Rent When Worlds Collide (1951)
3.4 of 5 from 82 ratings
1h 19min
- General info
- Available formats
- Synopsis:
- The government refuses to listen to scientists, but private industrialists finance the building of a spaceship, which will carry a limited number of people to another planet to begin a new civilization. As doomsday approaches, they race against time and the panic of those who will be left behind. The potential pulverizing impact of the collision, the massive tidal waves and devastating earthquakes, and the final cosmic smashup make a chilling panorama of disaster. The balance between human and planetary drama is excellently maintained as the movie builds to its fascinating, unforgettable climax.
- Actors:
- Richard Derr, Barbara Rush, Peter Hansen, John Hoyt, Larry Keating, Rachel Ames, Stephen Chase, Frank Cady, Hayden Rorke, Sandro Giglio, Kirk Alyn, Gertrude Astor, Robert Chapman, Gene Collins, James Congdon, Marcel De la Brosse, Estelle Etterre, Sam Finn, Art Gilmore, Charmienne Harker
- Directors:
- Rudolph Maté
- Producers:
- George Pal
- Voiced By:
- Paul Frees
- Narrated By:
- Paul Frees
- Writers:
- Sydney Boehm, Edwin Balmer, Philip Wylie
- Others:
- John F. Seitz, W. Howard Greene, Paramount
- Studio:
- Paramount
- Genres:
- Action & Adventure, Classics, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Thrillers
- Collections:
- Giant Leap for Mankind: A History of Astronaut Films, Pig Power: Animal Farm At 70, What to Watch Next If You Liked The Rocky Horror Picture Show
- Awards:
- BBFC:
- Release Date:
- 04/09/2020
- Run Time:
- 79 minutes
- Languages:
- English LPCM Mono
- Subtitles:
- English Hard of Hearing
- Formats:
- Pal
- Aspect Ratio:
- Full Screen 1.33:1 / 4:3
- Colour:
- Colour
- BLU-RAY Regions:
- B
- Bonus:
- Exclusive Audio Commentary by film critics Barry Forshaw and Kim Newman
- 90 minutes of "George Pal" Extended Interviews with Gene Roddenberry, Ray Bradbury, Ray Harryhausen, Roy Edward Disney, Wah Chang, Russ Tamblyn and Duke Goldstone
- Theatrical Trailer
- Photo Gallery
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Reviews (1) of When Worlds Collide
Doomsday Scenario. - When Worlds Collide review by Steve
Seminal sci-fi which is the prototype for many later films about a large mass about to impact with our world. So it might be called earth-shattering... even if it's not quite in execution... South African astronomers are convinced a distant sun and its circulating planet (Zyra) are set to end all life on the pale blue dot in a few short months.
Some pre-NASA boffins plan to hop onto the incoming globe, with its helpfully compatible atmosphere. Obviously the head scientist (Larry Keating) has a very lovely daughter (Barbara Rush) attractively photographed in Technicolor. And to offset the wan space brainiacs there's a red blooded pilot (Richard Derr) on romance/hero duty.
The storyline doesn't explore in any detail the interesting possibilities of who gets to go. The rocket is mostly loaded with a sociopathic financier (John Hoyt) and whoever is close to the project leader. Plus an annoying kid with a dog! This is principally an effects picture, an early '50s blockbuster produced by SFX pioneer George Pal.
And these still look okay, as the gravity of the rogue planet floods the US... except for the final artwork representing Zyra, which is poor. There's a breakthrough role for Ms. Rush but the characters are flimsy, and the dialogue is uninspired. Its value now is mainly as screen history, and for inventing the enduring- and fun- genre motifs.
1 out of 1 members found this review helpful.