The War of the Worlds (1953 film) The War of the Worlds (1953 film) The War of the Worlds (also known in promotional material as H. G. Wells' The War of the Worlds) is a 1953 American Technicolor science fiction drama film from Paramount Pictures, produced by George Pal, directed by Byron Haskin, and starring Gene Barry and Ann Robinson. The film is a loose adaptation of the novel of the same name by H. G. Wells, the first of five film adaptations. It is a modern retelling of the 1897 novel, changing the setting from Victorian Era England to 1953 southern California. Earth is suddenly and
The War of the Worlds (1953 film) by biological means. Steven Spielberg's 2005 "War of the Worlds", although an adaptation of the original Wells novel, does feature several references to the original film: Gene Barry and Ann Robinson have cameo appearances near the end, and the invading aliens have three-fingered hands but are depicted as reptile-like, three-legged walking tripods. There is also a long, snake-like alien camera probe deployed by the invaders in much the same manner as in the 1953 film. "Mystery Science Theater 3000" named one of its lead characters, the mad scientist Dr. Clayton Forrester, as a homage to the 1953 film. In 2004,