. Also, one very poor painting was used in the flim and has been erroneously credited to Bonestell but the work was not his. Bonestell's art is reason enough to wath the film.
The movie stars Richard Derr, Barbara Rush, Peter Hanson, and Larry Keating. John Hoyt plays an evil billionaire. Look closely and you'll see Kirk Alyn, the star of 1948's Superman, in an uncredited role as a "Rioter Bringing Guns."
When Worlds Collide was directed by famed cinematographer Rudolph Mate, which may go a long to to explaining the films wonderful visual effects. The script was written by Sidney Boehm (The Big Heat, The Revolt of Mamie Stover, Rough Night in Jericho).
Producer George Pal had planned to film After Worlds Collide, Wylie and Balmer's 1934 sequel, but found it impossible to find backing after his 1955 film Conquest of Space tanked. Both When World Collide and After Worlds Collide had a significant impact on the development of science fiction, and both books are recommended, although I consider After Worlds Collide to be the superior novel.
It's time to put on your Sense of Wonder hat and enjoy When Worlds Collide.
https://archive.org/details/when-worlds-collide
Back when I was growing up, Channel 8 (WFAA TV DALLAS) had an afternoon movie deal from 3-5 under the moniker, Bowling for Dollars. Hosted by Verne Lundquist who later did NFL and College Football games for CBS, viewers could win small cash prizes if they were watching and called in at the right time. They ran a lot of creature flicks and space movies and this was one of them. Saw it a bunch. When I was sick and home from school, I would watch these things. I was very annoyed to get to High School in 1976 and discover that with the school day and my bis ride home, I would not get back to the house until 4:45 and that meant the movie, whatever it was, would be damn near over.
ReplyDeleteWatched WHEN WORLDS COLLIDE as a kid and loved it! I need to watch it again soon! Great review!
ReplyDeleteAnd I first saw it, probably on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon, on WLVI Channel 56 in Boston, then the Kaiser Broadcasting station in the Hub, just past Henry Kaiser's desire to make another commercial network around his small chain of stations...the sweep and the klunk of the film both readily apparent to young me, in that Apollo-mission era...
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