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