Movies

TheBlackAdder

(29,710 posts) Sun Sep 28, 2025, 02:50 AM Yesterday

16 WEIRD Facts About War of the Worlds (1953) You NEVER Knew!

Imagine kicking off one of the boldest sci-fi films of all time… only to find out you don’t even have the legal right to make it. That’s how chaotic the production of War of the Worlds (1953) really was. Behind the Martian heat rays and city-crushing war machines was a story of lawsuits, accidents, censorship battles, and desperate last-minute fixes that could’ve buried the movie before it ever reached theaters.

This wasn’t just a simple adaptation of H.G. Wells’ classic. It was a rollercoaster of blown budgets, bizarre special effects tricks, and risky stunts that nearly cooked the crew alive.

So buckle up — these are 12 shocking, weird, and downright unbelievable facts about War of the Worlds

I loved watching this movie as a kid and still love it today. It gave a few nights of me sleeping with an eye open.

6 replies

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16 WEIRD Facts About War of the Worlds (1953) You NEVER Knew! (Original Post) TheBlackAdder Yesterday OP

My opinion...... Lovie777 Yesterday #1

My Grandmother was a sci-fi fan. markodochartaigh Yesterday #2

The War of the Worlds on October 30, 1938. SalamanderSleeps Yesterday #3

To add, It took weeks to convince people to come back to their houses. SalamanderSleeps Yesterday #4

I became aware how much religion the writers and director put into this version. Number9Dream 16 hrs ago #5

This is the first movie that actually scared me. IrishAfricanAmerican 13 hrs ago #6

Lovie777

(20,481 posts)

1. My opinion......

Reply to TheBlackAdder (Original post)

Sun Sep 28, 2025, 03:05 AM

Yesterday

Last edited Sun Sep 28, 2025, 07:23 AM - Edit history (1)

one of the best sci fi movies. For that time, the special effects were pretty good. The concept was very good, the end was top of the line.

markodochartaigh

(4,162 posts)

2. My Grandmother was a sci-fi fan.

Reply to TheBlackAdder (Original post)

Sun Sep 28, 2025, 03:24 AM

Yesterday

I remember watching this with her in the mid 60's. We really enjoyed it.
There was a tv series in the late 80's called War of the Worlds. The first season was pretty good, but the second season seemed almost to be a different series entirely and it was cancelled.

SalamanderSleeps

(932 posts)

3. The War of the Worlds on October 30, 1938.

Reply to TheBlackAdder (Original post)

Sun Sep 28, 2025, 03:53 AM

Yesterday

We are going to be OK.

People all over the world sing "Happy Birthday."

No one can take this away from us.

SalamanderSleeps

(932 posts)

4. To add, It took weeks to convince people to come back to their houses.

Reply to SalamanderSleeps (Reply #3)

Sun Sep 28, 2025, 04:06 AM

Yesterday

Trump washes his face with this kind of stuff.

Number9Dream

(1,837 posts)

5. I became aware how much religion the writers and director put into this version.

Reply to TheBlackAdder (Original post)

Sun Sep 28, 2025, 04:58 PM

16 hrs ago

I've always appreciated the great special effects (for the time) in this movie. By my twenties, I became aware how much religion the writers and director put into this version. In H.G. Wells's novel, there is little or no religion like in the 1953 film.

"Wells's views on God and religion changed over his lifetime. Early in his life, he distanced himself from Christianity, and later from theism; finally, late in life, he was essentially atheistic."

"Wells's opposition to organized religion reached a fever pitch in 1943 with publication of his book Crux Ansata."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H._G._Wells

IrishAfricanAmerican

(4,327 posts)

6. This is the first movie that actually scared me.

Reply to TheBlackAdder (Original post)

Sun Sep 28, 2025, 07:33 PM

13 hrs ago

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