The War of the Worlds. 1953. Directed by Byron Haskin

The War of the Worlds. 1953. USA. Directed by Byron Haskin. Screenplay by Barré Lyndon, based on the novel by H. G. Wells. With Gene Barry, Anne Robinson. 35 mm. 85 min. Byron Haskin’s The War of the Worlds is a hugely influential 1950s science fiction extravaganza for which the filmmakers reportedly allocated $1.4 million of a $2 million budget to special effects. Gene Barry and Anne Robinson dutifully lead the picture, but the real stars are the top-notch optical effects and miniature photography, rendered in vibrant Technicolor, that earned the film an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects and wowed audiences—including a seven-year-old Steven Spielberg.