THE WAR OF THE WORLDS [1953 / 2020] [The Criterion Collection] [Blu-ray] [USA Release] The Iconic, Visually Stunning Adaptation of H.G. Welles’ Science-Fiction Masterpiece!
A mysterious, meteor like object has landed in a small California town. All clocks have stopped. A fleet of glowing green UFO’s hovers menacingly over the entire globe. The Martian invasion of Earth has begun, and it seems that nothing — neither military might nor the scientific know-how of nuclear physicist Dr. Clayton Forrester [Gene Barry] — can stop it. In the expert hands of genre specialists George Pal and Byron Haskin, H.G. Welles’ end-of-civilization classic receives a chilling Cold War era update, complete with hallucinatory Technicolor and visionary, Oscar-winning special effects. Emblazoned with iconographic images of 1950’s science fiction, ‘THE WAR OF THE WORLDS’ is both an influential triumph of visual imagination and a still-disquieting document of the wonder and terror of the atomic age. Narrated by Sir Cedric Hardwicke.
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FILM FACT No.1: Awards and Nominations: 1954 Academy Awards®: Win: Best Effects and Special Effects. Nominated: Best Sound Recording for Loren L. Ryder at Paramount Sound Department. Nominated: Best Film Editing for Everett Douglas. 1954 Hugo Awards: Win: Best Dramatic Presentation for Byron Haskin (director), Barré Lyndon (screenplay) and H.G. Wells (based on the novel). 1954 Motion Picture Sound Editors, USA: Golden Reel Award for Best Sound Editing for a Feature Film. 1978 Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films, USA: Win: Hall of Fame for George Pal and ‘THE WAR OF THE WORLDS’ on its 25th Anniversary. 2011 National Film Preservation Board, USA: Win: National Film Registry for the film ‘THE WAR OF THE WORLDS.’
FILM FACT No.2: George Pal originally planned for the final third of the film to be shot in the new 3D process to visually enhance the Martians' attack on Los Angeles. The plan was dropped prior to the actual production of the film. World War II stock footage was used to produce a montage of destruction to show the worldwide invasion, with armies of all nations joining together to fight the invaders. ‘THE WAR OF THE WORLDS’ 3-strip Technicolor prints were replaced by the easier-to-use and less expensive Eastman Color stock, the quality of the film's special effects suffered dramatically, resulting in a degradation of lighting, timing, and image resolution, causing the originally invisible wires suspending the Martian war machines to become increasingly more visible with each succeeding advance in film and video formats, leading many, including respected critics, to believe the effects were originally low quality. ‘THE WAR OF THE WORLDS’ had its official Hollywood premiere on February 20, 1953, although it did not go into general theatrical release until the autumn of that year. The film was both a critical and box office success. It accrued $2,000,000 in distributors' domestic U.S.A. and Canada rentals, making it the year's biggest science fiction film hit!
Cast: Gene Barry, Ann Robinson, Les Tremayne, Robert Cornthwaite, Sandro Giglio, Lewis Martin, Houseley Stevenson Jr., Paul Frees (Second Radio Reporter / Opening Announcer), William Phipps, Vernon Rich, Henry Brandon, Jack Kruschen, Sir Cedric Hardwicke (Commentary voice), Peter Adams (uncredited), Eric Alden (uncredited), Hugh Allen (uncredited), Ruth Barnell (uncredited), Edgar Barrier (uncredited), Russ Bender (uncredited), Paul Birch (uncredited), Oscar Blank (uncredited), Nick Borgani (uncredited), Hazel Boyne (uncredited), Chet Brandenburg (uncredited), George Bruggeman (uncredited), Nora Bush (uncredited), Tony Butala (uncredited), Mushy Callahan (uncredited), Dick Cherney (uncredited), Ann Codee (uncredited), Edward Colmans (uncredited), James Conaty (uncredited), Russ Conway (uncredited), Martin Coulter (uncredited), Vittorio Cramer (uncredited), Pierre Cressoy (uncredited), Oliver Cross (uncredited), Jane Crowley (uncredited), Jim Davies (uncredited), Helen Dickson (uncredited), Ralph Dumke (uncredited), Jimmie Dundee (uncredited), Al Ferguson (uncredited), Dick Fortune (uncredited), Alex Frazer (uncredited), Frank Freeman Jr. (uncredited), Slim Gaut (uncredited), Charles Gemora (Martian) (uncredited), Ned Glass (uncredited), Jack Gordon (uncredited), Fred Graham (uncredited), Joe Gray (uncredited), Herman Hack (uncredited), Nancy Hale (uncredited), Virginia Hall (uncredited), Ted Hecht (uncredited), Douglas Henderson (uncredited), Gertrude Hoffman (uncredited), Tex Holden (uncredited), Jimmie Horan (uncredited), Patricia Iannone (uncredited), Jerry James (uncredited), Michael Jeffers (uncredited), Dick Johnstone (uncredited), Carolyn Jones (uncredited), Don Kohler (uncredited), Frank Kreig (uncredited), Ivan Lebedeff (uncredited), Freeman Lusk (uncredited), Herbert Lytton (uncredited), Wilbur Mack (uncredited), George Magrill (uncredited), Mike Mahoney (uncredited), John Mansfield (uncredited), Joel Marston (uncredited), Sydney Mason (uncredited), John Maxwell (uncredited), Mathew McCue (uncredited), David McMahon (uncredited), William Meader (uncredited), Lee Miller (uncredited), Ralph Montgomery (uncredited), Alvy Moore (uncredited), Bob Morgan (uncredited), Charles Morton (uncredited), George Nardelli (uncredited), Stanley Orr (uncredited), George Pál (Bum #1 Listening to Radio) (uncredited), Walter Richards (uncredited), Robert Rockwell (uncredited), Walter Sande (uncredited), James Seay (uncredited), Allen D. Sewall (uncredited), Lucile Sewall (uncredited), Cora Shannon (uncredited), David Sharpe (uncredited), Teru Shimada (uncredited), Reginald Lal Singh (uncredited), Bobby Somers (uncredited), Bert Stevens (uncredited), Charles Stewart (uncredited), Jack Stoney (uncredited), Gus Taillon (uncredited), Morton C. Thompson (uncredited), Arthur Tovey (uncredited), Dale Van Sickel (uncredited), Dorothy Vernon (uncredited), Edward Wahrman (uncredited), Anthony Warde (uncredited), Bob Whitney (uncredited), Chalky Williams (uncredited), Waldon Williams (uncredited), Bud Wolfe (uncredited) and Fred Zendar (uncredited)
Director: Byron Haskin
Producers: Cecil B. DeMille (uncredited), Frank Freeman Jr. and George Pal
Screenplay: Barré Lyndon (screenplay) and H.G. Wells (novel)
Composer: Leith Stevens (music score)
Costumes: Edith Head
Artistic Illustrator: Chesley Bonestell
Cinematography: George S. Barnes, A.S.C. (Director of Photography)
Technicolor Color Consultant: Monroe W. Burbank
Image Resolution: 1080p (Technicolor)
Aspect Ratio: 1.37:1
Audio: English: 1.0 LPCM Mono Audio
English: 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio
English: 1.0 Dolby Digital Mono Audio
English: 5.1 Dolby Digital Audio
English: 2.0 Dolby Digital Stereo Audio
Subtitles: English
Running Time: 85 minutes
Region: Region A/1
Number of discs: 1
Studio: Paramount Pictures / The Criterion Collection
Andrew’s Blu-ray Review: ‘THE WAR OF THE WORLDS’ [1953] is based on the iconic story in H.G. Welles’ ground-breaking 1898 novel, by this point, should be well-known by most science fiction fans, whether it’s from the classic source material or its many, many varying degrees of loose adaptations and be they Orson Welles’ apocryphally panic-inducing radio broadcast, and the beloved Edward Gorey-illustrated edition. For many, though, the definitive film adaption is Byron Haskin and George Pal’s Technicolor version produced by Paramount Pictures in 1953.
The 1953 film ‘THE WAR OF THE WORLDS’ has a rather long history since Paramount Pictures secured the rights in the 1920s. Five unproduced scripts were written and Cecil B. DeMille was the first choice to direct the film. Sometime in the 1930s legendary filmmaker Alfred Hitchcock was approached to direct the film, as was Sergei Eisenstein. Even Ray Harryhausen had considered making an adaptation, set in the book's original period, even going as far as making sketches and a test reel. However, the project did not get off the ground until Cecil B. DeMille handed it all over to the legendary George Pal.
This version of ‘THE WAR OF THE WORLDS’ is very much a product of the atomic age, space-curious era it emerged from. The film is set in the eerily cheery 1950s America. Tonally, it combines the heightened, Fifties melodrama of a Douglas Sirk film with a genuinely scary, end-of-the-world scenario. It’s wonky, yes, but it makes that wholesale destruction of mankind depicted on screen that much more effectively jarring.
‘THE WAR OF THE WORLDS’ opens with a black-and-white prologue featuring newsreel war footage and a voice-over describing the destructive technological advancements of Earthly warfare from World War I through World War II. The image then smash cuts to vivid Technicolor and the dramatic opening title card and credits.
The story then begins with a series of Technicolor matte paintings by astronomical American painter Chesley Knight Bonestell Jr. depicting the planets of our Solar System, except Venus. Narrator Sir Cedric Hardwicke offers a tour of the hostile environment of each world, eventually explaining to the audience why the Martians find our lush, green and blue Earth the only world worthy of their scrutiny and coming invasion. This is the first of two adaptations of H.G. Welles' classic science fiction filmed by George Pal; and of course it is considered to be one of the great science fiction films of the 1950s.
After a gorgeous, introductory tour through matte paintings of the planets in our solar system, the Sci-Fi film opens with a mysterious object crashing outside of Smalltown, California. The local yokels view the massive, radioactive meteorite as a potential tourist attraction, until an alien lens emerges, incinerates the three men left to keep an eye on it, and knocks out the town’s power right in the middle of their Saturday night square dance. Fortunately world-renowned nuclear physicist Dr. Clayton Forrester [Gene Barry] was fishing in the nearby lake, and can lend a hand when the Martians start wiping out the entirety of the American military.
Attempting to escape, Dr. Clayton Forrester and Sylvia van Buren [Ann Robinson] hide in an abandoned farm house. They begin to develop romantic feelings for each other before the house is buried by yet another cylinder. They encounter and dismember an “electronic eye” from the Mor-Taxan machine, and collect a blood sample from a Mor-Taxan wounded by Dr. Clayton Forrester to protect Sylvia van Buren. They manage to sneak away from the aliens without being seen. Many of the major capitals of the world are destroyed in the attacks and the United States government makes the decision to use nuclear weapons against the invaders.
Dr. Clayton Forrester brings the Mor-Taxan camera and blood samples to his team at Pacific Tech, with hope they can study the technology. An attempt to destroy a camp of Martians by nuclear strike fails due to the integrity of their shields, but Forrester remains hopeful they can fight the Martians by studying their blood.
As the Mor-Taxans advance on Los Angeles, with nothing left to fight them, the city is evacuated and many of the inhabitants are forced to live in the wilderness. Dr. Clayton Forrester, Sylvia van Buren and the Pacific Tech team are split apart by looters and their scientific equipment is stolen or destroyed. Forrester searches for Sylvia van Buren in the city while the Mor-Taxans cause widespread destruction. Based on a story she had told him earlier, Dr. Clayton Forrester deduces that she would be hiding in a church. After searching through a couple of churches, he finds Dr. Clayton Forrester in the third among many praying survivors.
Just as the Mor-Taxans strike the church, their machines suddenly crash. Dr. Clayton Forrester believes the pilot of the machine is dead, and notes that they were “all praying for a miracle.” It is revealed by the radio announcer [Paul Frees] that while the Mor-Taxans were impervious to humanity's weapons, they had “...No resistance to the bacteria in our atmosphere to which we have long since become immune. Once they had breathed our air, germs, which no longer affect us, began to kill them. The end came swiftly. All over the world, their machines began to stop, fall and crash spectacular. After all that men could do had failed, the Martians were destroyed and humanity was saved by the littlest things, which God, in His wisdom, had put upon this Earth...”
As mentioned before, the Martians are a truly menacing force — slowly hovering across the countryside and through cities, blasting machinery with their explosive heat rays and disintegrating soldiers with their lime-green “skeleton beam.” Yet, even while mankind stands on the brink of destruction, the movie spends plenty of time allowing the hunky, heroic scientist Gene Barry as Dr. Clayton Forrester to romance the sweet girl-next door Ann Robinson as Sylvia van Buren.
