History Film / TheWarOfTheWorlds1953

--> And scattered about it, some in their overturned war-machines, some in the now rigid handling-machines, and a dozen of them stark and silent and laid in a row, were the Martians--_dead_!--slain by the putrefactive and disease bacteria against which their systems were unprepared; slain as the red weed was being slain; slain, after all man's devices had failed, by the humblest things that God, in his wisdom, has put upon this earth.

** The novel also featured three different forms of spacecraft as opposed to just one. Besides the Tripod, the novel also featured a “Handling Machine”, as well as a flying spacecraft of its own.

* OmnidisciplinaryScientist: sort of; it's more of an omnidisciplinary lab group: Forester, an astrophysicist, is not only in the same department but actually shares the same lab space with an electrical engineer and a biochemist.

* StockFootage: The scenes of people listening to the radio, along with some of the destruction footage, were taken from Pal's previous film ''Film/WhenWorldsCollide''.

* MythologyGag: The scene where the reporter's transmission is cut short during the plane observation by his equipment getting destroyed by the heat-ray is a deliberate reference to Carl Phillips' fate from the 1938 radio adaptation.

This 1953 ScienceFiction film is the first of several [[TheFilmOfTheBook screen adaptations]] of Creator/HGWells' [[Literature/TheWarOfTheWorlds seminal alien invasion novel]], produced by Creator/GeorgePal and directed by Byron Haskin. It stars Creator/GeneBarry as the scientist Dr. Clayton Forrester[[note]]Yes, this is where ''Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000'' got the name[[/note]] and Creator/AnnRobinson as Sylvia Van Buren, as they must survive a full-scale invasion of Earth by Martian forces.

* DeusExMachina: [[Literature/WarOfTheWorlds Like the book that inspired it]], the Martians are defeated, not in a final battle against humanity, but by germs.

* AdaptationExpansion: The movie gives a fairly decent look into the larger picture of the Martian invasion of Earth as we're shown glimpses and both some characters and the narrator mention of what's going on in other countries.

* DarkestHour: The film's final act is among the darkest and bleakest acts ever put into a 50's alien invasion film. There's absolutely no hope left for humanity, and the protagonist's only goal is to spend the remaining minutes of his life with his loved one.

* DeusExMachina: [[Literature/WarOfTheWorlds Like the book that inspired it]], the Martians are defeated, not in a final battle against humanity, [[spoiler: but by germs.]]

** Apparently whomever revised the opening narration just plumb ''forgot'' the existence of Venus, in specifying why all other planets in the solar system except Earth are unsuitable for the Martians to migrate to. The Narrator's description of Jupiter actually fits Venus. [[note]] The omission of Venus is ironic as the novel implied that the Martians went there next, and succeeded in conquering.[[/note]]

** Originally the spacecrafts were meant to be tripods, but since a tripod effect was difficult to achieve the film instead states that the spacecraft hover via invisible tripod "stilts". In a few shots you can see vague outlines of the "stilts" along with sparks on the ground.
** In the novel the fighting machines were NOT ImmuneToBullets, they were just too fast and agile for contemporary artillery to hit before being overwhelmed (in fact, at least two of the tripods are destroyed in the book - one by a lucky artillery shot, the other by a ship that manages to close the distance before opening fire). This had to be changed to keep it believable that the 1950s army doesn't mop the floor with them immediately.

For the 2005 Creator/StevenSpielberg film, see ''Film/WarOfTheWorlds''.

** They also have 3 fingers. The Martians grouping of 3 is Lampshaded by Bilderbeck

* AdaptationalBadass: Subverted. While the Martians themselves die the same way as in the novel, their war machines are a significant upgrade compared to the Tripods in the book due to having a protective shield allowing them to {{No-Sell}} everything Humanity throws at them including a ''nuclear bomb''

* AdaptationalBadass: Subverted. While the Martians themselves die the same way as in the novel, their machines are a significant upgrade compared to the Tripods in the book due to having a protective shield allowing them to No-Sell everything Humanity throws at them including a ''nuclear bomb''

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[[caption-width-right:300: Once they begin to move, no more news comes out of that area.]]

''Note: This is about the 1953 adaptation. For the 2005 one, see'' '''Film/WarOfTheWorlds'''''.''

The first of several film adaptations of H.G. Wells' [[Literature/TheWarOfTheWorlds seminal alien invasion novel]], directed by Byron Haskin and produced by George Pal. It stars Creator/GeneBarry as the scientist Dr. Clayton Forrester[[note]]Yes, this is where Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000 got the name[[/note]] and Creator/AnnRobinson as Sylvia Van Buren, as they must survive a full-scale invasion of Earth by Martian forces.

