| With all the talk about the remake of the H.G. Wells | | | | planet.Of course that miracle came. In the climax of |
| classic "War Of The Worlds", it may be a good time | | | | the movie while Gene Barry is frantically running |
| to revisit the original movie from the late | | | | through the streets looking for Sylvia Van Buren, |
| 50s.Whether you are a fan of the original, or the | | | | played by Ann Robinson, the Martians are pretty |
| remake, or both, one thing many people don't realize | | | | much blasting up the city. It's a miracle in itself that |
| is that neither movie version is really anything like the | | | | Barry, playing Dr. Clayton Forrester, isn't blasted to |
| book. For that experience you would have to listen | | | | kingdom come. But somehow he makes his way to |
| to the Orson Wells broadcast with the Mercury | | | | the church where he just happens to find Sylvia. Just |
| Theater from the 30s. That was a rendition that | | | | as the Martian war machine approaches the church |
| stayed very true to the book.In all fairness to the | | | | and is about to blast it into next Tuesday, suddenly |
| movies, the book version would not have played | | | | everything stops. The machines start dropping, not |
| very well in theaters. Most of the book focused on | | | | only all over the city, but all over the world.What |
| two men simply trying to survive the attack from | | | | happened?Good old mother nature, that's what. It |
| Mars. There was very little action, outside of the | | | | turns out that the Earth's bacteria was too much for |
| scattered radio reports they were receiving about | | | | the Martians and they started dropping like flies. The |
| attacks from the Martians all over the world. | | | | Earth, at least for now, was saved.The movie had |
| Watching two men discuss the fate of the world and | | | | some good special effects for 1953 and the climax |
| what they were going to do probably would not | | | | was very exciting. But for the most part a lot of the |
| have gone over very big with theater audiences. So | | | | movie was pretty corny and the overacting at times |
| the original movie focused more on the actual attack | | | | was hilarious. But if you were a kid growing up during |
| itself.In the movie, Gene Barry plays the scientist | | | | the time, this was a movie that you just loved |
| who happens to get caught in the middle of all this | | | | watching, with all its flaws.It should be pointed out |
| mayhem, constantly trying to warn the military that | | | | that the news reporter who was commenting on the |
| their weapons were no match for the Martian war | | | | events of the day was one of the greatest TV |
| machines. Of course the military doesn't listen and | | | | voices of all time, that of Paul Frees. He was also the |
| throws everything at the Martians, to no avail. Finally | | | | opening narrator. Frees did a lot of classic science |
| they drop the atomic bomb on them. Even that did | | | | fiction during the 50s. Just hearing him, regardless of |
| no good whatsoever. The Earth was headed for | | | | the part, was worth the price of admission. |
| certain destruction. Only a miracle could save our | | | | |