POST SCRIPT: The plot of the film is very different from the novel by H.G. Wells, which tells the story of a 19th-century writer (with additional narration in later chapters by his medical student younger brother), who journeys through Victorian London and its southwestern suburbs while the Martians attack, eventually being reunited with his wife; the film's protagonist is a California scientist who falls in love with a former college student after the Martian invasion begins. However, certain points of the film's plot are similar to the novel, from the crash-landing of the meteorite-ships to their eventual defeat by Earth's microorganisms. Dr. Clayton Forresterto also experiences similar events like the book's narrator: an ordeal in a destroyed house, observing an actual Martian up close, and eventually reuniting with his love interest at the end of the story. The film is given more of a Cold War theme with its use of the Atomic Bomb against the enemy and the mass-destruction that such a global war would inflict on mankind.
THE WAR OF THE WORLDS MUSIC TRACK LIST
PARAMOUNT ON PARADE (uncredited) (Written by Elsie Janis and Jack King) [Played over the opening logo]
FLOP-EARED MULE (Without Calls) (uncredited) (Written by Zip Wilson) [Performed by Zip Wilson]
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Blu-ray Image Quality – The Criterion Collection has once again given us a very professional looking Blu-ray disc, with a superb and stunning Technicolor 1080p image and of course the image is also enhanced with the 1.37:1 aspect ratio which of course in those days most films were filmed in this format. Paramount Pictures team got hold of the original Technicolor print of the movie to see what audiences would have originally viewed back in 1953. They observed a print that was much darker than successive releases, with vibrant colours and lighting that truly popped. With that knowledge, they went back to the original, three-strip negatives and did their best to replicate the intended image in their digital scans. Afterward, they went and removed strings and other illusion-killing effects that weren’t visible in film prints, but were made all-too-clear in digital scans, to preserve the filmmakers’ intents. The results are found here on The Criterion Collection’s Blu-ray release, and it is totally breath-taking. There are rare cases where a restoration can prompt a full-scale re-evaluation of a film, and this is one of them. As you will see with the Sci-Fi film ‘THE WAR OF THE WORLDS’ combines light and colour in a way to create that magical filmic look that only the best Technicolor films can produce. The Martians’ war machines no longer like children’s toys, but interplanetary death machines with their otherworldly shapes, and now you can see the Christmas tree-coloured lights as they should be seen. Not only does this brilliant Sci-Fi film look beautiful, but this restoration has somehow made it much more frightening. The aliens are no longer goofy, but truly menacing alien-looking beings from the Planet Mars, and with this release, when the film opens up Mars looks red(ish) now, but on other releases, Mars looked blue(ish).
PLEASE NOTE: The following text appears inside the leaflet that is provided with this Blu-ray release: This new digital restoration was created in 4K resolution on a DFT Scanity film scanner from the original three-strip Technicolor negatives. Thousands of instances of negative and positive dirt, stains, scratches, streaks, hairs, and emulsion digs and several mis-registrations of the YCM film elements were manually removed using MTI Film's DRS and Digital Vision's Phoenix.
Blu-ray Audio Quality – The Criterion Collection has once again given us a very professional audio experience and you have a choice of hearing the film in either the original 1.0 LPCM Mono Audio or the amazing upgraded 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio and of course when the film was released in the cinemas in 1953, the audio technology we get today was not available at that time, and now with the remastered 5.1 mix you can now hear the film in a brand new way in experiencing the menacing Martians invading Planet Earth. According to notes provided by The Criterion Collection, the 5.1 audio track was created for the 4K restoration of ‘THE WAR OF THE WORLDS’ in 2018 by Academy Award® winning sound designer Ben Burtt. With the amazing newly created 5.1 audio mix, it really opens up the film, especially during those heightened action scenes allowing the menace of invading Martians to envelop the sound field. The 5.1 DTS-HD audio just fires up on all cylinders during the opening credits! But also when the Martians death ray starts firing at anyone who gets in their way in trying to defeat them. The difference is quite amazing to be appreciate because the Sci-Fi film has plenty of footage where sound movement can become very effective and definitely gets a five star rating from me and really makes you experience ‘THE WAR OF THE WORLDS’ film in a totally new way.
