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1951 Movie When Worlds Collide

David Randall is a carefree ladies man and skilled pilot who finds he has been let in on the greatest and most terrible secret in the world when he is paid to deliver some mysterious pictures from one eminent astronomer to another.

The story begins at a remote observatory in South Africa where the astronomer, Dr. Emery Bronson discovers that two “heavenly bodies” are on a collision course with Earth. One, called Zyra will pass close enough to wreak havoc on land and sea, while the other, called Bellus will actually strike the planet and destroy it days later.

Dave Randall, a stereotypical leather flight jacket wearing pilot who is always on the hunt for a beautiful dame is paid to deliver some mysterious pictures from one eminent astronomer to another and is blissfully unaware of the bad news he is to be carrying.

“Money doesn’t mean anything now. Time is all that matters!” The secret data must be taken at once to Professor Hendron in New York for corroboration on the Differential Analyzer, a fifties version of the computer.

Randall makes his way to New York with newspaper reporters pursuing him as he goes with bribes for the contents of his handcuffed attache case.

1951 Movie When Worlds Collide Newspapers

Arriving at the New York airport Professor Hendron’s daughter Joyce awaits him. A final newspaperman has offered Randall $5,000.00 for the secret of attache case handcuffed to him. But Dave takes one look at Joyce and like a starving man eying a sirloin steak tells the reporter, “No thanks, I’m working on a better offer!”

While in a taxi, on their way to meet Joyce’s father Randall manages to coax out of the trusting Joyce, that the end of the world is upon them.

After Randall delivers the mysterious attache case he cleverly lets on that he knows what it is all about and is allowed to stay while Dr. Hendron analyzes Dr. Bronson’s data, with the assistance of his daughter Joyce. Using the “Differential Analyzer” (an old-fashioned analog computer) they confirm the trajectories of Bellus and Zyra.

Dr. Hendron confers with other scientists and world leaders and asks them to build rockets to ferry as many people, animals and plants as possible away from the doomed Earth and to a new home on Zyra. However, the findings fall on deaf ears, except for the aging, wheelchair-bound millionaire Sydney Stanton, who agrees to fund the building of a single rocket that can take 44 passengers as long as he has a seat.

1951 Movie When Worlds Collide Evacuate!

A small group of scientists led by Professor Hendron plan and build a space ship that will leave Earth just before Bellus hits and travel to Zyra, which, it is calculated, will be captured by the sun’s gravitational pull and settle in to Earth’s old orbit.

The plan is to transport enough people, animals and equipment to Zyra in an attempt to save the human race. Around the world nations including the United States evacuate their coastal regions in preparation for Zyra’s pass near earth. Tides reach heights of hundreds of meters, volcanic eruptions and earthquakes take their deadly toll, and the weather runs wild for more than two days.

1951 Movie When Worlds Collide Rocket Construction

The isolated Hendron camp manages to build the spaceship which will use a mile-long ramp with a rocket booster to help it escape the earths gravity. On day zero after beating off an attack from those who are being left behind, and as the Earth is being destroyed, the spaceship starts gliding down its mile-long ramp and then upwards into space.

To learn how this film ends you will have to watch the movie. Or
I want to know how the story ends.

1951 Movie When Worlds Collide Destruction of NY

Note: When Worlds Collide is not in the Public Domain therefore it can not be streamed from this website.

Background:

When Worlds Collide was based on a 1933 science fiction novel co-written by Philip Wylie and Edwin Balmer. Both men also co-authored the sequel After Worlds Collide (1934). When Worlds Collide was first published as a six-part monthly serial (September 1932 – February 1933) in Blue Book magazine, illustrated by Joseph Franke. George Pal originally planned to produce the sequel story as a movie but was unable to get film studio support.

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Review:

George Pal gave us a convincing story with reasonably good FX which was state of the art in 1951. In the face of doomsday the full range of human nature is displayed by a good cast. Despite the now dated special effects, this film still has a better story than many of todays big budget films.

When Worlds Collide was a study of individuals under stress with human flaws, corruption and bravery with an acceptance of the inevitable. It is also about the value and sanctity of human life.

The novel on which this film is based is more superior. The book discusse in more detail the technical difficulties involved in the evacuation from Earth and the reseeding of the human race on another planet. That said, When Worlds Collide has stood the test of a half-century and is still touching and enjoyable.

There are some pre-production plans to do a remaking of When Worlds Collide to air probably around 2012 or 2013. I hope that the planned remake of When Worlds Collide makes it’s way to the big screen. With today’s technology, a much better version than George Pal’s could be made. I personally hope that we will be able to get the sequel book made into a movie as well. Of the two books After Worlds Collide is my favorite and would bring the story to a logical conclusion.

Cast
Richard Derr – David Randall
Barbara Rush – Joyce Hendron
Peter Hansen – Dr. Tony Drake
John Hoyt – Sydney Stanton
Larry Keating – Dr. Cole Hendron
Rachel Ames – Julie Cummings (as Judith Ames)
Alden ‘Stephen’ Chase – Dr. George Frye (as Stephen Chase)
Frank Cady – Harold Ferris
Hayden Rorke – Dr. Emery Bronson
Sandro Giglio – Dr. Ottinger

Kirk Alyn … Rioter Bringing Guns (uncredited)
Paul Frees … Narrator / U.S. President (voice) (uncredited)
James Seay … Donovan, New York Sentinel Reporter (uncredited)

Publication Source:
Philip Wylie, novel
Edwin Balmer, novel

Production Credits:
Director – Rudolph Mate
Screen Writer – Sydney Boehm

Awards:
1952 Academy Award Oscar Best Effects, Special Effects
1952 Academy Award Nominated Best Cinematography, Color, John F. Seitz, W. Howard Greene

List of Space Travel Movies Episodes: