When Worlds Collide (1951): Cast & Plot
When Worlds Collide is a 1951 sci-fi film directed by Rudolph Maté, starring Richard Derr as David Randall, Hayden Rorke and Larry Keating. It runs 1 hour 23 minutes.
- Released
- Runtime
- 1h 23m (83 min)
- Director
- Rudolph Maté
- Genre
- Sci-Fi
- Original language
-
English - Studio
- Paramount Pictures
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
What Is When Worlds Collide About?
The premise of When Worlds Collide without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
After astronomers determine that a star is on a collision course with Earth, they realize its companion planet will sweep past the planet days earlier, wreaking chaos on both land and sea. Racing against time, they construct a rocket to transport a select few to the approaching world, hoping to survive the catastrophe.
When Worlds Collide Themes & Keywords
· 50 tags- planet
- astronomer
- radio
- radiogram
- radiograph
- bus
- doubt
- fire truck
- liftoff
- new york city
- spaceflight
- timetable
+38 more Show fewer
- taxi
- psychotronic film
- pretty woman
- low budget sci fi movie
- humanity in jeopardy
- space sci fi
- 1950s
- doomsday
- reference to noah's ark
- manhattan new york city
- times square manhattan new york city
- outer space
- college student
- top secret
- special effects
- social differences
- sheep
- selfishness
- schedule
- panic
- nightclub
- matte painting
- lottery
- humanitarian
- heart condition
- goat
- dog
- doctor
- delegate
- deadline
- dance band
- customs
- constellation
- computer
- block and tackle
- biblical quote
- biblical passage
- ambassador
When Worlds Collide Cast & Characters
Richard Derr leads the cast as David Randall, with Hayden Rorke as Dr. Emery Bronson and Larry Keating as Dr. Cole Hendron. Directed by Rudolph Maté; 21 actors are credited in all.
- Director Rudolph Maté
- Richard Derr as David Randall
- Hayden Rorke as Dr. Emery Bronson
- Larry Keating as Dr. Cole Hendron
- Barbara Rush as Joyce Hendron
Also Starring in When Worlds Collide
· 17 more- John Hoyt Sydney Stanton
- Peter Hansen Dr. Tony Drake
- Stephen Chase Dr. George Frye
- Frank Cady Harold Ferris
- Paul Frees Narrator/U.S. President (voice)
- Gertrude Astor Traveler (uncredited)
- Mary Murphy Student
- Kirk Alyn Rioter Bringing Guns (uncredited)
- Estelle Etterre Traveler (uncredited)
- Gene Collins Newsdealer (uncredited)
- Marcel De La Brosse Headwaiter (uncredited)
- Sandro Giglio Dr. Ottinger
- James Congdon Eddie Garson (uncredited)
- Edna Smith
- Rachel Ames Julie Cummings
- Gay Nelson Leda (uncredited)
Show all 21 cast members Show fewer cast members
- Robert Chapman Student (uncredited)
More from Rudolph Maté
More films directed by Rudolph Maté: Aliki My Love, Seven Seas to Calais, The 300 Spartans and The Barbarians.
When Worlds Collide Plot Summary
What happens in When Worlds Collide from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 12 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 3-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
Opening with Genesis quotes that set a grim frame, the film follows David Randall, a pilot who carries top-secret photographs from South African astronomer Dr. Emery Bronson Hayden Rorke to the United States. There, Dr. Cole Hendron is confronted by the alarming news: Bronson has detected a rogue star named Bellus and an Earth-sized neighbor planet named Zyra hurtling toward collision with Earth. Hendron, aided by his daughter, Joyce Hendron Barbara Rush, concludes that time is dangerously short—roughly eight months until Zyra’s close pass and then Bellus’s following impact would end civilization as we know it. The stakes are existential, and Hendron pleads for a plan to save humanity by building arks large enough to ferry a select group to Zyra in a faint hope of survival.
Full summary
The whole story of When Worlds Collide, scene by scene
When Worlds Collide Trailers & Videos
2 videos: 2 trailers.
- Trailer When Worlds Collide ≣ 1951 ≣ Trailer
How Well Do You Know When Worlds Collide?
10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.
Question 1 of 10
- Question 1: not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
- Question 4: not answered
- Question 5: not answered
- Question 6: not answered
- Question 7: not answered
- Question 8: not answered
- Question 9: not answered
- Question 10: not answered
Which pilot carries the top‑secret photographs from South Africa to the United States?
Cars in When Worlds Collide
15 cars on screen, including the 1948 Dodge B-Series and the Flxible Clipper.
-
1948 Dodge B-Series Minor role -
Flxible Clipper Minor role -
1940 Mack L-Series Minor role -
Caterpillar D-Series Background role
When Worlds Collide Also Known As
14 alternative titles, including “O Fim do Mundo” and “Cuando los mundos chocan”.
- Also known as
-
- O Fim do Mundo
- Cuando los mundos chocan
- 行星撞地球
- Le Choc des mondes
- Der jüngste Tag
- Quando i mondi si scontrano
- Világok összeütközése
- Οι Τελευταίες Στιγμές της Γης
- Verdens undergang
- Когда сталкиваются миры
- El día del juicio final
- Сблъсък на светове
+2 more Show fewer
- 当世界毁灭时
- 세계가 충돌할 때
Seen When Worlds Collide?
Movies Like When Worlds Collide
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including The Day the Sky Exploded, World Without End and War Between the Planets.
-
The Day the Sky Exploded 1958 -
World Without End 1956 -
War Between the Planets 1966 -
The Lost Missile 1958 -
Doomsday Machine 1972 -
End of the World 1977 -
Armageddon 1998 -
The World, the Flesh and the Devil 1959 -
The War of the Worlds 2019 -
Final Days of Planet Earth 2006 -
Warning from Space 1956 -
H.G. Wells’ War of the Worlds 2005
When Worlds Collide FAQ: Cast, Runtime & Release Date
Runtime, release date, director, cast and post-credit scenes of When Worlds Collide, each answered in a sentence.
How long is When Worlds Collide?
When Worlds Collide runs 1 hour 23 minutes (83 minutes).
When was When Worlds Collide released?
When Worlds Collide was released on September 14, 1951.
Who directed When Worlds Collide?
When Worlds Collide was directed by Rudolph Maté.
More films by Rudolph Maté Who is in the cast of When Worlds Collide?
When Worlds Collide stars Richard Derr as David Randall, Hayden Rorke as Dr. Emery Bronson and Larry Keating as Dr. Cole Hendron, among 21 credited actors.
Does When Worlds Collide have a post-credit scene?
No. When Worlds Collide has no extra scene during or after the credits.
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