When Worlds Collide

A body is moving toward Earth and the calculations allow one conclusion: the planet will be destroyed. Unable to convince governments, the scientists have a rocket built with private money, and a lottery decides who boards it. The most interesting element is not the catastrophe but how the aftermath gets planned: who is chosen, who is left, and whether the man paying for it has bought himself a seat. That argument became the template for every disaster film that followed. George Pal produced, and the result was ambitious for the effects available at the time. It won the Oscar for best special effects. Rudolph Mate directed. Its flaws: the characters are thin, the romance is unnecessary, and the closing matte painting now looks plainly like a painting. The dialogue exists mostly to deliver information. Who it is for: viewers curious about 1950s science fiction and the origins of the disaster film. Who it is not for: anyone expecting convincing effects and character depth.