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Blu-ray Special Features and Extras:
New 4K digital restoration on this Blu-ray disc
New alternate surround soundtrack, created by sound designer Ben Burtt and presented in 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio on this Blu-ray disc
Special Feature: Audio Commentary featuring filmmaker Joe Dante, author Bill Warren of “Keep Watching the Skies!” and film historian Bob Burns [2005] [1080p] [1.37:1] [85:00] Here first up to introduce themselves is Joe Dante, then next is Bill Warren and lastly to introduce themselves is Bob Burns. They first talk about the credits at the start of the film and said when you viewed the film in the cinema, the credits looked totally dynamic, as was the terrific composed music score by Leith Stevens. They also talk about the fantastic special effects by the genius Gordon Jennings, A.S.C., who worked a lot with George Pal, but sadly died before he received his Oscar. They talk about the narration at the start of the film with Sir Cedric Hardwicke and originally George Pal wanted Cecil B. DeMille to do the narration, but declined and suggested Sir Cedric Hardwicke who felt his voice was like H.G. Welles, and of course Sir Cedric Hardwicke was in the H.G. Welles film ‘Things To Come.’ They talk about Chesley Bonetell aka Chesley Knight Bonestell Jr. who was an American painter, designer and illustrator and his paintings inspired the American space program, and they have been influential in science fiction art and illustration, who did the artistic paintings at the start of ‘THE WAR OF THE WORLDS’ film, who they thought was an incredible man in doing those astronomical art and returning to the West Coast, he prepared illustrations of the chief engineer's plans for the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. In the late 1930’s Chesley Bonestell moved to Hollywood, where he worked (without screen credit) as a special effects artist, creating matte paintings for films, including ‘The Hunchback of Notre Dame’ [1939], ‘Citizen Kane’ [1941] and ‘The Magnificent Ambersons’ [1942]. They talk about the special sound effects that were done for the meteors that land on Earth. They also talk about the majority of the film was shot on the one large stage at Paramount Pictures and especially on the famous stage 18. They talk about the different character actors we get to meet throughout the film, which were all very unknown at the time, but of course they do mention the actor Gene Barry who also appeared in the film ‘The Thing,’ and they all agree that Gene Barry’s character in the film ‘THE WAR OF THE WORLS’ is extremely good. They also mention that the actor Lee Marven was suggested to play the Gene Barry’s character, which they thought would have been a very strange choice. They mention that George Pal was not very keen on the story structure that he felt was being forced on him and was extremely unhappy with the situation and told Paramount Pictures that he felt he could not continue, and it seems Paramount Pictures agreed to his demands 100%. They talk about the actress Ann Robinson, who was part of Paramount Pictures “Golden Circle” of new stars in the early 1950’s but had only one leading role at the studio, in producer George Pal's ‘THE WAR OF THE WORLDS,’ but in 1957, Ann Robinson ran off to Mexico to marry a famous matador, Jaime Bravo, and Ann Robinson said, “and blew my career right out of the water.” All three comment that you cannot believe that in 1953, imaging how terrified the sequence in the film ‘THE WAR OF THE WORLDS’ for young children when the scene when the Martian meteor cylinder unscrews and especially when they viewed the film for the first time, they all say that it was the most frightening element they viewed in a science fiction film ever in the 1950’s. and especially when the alien cobra head appears out of the Martian meteor cylinder and you did not know what it was, but at the same time you were incredibly scared and not knowing what is going to happen, and when they blast the first three men with their ray beam. People in the cinema screamed with horror what they had just witnessed. They mention that originally the original concept that the Martians had two brains, which they thought was extremely peculiar; because it had no application what so ever, but they say that certain people will tell us this sort of thing because it is weird. Of course with the Martians flying machines, they were suspended with wires and when people first viewed the film, some people could see the wires, but when they re-issued the film in Eastmancolor the wires were much more visible and of course with this Criterion Blu-ray image upgrade the wires were digitally removed. We are informed that there was a 1925 screenplay for Paramount Pictures ‘THE WAR OF THE WORLDS’ and was going to be directed by Cecil B. DeMille, and the actual script can be viewed at the Margaret Herrick Library at the Academy Motion Pictures Art and Science in Los Angeles and the screenplay is supposed to be totally remarkable, where the hero happens to have just invented the perfect machine that is the antidote for the Martian’s ray beam, that turns back the ray beam to the Martians flying machines, but does not get round to using it in the end, because his biggest opposition because he is a pacifist named Freeman Jones and his reasons is unclear, but in the end wants the Martians to succeed. When you see Gene Barry and Ann Robinson in the house and she is frying four eggs for their breakfast and also on the table is also toast, orange juice and coffee, but this sort of scene really annoys me when you see this type of scene in films, the actors never eat the food etc. All three of the commentators mention the film has a standard religious angle, where the people in the film think that by praying it will save them from the destruction of the Martians and the whole of mankind, but of course they are saved by earths nature’s bacteria, and they all say that the scene where they are all praying in the church might of really annoyed H.G. Welles as he was well known as being agnostic. As we see the Martian flying machines all start crashing, because they have been attacked and killed by nature’s bacteria, and the three commentators comment by saying, “the way the Martian arm is dead is pretty interesting, because they change the colour from red to green, and it is strangely poignant, that these Martians come from another planet and now they have just died, and it doesn’t know why, and it is just a touching moment in the film.” And all three say goodbye to George Pal’s film and thanks us for listening. So all in all, this was a very interesting audio commentary and it is also full of very interesting facts you get to hear about the film that you probably have never heard about before and definitely get s a five star rating from me. It was recorded for Paramount Pictures in 2005.
