When Worlds Collide (1951)

When a noted scientist (Larry Keating) announces that Earth is in the direct path of a rogue star and an inevitable collusion will destroy the planet, other scientists and the government are skeptical. To this end, he accepts private funding from a selfish but wealthy industrialist (John Hoyt) to build a spaceship that will take a small group of people to a new planet and rebuild civilization. Based on the novel by Philip Wylie and Edwin Balmer, produced by George Pal and directed by Rudolph Mate. This ambitious sci-fi classic was intended to have a bigger budget and a more A list cast but it is what it is and what Pal has given us is pretty impressive except for a lackluster finale. The special effects are first rate, certainly for its day but they hold up pretty well. It's not the kind of film where the acting matters much so we're stuck with two dull leading men (Richard Derr, Peter Hansen) though the object of their affection Barbara Rush lends a pleasant presence that would continue to make her one of the more appealing actresses of 1950s cinema. The best performance comes from Hoyt, who makes a perfectly despicable "villain". Some of the religious undertone is annoying however. With Hayden Rorke, Stuart Whitman and Kasey Rogers.