The film is a PragmaticAdaptation of the novel, taking only the premise and ending with little else from the source material. Nonetheless in an age of alien invasion films such as ''Film/EarthVsTheFlyingSaucers'', ''Invaders From Mars'' and ''Film/TheThingFromAnotherWorld'' this film is regarded as one of the best of that category.

* ArtisticLicenseAstronomy:

[[redirect:Film/TheWarOfTheWorlds]]

The first of several film adaptations of H.G. Wells' seminal alien invasion novel, directed by Byron Haskin and produced by George Pal. It stars Gene Barry as the scientist Dr. Clayton Forrester and Ann Robinson as Sylvia Van Buren, as they must survive a full-scale invasion of Earth by Martian forces.

The film is a PragmaticAdaptation of the novel, taking only the premise and ending with little else from the source material. Nonetheless in an age of alien invasion films such as ''Film/EarthVsTheFlyingSaucers'', ''Invaders From Mars'' and ''Film/TheThingFromAnotherWorld'' this film is regarded as one of the best of that category.

Many years later the film would get a sequel in the form of a television series. Due to [[HistoryMarchesOn history marching on]] the series [[RetCon retconned]] several aspects from the original film, namely the aliens coming from the planet Mor-Tax instead of Mars. Elements of the film would also inspire future science-fiction media, such as ''MysteryScienceTheater3000'', ''TheIronGiant'' and ''Film/IndependenceDay''.
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!!This film contains examples of:
* ChekovsGun: When Dr. Forrester brings a Martian probe with blood samples to a group of scientists, they see that the blood is highly anemic. This foreshadows how they were eventually killed by terrestrial bacteria.
* DarkestHour: The film's final act. It's probably among the darkest and bleakest atmospheres put into a 50's alien invasion film; there's absolutely nothing left to hold on to and the protagonist's last remaining goal is to spend the next few minutes of his life with his loved one.
* PragmaticAdaptation: The original novel took place in late 1800's England and the aliens piloted towering tripod walkers. This film takes place in 1950's California, and the aliens pilot hovering manta-ray/scorpion spacecraft.
** Originally the spacecrafts were meant to be tripods, but since a tripod effect was difficult to achieve the film instead states that the spacecraft hover via invisible tripod "stilts". In a few shots you can see vague outlines of the "stilts" along with sparks on the ground.
* ReligionIsWrong: Averted in a strange way. The source material (at least the second half) is a firm criticism of religion, and there are religious characters who eventually turn out unhinged and dangerous in the wake of the invasion. The film is almost the complete opposite - the main religious character is kind and righteous and is given a meaningful death, and the closing narration comments on how the smallest creatures of God's kingdom defeated the invaders.
* TechnologyMarchesOn: Back in the source novel the alien war machines were vulnerable to artillery fire and a torpedo ram, which were the most powerful weapons available at the time. In this film the aliens can survive an atom bomb blast, because otherwise they would be defeated very quickly.
* WhatCouldHaveBeen: Ray Harryhausen apparently always wanted to take on the story, but never got the chance to do so.
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Many years later the film would get a sequel in the form of a television series. Due to [[HistoryMarchesOn history marching on]] the series [[RetCon retconned]] several aspects from the original film, namely the aliens coming from the planet Mor-Tax instead of Mars. The film would also serve as an inspiration for future science-fiction media, such as ''MysteryScienceTheater3000'' and ''Film/IndependenceDay''.

The film is a PragmaticAdaptation of the novel, taking only the premise and ending with little else from the source material. Nonetheless in an age of alien invasion films such as ''Earth vs. the Flying Saucers'', ''Invaders From Mars'' and ''The Thing From Another World'' this film is regarded as one of the best of that category.

Many years later the film would get a sequel in the form of a television series. Due to [[HistoryMarchesOn history marching on]] the series [[RetCon retconned]] several aspects from the original film, namely the aliens coming from the planet Mor-Tax instead of Mars. The film would also serve as an inspiration for future science-fiction media, such as ''MysteryScienceTheater3000'' and ''IndependenceDay''.

* SpecialEffectsFailure: The movie's special effects were incredible for the time and they still hold up. However, when watching on an HD TV you can quite clearly see the strings holding up the alien crafts.

* VisualEffectsOfAwesome: The film won an Oscar for them.

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: Ray Harryhausen apparently always wanted to take on the story, but never got the chance to do so.