Special Feature: Movie Archaeologists [2020] [1080p] [1.37:1/1.78:1] [29:28] This new special featurette is about the spectacular visual and sound effects for the Sci-Fi film ‘THE WAR OF THE WORLDS.’ Visual-effects supervisor Craig Barron and sound designer Ben Burtt are historians of specialised filmmaking techniques. With the short documentary you get to view, Craig Barron and Ben Burtt discuss the production history of the film ‘THE WAR OF THE WORLDS’ as well as some of the unique ways in which sound and special effects are utilized in the film, along with rare footage from the Paramount Pictures archives, where we get to view some interesting observations about the archival footage that is seen in the film as well as its reception from the general public. This special featurette was produced exclusively for The Criterion Collection and it is totally brilliant and well worth viewing and I can give it an ultimate top five star rating.
Special Feature: From The Archive: 2018 Restoration [2020] [1080p] [1.78:1/1.37:1] [20:28] In this new special featurette that was produced exclusively for The Criterion Collection, where senior vice president of asset management for Paramount Pictures archivist Andrea Kalas discuss the 4K restoration of ‘THE WAR OF THE WORLDS,’ along with visual-effects supervisor Craig Barron and sound designer Ben Burtt, who also served as consultants on the 2018 restoration and also discuss their restoration work on the film ‘THE WAR OF THE WORLDS.’ Once again, this particular featurette is equally fascinating and very interesting and definitely gets a five star rating from me and is well worth viewing.
Special Feature: The Sky Is Falling [2005] [480i/1080i] [1.37:1] [29:59] This archival behind-the-scenes documentary is about the making of the film ‘THE WAR OF THE WORLDS.’ It also examines the history. They also talk about the infamous American radio broadcast by the Mercury Theatre of the adaptation of “The War of the Worlds” that was directed and narrated by Orson Welles and how the whole of America thought they were being invade by Martians and ran out of their homes thinking it was actually happening. They also talk about the lasting appeal and the extra special visual brilliance of the film ‘THE WAR OF THE WORLDS’ and includes very rare clips of the amazing and clever special effects of the Martian flying machines and also includes rare archival interviews. Contributors include: Robert Cornthwaite [Dr. Pryor], Gene Barry [Dr. Clayton Forrester], Jack Senter [Art Department Specialist], Ann Robinson [Sylvia Van Buren], Albert Nozaki [Art Director] (archive footage), Michael D. Moore [First Assistant Director], Bob Burns [Film Historian], Ray Harryhausen [Visual FX Pioneer], Justin Humphreys [Author of “George Pal: Man of Tomorrow”], Robert Skotak [Visual FX Supervisor] and Diana Gemora [Daughter of Charlie Gemora, legendary make-up artist]. The special documentary was produced for Paramount Pictures.
