When Worlds Collide (1951) Richard Derr, Barbara Rush, Peter Hansen, John Hoyt, Larry Keating, Rachel Ames Movie Review

When Worlds Collide (1951)   3/53/53/53/53/5


Barbara Rush and Richard Derr in When Worlds Collide (1951)

The Day After Bellus for the 100

Bush pilot and flagrant ladies ma David Randall (Richard Derr) finds himself transporting a mysterious package from one scientist to another. The package contains images and data surrounding an observation of the star Bellus as it seems like it is on a collision course with Earth with there being a year till impact is expected. Whilst various governments think it is utter hokum a pair of millionaire philanthropists fund plans to build a giant rocket ship in order to take a group of people to a planet called Zyra in the hope it is will be habitable by mankind. But also involved in the project is Sydney Stanton, an elderly, wheel chair bound millionaire who despite not being a suitable candidate to be a passenger insists on having place on the rocket in exchange for extra funding. Whilst this is all going on David finds himself having fallen for Joyce (Barbara Rush) the daughter of the lead scientist except she is already engaged.

Watching "When Worlds Collide" I couldn't but help think that maybe this is a movie which influenced the directors of the last few days when it came to their updates on the classic doomsday, disaster scenario. As such whilst we might not be getting global warning as the catalyst for some impending doom various scenarios which appear in this sci-fi movie from 1951 sound a little familiar. And none more so than the whole update on Noah's ark as we have attempts to build ark like rockets to take a select group of survivors to another planet. But we see how this is not only a race against time but a race against the destruction of minor disasters such as a falling.

When Worlds Collide (1951)

But "When Worlds Collide" is not just about the race against time to survive as it also features a human factor from wheelchair bound Sydney Stanton basically buying his chance of survival to the simmering tension between David and Tony who is Joyce's fiancee and is threatened by the fact Joyce clearly has thing for him. There is also a look at the tension which comes from when it is time to choose those who will have seats on a rocket. As I said I can see how "When Worlds Collide" has influenced a lot of sci-fi since and that includes TV shows such as "The 100".

The thing is that whilst it might have been exciting to an audience back in 1951 "When Worlds Collide" doesn't quite achieve the same now. In fact whilst there is the drama of the countdown in days and then hours as well as some nice illustrated effects this ends up more interesting in how it has influenced movies since.

What this all boils down to is that "When Worlds Collide" is enjoyable as a sci-fi/ doomsday movie but now it is interesting to see how it has influenced sci-fi movies since when it comes to story ideas.


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