Movie Review – When Worlds Collide (1951)

Try to imagine, just for a moment, that a star is racing across the galaxy and heading straight for Earth.

You only have eight months until the star arrives and destroys the planet.  If any part of humanity is to survive, then it’s going to require building rockets and trying to find a new home somewhere in space.

That’s basically the premise for When Worlds Collide, a classic 1950s science-fiction film depicting the end of the Earth and the struggle to try to save a small group of humans, plants and animals.  As the engineers build a rocket, they have to compete against not only the imminent destruction of Earth, but the catastrophic disasters caused by the arrival of the star as well as the anarchy and breakdown of civilization.

Directed by Rudolph Mate and produced by George Pal, When Worlds Collide stars Richard Derr as David Randall, a pilot caught in the middle of the chaos.  Co-starring in the film are Larry Keating as Dr. Cole Hendron, Barbara Rush as Joyce Hendron, the professor’s daughter, John Hoyt as Sydney Stanton, and Peter Hansen as Dr. Tony Drake, a physician in love with Joyce.

When Worlds Collide begins in South Africa as pilot David Randall (Richard Derr) arrives at an observatory.  Astronomer Dr. Emery Bronson (Hayden Rorke) has made a horrifying discovery, something that he simply doesn’t want to believe.  Dr. Bronson assigns Randall the task of carrying the information to Dr. Cole Hendron, his colleague and fellow astronomer living in the United States.  Randall doesn’t care about the task or the secret information, just how much he’s going to be paid to be a courier.  When talking about Randall’s pay for the task, Dr. Bronson hints that money really isn’t a concern any longer.

A briefcase containing the information is secured to Randall’s wrist, and he’s off on a series of connecting flights from South Africa to the United States.  A reporter has gotten word of Randall carrying secret information, and he tries several times to bribe Randall so that he can learn the information.  Randall refuses and he faithfully keeps the information locked in the briefcase.

After arriving in the U.S., David Randall is met at the airport by Joyce Hendron (Barbara Rush), professor Hendron’s daughter.  Randall is a bit of a womanizer and he flirts with Joyce during the ride to the observatory.  At the observatory Randall meets with Dr. Tony Drake (Peter Hansen) as well as Dr. Cole Hendron (Larry Keating).  Randall then turns the secret information over to Dr. Hendron, completing his mission from Dr. Bronson in South Africa.

Dr. Hendron and his technicians analyze Dr. Bronson’s data, running it through a computer and examining it over and over again.  The astronomer later holds a meeting and reveals the results of the data.  It turns out that Dr. Bronson discover a star named Bellus, a star significantly larger than the Sun.  The second discovery was a new planet named Zyra.  It’s determined that Zyra is revolving around Bellus more rapidly than the Earth revolves the Sun.

After more information is gathered, it’s realized that Bellus and Zyra are headed not only into our solar system, but straight towards planet Earth.  This won’t be just an innocent fly-by.  If the information is correct, the Earth itself is going to be destroyed.  Before the Earth is destroyed, the gravitational influences of Zyra will cause catastrophic destruction from tremendously powerful earthquakes to towering tsunamis of water, killing millions and millions of people before the planet itself is obliterated.  As the scientists are discussing whether or not this is likely to happen, the final computations from the computer arrive — “There is no error.”

Dr. Hendron takes his findings to the United Nations in New York City to warn the rest of the world what is about to happen.  On August 12th, just over eight months from that point, the Earth will be destroyed by the arrival of the star Bellus and its orbiting planet Zyra.  He believes that planet Zyra had once contained living matter, and it’s possible, only in theories, that the planet will be able to support life from Earth.  Dr. Hendron proposes the building of spaceships to carry humans and animals from Earth to planet Zyra.  It won’t save everybody, but it can save some people and give hope to the fate of humanity as a whole.

The astronomer’s warning isn’t taken seriously, and most of the delegates at the United Nations laugh at him.  The end of the world?  Flying people through space and beginning life again on a planet named Zyra?  Yeah, right.

However, not everybody in the world believes that Dr. Hendron is crazy or just seeking attention.  The astronomer receives financial contributions to help construct his spaceship, and he’s leased land on top of a mountain at a former proving ground.  Construction begins immediately on the rocket, but they’re still going to need more money in order to complete the rocket before the arrival of Bellus.

Sydney Stanton (John Hoyt) a wealthy industrialist now restricted to a wheelchair, offers to finance the remainder of the operation, but there’s a catch — Stanton himself wants to be able to choose which people are allowed to catch a ride on the rocket.  Dr. Hendron refuses as Stanton is being self-centered and he has no idea how to pick people who will best succeed at building and populating a new world.  He gives Stanton a counteroffer where the financial aid he contributes will instead purchase only himself a seat.  Stanton agrees, saving his own life from the fate of Bellus, and all attention is focused on finishing the rocket.

The basic plan for launching the rocket involves using a sled and rail system to roll the rocket down a long hill, picking up speed from the Earth’s gravity, and then using the rocket’s engines to push the rocket up a second hill and then off into outer space.  The key part is trying to save as much fuel as possible during launch so that the rocket can have a little bit more fuel for the flight to space and (hopefully) the landing on Zyra.

As the days quickly count down until the arrival of both Zyra and Bellus (remember that the Earth will first feel the effects of Zyra before being destroyed by Bellus), people franticly work on preparing the spaceship, the ark, for its flight.  Signs everywhere remind people that whatever they do, they are not to waste any time.  Time is their shortest material.  Preparation for the flight also includes the arrival of men and women who have volunteered for the space flight.  They all undergo medical screening to make sure that they are healthy.  However, there’s not enough room to carry all of the volunteers plus the workers as well.  To keep everybody focused on the task and optimistic about making the flight, it’s decided that basically a lottery system will be used to pick the passengers.  The people will not be picked until a day before the arrival of Bellus.

Sydney Stanton knows that as humanity accepts the reality of what’s about to happen, there’s going to be a breakdown in civilization.  People are going to revolt and do literally whatever it takes to reach this compound and board the rocket.  He has brought a small cache of weapons that will help fight off the masses.  Dr. Hendron doesn’t think that the precautions are necessary.  He believes that the people will stay calm and maintain social order even though their lives will quickly end.

Soon a love triangle develops with both David Randall and Tony Drake competing for the love of Joyce Hendron.  This causes some tension as she keeps finding reasons to keep Randall at the construction camp.

Government leaders take to the airwaves and warn their countries’ citizens about the arrival of planet Zyra.  It’s announced that at 1 pm on July 24th, the gravitational effects from Zyra will be felt on the Earth.  As a precaution, mass evacuations will be removing people from coastal areas and transporting them to the interior of the country.

July 24th arrives and people anxiously wait for 1 pm.  The hour arrives and nothing happens.  Sydney Stanton accuses Dr. Hendron of being a fraudster when the area is suddenly rocked by a strong earthquake.  All around the world volcanoes erupt, earthquakes rip apart the ground, tsunamis wipe out coastal cities, and fires destroy other structures.

Not even the site of the rocket is spared from destruction.  The rocket itself appears to have escaped from harm, but fires and other dangers are all around the complex.  Dr. Emery Bronson (he had arrived from South Africa to help with the construction of the rocket) is directing rescue operations when a crane falls and lands on him, killing the astronomer instantly.

The effects from Zyra diminish and the fires and other dangers at the compound are contained.  As the people resume the frantic work of preparing the rocket for its flight, Randall and Dr. Drake listen to radio calls from other people in the area desperately needing help.  They decide to take a helicopter and drop some medical supplies to the people in need.  While flying, they spot a recently orphaned boy, Mike (Rudy Lee), stranded on top of a roof and surrounded by flood water.  They rescue him and return with him back to the compound.

The days quickly pass and there’s a final push to finish constructing and loading the rocket before the arrival of Bellus.  Eleven days before the destruction of the Earth, Dr. Hendron holds a meeting where he announces which people have already been preselected for the rocket flight.  The people include himself, Sydney Stanton, Joyce Hendron, Dr. Tony Drake, David Randall, the little boy Mike, and the rocket’s pilot, Dr. George Frey.  For the rest of the available space, the key item of importance is that the more human cargo (weight), then the more fuel that will be required to make the flight to Zyra.  There’s only so much space for the passengers.  To make the selection of the rest of the passengers fair to everybody else, Dr. Hendron holds a lottery where each man and woman selects a token from a container.  A day before the flight it’ll be revealed which people have been selected in the lottery.

David Randall is surprised to hear his name announced.  He knows that he really doesn’t have any necessary skills for the mission, and that he was selected only for Joyce.  Randall refuses his seat and chooses to participate in the lottery, though Dr. Hendron confronts Randall and knows that Randall really didn’t select a token.  Randall doesn’t feel like he qualifies to go on the rocket, and him having a seat would mean that somebody more qualified would not be allowed to go.  He doesn’t want to live with that guilt.  Dr. Hendron maintains his thoughts that Randall deserves to go on the rocket because it would mean so much to Joyce.