Special Feature: Wells and Welles: Part One: The Mercury Theatre On Air [Audio only] [1938] [1080p] [1.78:1] [57:28] The H.G. Welles’ 1897 novel “The War of the Worlds” has inspired many versions, including The Mercury Theatre On Air’s radio broadcast that was adapted by Howard Koch and directed and narrated by Orson Wells. The live broadcast was on the 30th October, 1938 and became famous for reportedly causing panic among the American audience. This is the infamous American radio adaptation of “The War of the Worlds” that was directed and narrated by Orson Welles and was a Magnificent Fluke. Orson Wells and his colleagues scrambled to pull together the show; they ended up writing a culture history broadcast that was said to be “Broadcast Hysteria: Orson Welles's “The War of the Worlds” and the Art of Fake News.” On the evening of the 30th October, 1938, radio listeners across the United States of America, and heard a startling report of mysterious creatures and terrifying war machines moving towards New York City. But the hair-raising broadcast was not a real news bulletin — it was Orson Wells' adaptation of the H.G. Wells classic “The War of the Worlds.” By the end of October 1938, Orson Wells’ Mercury Theatre on the Air had been on CBS for 17 weeks. A low-budget radio programme that was produced without any kind of sponsor, and the series had built up a small but loyal following with fresh adaptations of literary classics. But for the week of Halloween, Orson Wells wanted something very different from the Mercury Theatre’s earlier offerings and the finest radio drama of the 1930’s was The Mercury Theatre on the Air, a show featuring the acclaimed New York drama company founded by Orson Wells and John Houseman. In its brief run, it featured an impressive array of talents, including Agnes Moorehead, Bernard Herrmann, and George Coulouris. The radio broadcast is now infamous for its notorious “The War of the Worlds” broadcast, but the other radio broadcasts in the series are relatively unknown. But of course the opening lines on that fateful Halloween night were “We interrupt our program of dance music to bring you a special bulletin...” and this was a masterclass in dramatic realism that caused outrage when credulous listeners, believed the Martian attack to be real, and fled from their homes. It is easy to see why, the performances is utterly convincing, and especially with the long empty pauses, the sudden cuts and technical breakdowns were all done with very sly authenticity and of course Orson Welles really pulled it off. Plot Summary: “The War of the Worlds” begins with a paraphrase of the beginning of the novel, updated to contemporary times and the announcer introduces Orson Wells. While listening to The Mercury Theatre broadcast, you have one black-and-white image of Orson Wells being interviewed by reporters.
Cast: Dan Seymour [Announcer], Orson Wells [Narrator], Paul Stewart [First studio announcer], William Alland [Meridian Room announcer], Frank Readick [Reporter Carl Phillips], Orson Welles [Professor Richard Pierson], Carl Frank [Second studio announcer], Ray Collins [Mr. Wilmuth], Kenny Delmar [Policeman at Wilmuth farm], Richard Wilson [Brigadier General Montgomery Smith], Ray Collins [Mr. Harry McDonald, vice president in charge of radio operations], Kenny Delmar [Captain Lansing of the Signal Corps], Paul Stewart [Third studio announcer], Kenny Delmar [Secretary of the Interior], Richard Wilson [22nd Field Artillery Officer], William Alland [Field artillery gunner], Stefan Schnabel [Field artillery observer], Howard Smith [Lieutenant Voght, bombing commander], Kenny Delmar [Bayonne radio operator], Richard Wilson [Langham Field radio operator], William Herz [Newark radio operator], Frank Readick [2X2L radio operator], William Herz [8X3R radio operator], Ray Collins [Fourth studio announcer, from roof of Broadcasting Building], Carl Frank [Fascist stranger] and Orson Welles [Himself].
