When Worlds Collide
Science Fiction
Paramount Pictures  (1951) 82 mins G

6.7 (1,934 votes)
An Impending Collision With A Runaway Star Signals The Destruction Of Earth.

The government refuses to listen to scientists, but private industrialists finance the building of a spaceship, which will carry a limited number of people to another planet to begin a new civilization. As doomsday approaches, they race against time and the panic of those who will be left behind. The potential pulverizing impact of the collision, the massive tidal waves and devastating earthquakes, and the final cosmic smashup make a chilling panorama of disaster. The balance between human and planetary drama is excellently maintained as the movie builds to its fascinating, unforgettable climax....

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Cast and Crew
John Hoyt  ......  Sydney Stanton
Barbara Rush  ......  Joyce Hendron
Judith Ames  ...... 
Hayden Rorke  ......  Dr. Emery Bronson
Stephen Chase  ...... 
Larry Keating  ......  Dr. Cole Hendron, Astronomer at Cosmos Observatory
Director  .....  Rudoplh Mate; Rudolph Maté
Producer  .....  George Pal; Cecil B. DeMille
Writer  .....  Sydney Boehm; Edwin Balmer
Notes
Goofs:
Continuity: Joyce is wearing only one earring when she and Randall are riding in the taxi. (more)

Trivia:
The rocket was designed by space artist Chesley Bonestell. (more)

Quotes:
[first lines]
Narrator: [spoken over a shot of outer space] Needles in a heavenly haystack. There are more stars in the heavens than there are human beings on Earth. Through telescopes men of science constantly search the infinitesimal corners of our solar system seeking new discoveries, hoping to better understand the laws of the Universe. Observatories dedicated to the study of astronomy are set in high and remote places, but there is none more remote than Mt. Kenna Observatory in this part of South Africa.
(more)

Awards:
Won Oscar. Another 1 nomination (more)