More days pass and work finishes on the rocket.  The arrival of Bellus and the destruction of Earth is right around the corner.  You can feel the tension as people scramble to ensure that the rocket will be ready for its flight through space.  Dr. Drake discovers that George Frey has a medical condition and that the rocket will need a co-pilot as a precaution.  David Randall is chosen to co-pilot the rocket, giving him a seat and an essential part in the mission.

Lottery Day arrives and the men and women learn if they’ll be randomly selected to ride on the rocket and be spared from certain death.  Some people are joyous while others are saddened as they learn their fate.  A pair of young lovers realize that only one of them was selected for the flight.  When the young man gives up his winning token so that he can remain behind with his girlfriend, Harold Ferris (Frank Cady), Sydney Stanton’s long-abused assistant, uses the opportunity to take the token at gunpoint.  Before he can get away with the winning token Sydney shoots and kills Ferris with a gun that he had hidden on his wheelchair.

Stanton uses the example of Ferris as how the rest of the people are going to strike back and attack.  It’s decided that Stanton’s warning cannot be ignored.  The women are quickly loaded inside of the rocket along with the caged animals and the rest of the supplies.  The men will wait outside of the rocket until it’s time to launch it tomorrow.

Conditions on Earth rapidly deteriorate the next day as Bellus finally arrives.  The men who were not selected for the flight revolt.  They break into the armory, grab the stockpile of rifles, and then launch an attack against the launch pad.  As they try to fight their way to the rocket, the rest of the passengers are loaded into the rocket.  Dr. Hendron waits with a very impatient Sydney Stanton while the rocket is loaded.  Stanton quickly realizes that he was betrayed by Hendron as he’s forcibly kept away from the rocket.  Stanton tries to stand and walk to the rocket, but he can only watch as the hatch is closed and the rocket begins rolling away on the sled, leaving him behind on doomed Earth.  Hendron has chosen to sacrifice himself and Stanton so that the rocket will have just a little bit more fuel to reach planet Zyra.

The rocket uses the sled to slide down the railing and pick up speed from the Earth’s gravity.  It then hits the uphill part and ignites its engines, pushing it up the next hill and into the atmosphere.  The sled falls back to the ground as the rocket flies up through the atmosphere and away from Earth.  The passengers black out from the high g-forces of the rocket, and they’re unaware as Bellus destroys planet Earth.

When Randall awakens, he discovers that Frey is alert and safely piloting the rocket.  He realizes that he was fooled into going on the mission.  Drake admits that Frey really didn’t have any medical problems, and that Randall’s placement on the rocket was for his benefit as well as that of Joyce.

The rocket soon arrives at Zyra and uses the last of its fuel to slow down.  They exhaust their fuel supply and David Randall is forced to fly and land the rocket without any power.  He guides the rocket down to an icy mountain and they make a rough landing.  The rocket remains intact and everybody survives the trip.  When Randall opens the hatch he discovers that the air is breathable.

When Worlds Collide ends as the passengers get their first real look at planet Zyra, their new home.  Thankfully, Zyra is a lush world with breathable air, lots of water, and plenty of vegetation.

So is the sci-fi doomsday movie When Worlds Collide any good?

Yes!

In the dawn of the classic science-fiction films from the 1950s, When Worlds Collide is a winner!  This film has it all from a doomsday scenario to massive destruction on Earth to a rocket carrying the last slivers of humanity to a new home on a new planet.  On top of that, despite this film being from 1951, the special effects are pretty interesting.

When watching 1950s sci-fi films like When Worlds Collide, you have to remember that at that point in time space flight was more of a fantasy than a reality.  This first artificial wouldn’t successfully be launched until 1957.  The first man didn’t reach space until 1961.  So for films like When Worlds Collide, all of the ideas of rockets and space flight were from the minds of engineers and fantasy artists.  It was a world of theories about space travel rather than being based on actual accomplishes.

As far as this movie, When Worlds Collide is an entertaining film from start to finish.  Yes, it has some flaws and some special effects issues (such as the cartoony look to Zyra, or the ridiculously cheap “space suits” that the people wear in the rocket), but this is still a nifty little movie in the end.  It’s easy to see how the concepts and ideas shown in this movie would have such a lasting impact on science-fiction books and movies today.

When Worlds Collide (1951) – movie trailer

When Worlds Collide is the grandfather of disaster and end-of-the-world films.  If you enjoy movies like that, and/or love classic science-fiction movies, then When Worlds Collide is definitely a movie for you.  This one is well worth your time.