Director: Orson Wells
Producers: Davidson Taylor, John Houseman and Orson Welles
Music Department: Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: Opening theme: Piano Concerto No. 1
Special Feature: Wells and Welles Part Two: KTSA Interview [Audio only] [1940] [1080p] [1.78:1] [27:57] Here we get to hear a very rare and famous KTSA American radio programme featuring a discussion between Orson Wells and H.G. Welles, who of course was the author of the 1897 novel “The War of the Worlds.” Also, Orson Wells and H.G. Welles met for the first and only time shortly before the second anniversary of The Mercury Theatre broadcast, when both men happened to be lecturing in San Antonia, Texas and on the 28th October, 1940 they visited the KTSA American radio station with broadcaster Charles C. Shaw. This charming audio conversation between Orson Wells and H.G. Welles, who of course are both linked in the public imagination thanks to “The War of The Worlds” sci-fi novel and adapted 40 years later by Orson Wells as a radio drama broadcast on Halloween in 1938. H.G. Welles comments “I’ve had a series of the most delightful experiences since I came to America,” but Orson Wells, says, “but the best thing that has happened so far is meeting my little namesake here, Orson Wells.” Their meeting was fortuitous: Both happened to be in San Antonio, Texas, just before Halloween, 1940, two years after Orson Welles adapted H.G. Welles’s novel. KTSA, a local radio station, brought them together into their studio for an interview. Charles C. Shaw the host, asked them to speak about the radio drama, which became notorious after many people listening to it believed it was not a radio drama at all but a news report. In the novel, Martians invade London; in the radio drama, they invade the United States — and Orson Wells, together with his Mercury Theatre team, presented the story as a series of “news bulletins” interrupting another radio programme to inform listeners of the horrible breaking news. H.G. Welles begins his brief remarks on the affair with a question: “Are you sure there was such a panic in America or wasn’t it your Halloween fun?” Orson Wells is cheered by this comment. “I think that’s the nicest thing that a man from England could possibly say about the man from Mars,” he says. Orson Wells then mentions the comments of Adolph Hitler, who claimed that the panic proved the decadence of democracies. “I think it’s very nice,” Orson Wells continues, “for Mr. Welles to say not only I didn’t mean it, but the American people didn’t mean it.” H.G. Welles says, “You aren’t quite serious in America,” Orson Wells responds. “You haven’t got the war right under your chins. And the consequence is you can still play with ideas of terror and conflict.” As it happens, H.G. Welles may have been right about the reaction to Orson Wells’ infamous radio play. Over that weekend, the BBC published a piece on their website by journalism professor W. Joseph Campbell arguing that the story of “The War of the Worlds” panic has always been exaggerated — and that newspapers may have been inclined to hype the panic as a way of discrediting radio. The conversation ends on a lighter note. “Before we get away from this microphone,” Orson Wells asks H.G. Welles, “tell me about this film of yours that you’ve been producing.” H.G. Welles says, “This is of course the kindest and most gracious thing to do, “Mr. Wells is making it possible for me to do what is spoken of in America as a plug.” “It’s a new sort of motion picture,” he adds. “If I don’t misunderstand you completely.” Orson Wells says, “I think there will be a lot of jolly good new noises in it.” H.G. Welles responds by saying, “I hope so.” What is also unique about this rare broadcast is that we get to hear the unique voice of the famous author H.G. Welles. While you listen to this Orson Wells and H.G. Welles radio broadcast interview, you have a black-and-white image of H.G. Welles.
Special Feature: George Pal [Audio only] [1970] [1080p] [1.78:1] [49:10] Here we get to hear an excerpt from a rare audio recording of George Pal at the Harold Lloyd Master Seminar at the American Film Institute on the 5th February, 1970. George Pal discusses his career and the use of special effects in his films and we also get to hear questions from the audience. Once again with this audio recording you get to view a colour artist impression of a scene from the film ‘THE WAR OF THE WORLDS.’
Theatrical Trailer [1953] [1080p] [1.37:1] [2:23] This is the Original Theatrical Trailer for the film ‘THE WAR OF THE WORLDS.’
BONUS: Fantastic new illustrated Blu-ray cover design by Patrick Leger. There are few illustrators around whose output improves with such steady consistency as Patrick Leger’s. The illustrator from North Carolina has long since perfected his own style of imagery that borrows from a golden age of illustration; of half-tone colour separations, swift but precisely-inked lines and chiselled jaws meeting furrowed brows. In spite of this he has no desire to rest on his laurels, instead striving for improvement and development in his use of colour, his development of character, the pacing of his narratives and the composition of his images. This combination of innate skill and seemingly endless perfectionism makes him (in my eyes at least) one of the finest illustrators out there today.
PLUS: Here we have a beautiful printed essay entitled SKY ON FIRE by the American film critic J. Hoberman and is also a journalist, author and academic and began working at “The Village Voice” in the 1970’s, and became a full-time staff writer in 1983, and was the newspaper's senior film critic from 1988 to 2012.
Finally, The Criterion Collection ultimate release of the film ‘THE WAR OF THE WORLDS’ and is packed with wonderful extras, including the wonderful Orson Welles’ iconic radio broadcast. But the star of the show may be is the documentary on the movie’s special effects, where experts Ben Burtt and Craig Barron break down how the Sci-Fi film was made, using archival materials from Paramount Pictures, and then painstakingly recreating a single shot from the film to figure out the stuff that wasn’t documented, and it is totally entertaining and also totally fascinating. Very Highly Recommended!
Andrew C. Miller – Your Ultimate No.1 Film Aficionado
Le Cinema Paradiso
United Kingdom
