With all of its shortcomings I love this excellent little film, always have. I first saw it on UK ITV when a kid in the late 1960's - during one of the ad breaks an announcer had to advise viewers not to panic as it was only a coincidence (apparently) that its given date of August 12th Doomsday was also the date it was being screened. And that the film was entirely fictitious. I've always found it incredible that some people could still be so credulous in the '60's and that it appears the opposite is usually true nowadays.
Two rogue planets are discovered to be on a close pass/collision course with Earth, dedicated scientist-brains lead dedicated teams to plan and build rocket to hopefully transport and save a few lucky surviving humans to the new world. Laid out in a typical Hollywood soap opus style with an icky love story and oodles of self-sacrifice in the face of impending hideous mass death it still grips - it's open simplicity saves it from being either a cornfest or boring. Although it's been dated for over 40 years it's still interesting for its procession of stereotypical people and emotions and the range of allegorical situations presented. With but a single moralisation stemming from the two jealous love rivals, boxes of urgent medical supplies are flown to a stranded group of people that everyone including us know are all going to be incinerated in a few days. But overall dog eat dog after all. I always hope classy heroine Barbara Rush will scream in horror directly at the camera as she did later in It Came From Outer Space but no such luck in here. Hunky hero Richard Derr never looked more like Danny Kaye.
I think the special effects won an Oscar in 1951 ... um, time has taken its usual toll – however it's still an essential sci-fi film to watch, especially if you're into the (history of the) genre.
Two rogue planets are discovered to be on a close pass/collision course with Earth, dedicated scientist-brains lead dedicated teams to plan and build rocket to hopefully transport and save a few lucky surviving humans to the new world. Laid out in a typical Hollywood soap opus style with an icky love story and oodles of self-sacrifice in the face of impending hideous mass death it still grips - it's open simplicity saves it from being either a cornfest or boring. Although it's been dated for over 40 years it's still interesting for its procession of stereotypical people and emotions and the range of allegorical situations presented. With but a single moralisation stemming from the two jealous love rivals, boxes of urgent medical supplies are flown to a stranded group of people that everyone including us know are all going to be incinerated in a few days. But overall dog eat dog after all. I always hope classy heroine Barbara Rush will scream in horror directly at the camera as she did later in It Came From Outer Space but no such luck in here. Hunky hero Richard Derr never looked more like Danny Kaye.
I think the special effects won an Oscar in 1951 ... um, time has taken its usual toll – however it's still an essential sci-fi film to watch, especially if you're into the (history of the) genre.