Google Ads
Login | Sign Up

When Worlds Collide (1951)

Director(s) Rudolph Maté
Producer(s) Cecil B. DeMille (uncredited), George Pal
Top Genres Adventure, Fantasy, Science Fiction
More Films Directed by Rudolph Maté More Films Produced by George Pal More Films from 1951 More Films from the 1950s Top Classic Movies of the 1950s

When Worlds Collide Overview:

When Worlds Collide (1951) was a Science Fiction - Adventure Film directed by Rudolph Maté and produced by Cecil B. DeMille and George Pal.

SYNOPSIS

A Pal-produced, special-effects and science-fiction feast has a rogue planet hurtling through space toward Earth. Only a rich industrialist takes action, commissioning a spaceship to carry him to a new world. But who will be among the 40 allowed onboard? The craft rises just as tidal waves wipe out New York and the planet begins to break up.

(Source: available at Amazon AMC Classic Movie Companion).

Academy Awards 1951 --- Ceremony Number 24 (source: AMPAS)

AwardRecipientResult
Best CinematographyJohn F. Seitz, W. Howard GreeneNominated
See More Oscar Winners

When Worlds Collide BlogHub Articles:

Monsters and Matinees: When worlds collide, moviegoers love to watch

By Toni Ruberto on May 13, 2023 From Classic Movie Hub Blog

It’s 1910 and the world is in a panic. Halley’s Comet is on its way, and people are terrified. They buy gas masks to save themselves from poisonous fumes and take anti-comet pills for protection from other bad things. They pray in the streets and seek shelter in caves. The comet comes ... Read full article

THE END OF THE WORLD BLOGATHON: When Worlds Collide (1951)

on Mar 30, 2018 From Caftan Woman

The Midnite Drive-In and MovieMovieBlogBlog are cheerfully hosting The End of the World Blogathon running from March 30th to April 1st. After that...who knows? Click HERE if you dare. George Pal (1908-1980) The creative mind and artistic talent of George Pal gave us the Oscar-winning Puppet... Read full article

THE END OF THE WORLD BLOGATHON: When Worlds Collide (1951)

on Mar 30, 2018 From Caftan Woman

The Midnite Drive-In and MovieMovieBlogBlog are cheerfully hosting The End of the World Blogathon running from March 30th to April 1st. After that...who knows? Click HERE if you dare. George Pal (1908-1980) The creative mind and artistic talent of George Pal gave us the Oscar-winning Puppeto... Read full article

When Worlds Collide (1951)

By Beatrice on Aug 25, 2015 From Flickers in Time

When Worlds Collide Directed by Rudolph Maté Written by Sydney Boehm from a novel by Edwin Balmer and Philip wylie 1951/USA Paramount Pictures First viewing/Amazon Instant I was looking forward to this for the special effects.  Unfortunately I did not find them convincing even for the period. A... Read full article

The Criminal Code (1931) and Convicted (1950): When Worlds Collide

By shadowsandsatin on Jul 17, 2011 From Shadows and Satin

Every now and then, the worlds of Pre-Code and film noir have more in common than we might think. The films The Criminal Code and Convicted are a prime example. Here’s more about these two features: The 1950 film noir Convicted, starring Glenn Ford as a brokerage-firm worker imprisoned after accid... Read full article

See More When Worlds Collide Articles

When Worlds Collide Quotes:

Joyce Hendron: He'll be home the day after tomorrow.
Sydney Stanton: All right. I'm in here safe and sound. Go outside and read the magazines.
Sydney Stanton: It's dog eat dog - the law of the jungle!
Sydney Stanton: Your salvation doesn't interest me; mine does.
David Randall: Here it is: money to burn!
See More Quotes from When Worlds Collide
When Worlds Collide Facts
The rights to the story by Philip Wylie and Edwin Balmer were originally bought in 1933 by Paramount, when director 'Cecil B. deMille' was planning a related project called "The End of the World." DeMille had hoped to rush the project into production after filming wrapped on This Day and Age, but the script was never even written and the studio scrapped the project.
First film of Rachel Ames (as Judith Ames).
There is a shot toward the end of a group of people sitting around a country store listening to the radio. Among them the little boy and dog later rescued by helicopter. The same shot shows up in The War of the Worlds
In the final shot we see the Ark passengers disembarking with an obvious painted background depicting Zyra. This bad painting was tacked on for the film's sneak previews. Originally, producer George Pal wanted to depict Zyra as a miniature set, but Paramount shipped the film out before this could be done.
George Pal wanted to film the novel's sequel, "After Worlds Collide," which depicted the struggle of human survivors on the alien planet. However, the failure of his film Conquest of Space badly damaged his career and the sequel was never made.
See More Facts about When Worlds Collide >>