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Movie review: Novel adaptation When Worlds Collide, prototype disaster movie

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David Brown

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Jan 19, 2022, 8:53:49 PM1/19/22
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Here's another movie review that might be of interest, When Worlds Collide, an early 1950s movie based on a Gernsback-era novel. Something a little random that came up that I don't have quite the knowledge to answer: Was it really that common in relatively early sci fi to show explorers without space suits going out on a planet without at least the hand wave of testing the atmosphere? As I comment in the review, it's a "trope" parodied in Galaxy Quest that seems to turn up "straight" in When Worlds Collide, but the data points still aren't much to go on.
https://trendytroodon.blogspot.com/2022/01/no-good-very-bad-movies-14-one-that.html
David N. Brown
Mesa, Arizona

Ted Nolan <tednolan>

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Jan 19, 2022, 10:53:41 PM1/19/22
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In article <34a6cf2d-1921-4ee2...@googlegroups.com>,
Well, in the case of WWC, what would be the point? There's no Plan-B. If
the air's no good, game over.
--
columbiaclosings.com
What's not in Columbia anymore..

peterw...@hotmail.com

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Jan 20, 2022, 10:48:31 AM1/20/22
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On Wednesday, January 19, 2022 at 7:53:49 PM UTC-6, David Brown wrote:
> Here's another movie review that might be of interest, When Worlds Collide, an early 1950s movie based on a Gernsback-era novel. Something a little random that came up that I don't have quite the knowledge to answer: Was it really that common in relatively early sci fi to show explorers without space suits going out on a planet without at least the hand wave of testing the atmosphere? As I comment in the review, it's a "trope" parodied in Galaxy Quest that seems to turn up "straight" in When Worlds Collide, but the data points still aren't much to go on.
> https://trendytroodon.blogspot.com/2022/01/no-good-very-bad-movies-14-one-that.html

In the novel they tested the air, pointing out that while, they were completely dependent on there being oxygen, there might
be contaminants that could possibly be filtered out. I seem to recall that there was spectroscopic evidence of an oxygen
atmosphere detected by Earth-based telescopes when the whole plan was being put together. Also, in the book the
spacecraft were powered by a newly-invented nuclear rocket drive and were far more capable than the chemical
rocket shown in the film.

Peter Wezeman
anti-social Darwinist

Michael F. Stemper

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Jan 21, 2022, 9:13:05 AM1/21/22
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On 19/01/2022 19.53, David Brown wrote:
> Here's another movie review that might be of interest, When Worlds Collide, an early 1950s movie based on a Gernsback-era novel. Something a little random that came up that I don't have quite the knowledge to answer: Was it really that common in relatively early sci fi to show explorers without space suits going out on a planet without at least the hand wave of testing the atmosphere? As I comment in the review, it's a "trope" parodied in Galaxy Quest that seems to turn up "straight" in When Worlds Collide, but the data points still aren't much to go on.
> https://trendytroodon.blogspot.com/2022/01/no-good-very-bad-movies-14-one-that.html

Robert Carnegie's comment has serious echoes of _Doctor Strangelove_.

--
Michael F. Stemper
Nostalgia just ain't what it used to be.

Robert Carnegie

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Jan 21, 2022, 3:27:38 PM1/21/22
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I'm not close enough to either version to know if they
make a specific point that the scientist's daughter having
two boyfriends is the opposite of a problem.

But you remind me. Is the general abundance of
fictional disabled Nazis - realistic? I gather that
that regime practised - from their point of view -
proactive euthanasia.

Michael F. Stemper

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Jan 22, 2022, 1:54:21 PM1/22/22
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On 21/01/2022 14.27, Robert Carnegie wrote:
> On Friday, 21 January 2022 at 14:13:05 UTC, Michael F. Stemper wrote:
>> On 19/01/2022 19.53, David Brown wrote:
>>> Here's another movie review that might be of interest, When Worlds Collide, an early 1950s movie based on a Gernsback-era novel. Something a little random that came up that I don't have quite the knowledge to answer: Was it really that common in relatively early sci fi to show explorers without space suits going out on a planet without at least the hand wave of testing the atmosphere? As I comment in the review, it's a "trope" parodied in Galaxy Quest that seems to turn up "straight" in When Worlds Collide, but the data points still aren't much to go on.
>>> https://trendytroodon.blogspot.com/2022/01/no-good-very-bad-movies-14-one-that.html
>> Robert Carnegie's comment has serious echoes of _Doctor Strangelove_.
>
> I'm not close enough to either version to know if they
> make a specific point that the scientist's daughter having
> two boyfriends is the opposite of a problem.

It was the other way around in _Doctor Strangelove_. Sort of
like the Beach Boys, except it would be more than two girls
for every boy. And, "[...] selected for their sexual characteristics
which will have to be of a highly stimulating nature."

> But you remind me. Is the general abundance of
> fictional disabled Nazis - realistic?

I'm not really aware of any such abundance. AAMOF, Strangelove
is the only fictional disabled Nazi that I can think of. Plenty
of (allegedly ex-)Nazis in the decade or two after WWII, which
was reflective of the real-world situation. But, I can't think
of any others in wheelchairs or even on crutches.

--
Michael F. Stemper
This email is to be read by its intended recipient only. Any other party
reading is required by the EULA to send me $500.00.

Ted Nolan <tednolan>

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Jan 22, 2022, 2:07:17 PM1/22/22
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In article <sshjsn$im1$1...@dont-email.me>,
Michael F. Stemper <michael...@gmail.com> wrote:
>On 21/01/2022 14.27, Robert Carnegie wrote:
>> On Friday, 21 January 2022 at 14:13:05 UTC, Michael F. Stemper wrote:
>>> On 19/01/2022 19.53, David Brown wrote:
>>>> Here's another movie review that might be of interest, When Worlds
>Collide, an early 1950s movie based on a Gernsback-era novel. Something
>a little random that came up that I don't have quite the knowledge to
>answer: Was it really that common in relatively early sci fi to show
>explorers without space suits going out on a planet without at least the
>hand wave of testing the atmosphere? As I comment in the review, it's a
>"trope" parodied in Galaxy Quest that seems to turn up "straight" in
>When Worlds Collide, but the data points still aren't much to go on.
>>>>
>https://trendytroodon.blogspot.com/2022/01/no-good-very-bad-movies-14-one-that.html
>>> Robert Carnegie's comment has serious echoes of _Doctor Strangelove_.
>>
>> I'm not close enough to either version to know if they
>> make a specific point that the scientist's daughter having
>> two boyfriends is the opposite of a problem.
>
>It was the other way around in _Doctor Strangelove_. Sort of
>like the Beach Boys, except it would be more than two girls
>for every boy. And, "[...] selected for their sexual characteristics

Jan & Dean

Michael F. Stemper

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Jan 22, 2022, 2:18:39 PM1/22/22
to
My bad. However, wikipedia says that Brian Wilson co-wrote it, so I
wasn't too far off. Right genre, anyway. Can I back-pedal some more?

--
Michael F. Stemper
Galatians 3:28

Ted Nolan <tednolan>

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Jan 22, 2022, 3:25:40 PM1/22/22
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In article <sshlac$s3i$1...@dont-email.me>,
Pater Familias & manager Murray Wilson was extremely torqued that
son Brian had given that song to J&D and it went #1 when the Boys hadn't
had a #1 of their own yet.

On whether it is a problem for a scientist's daughter to have two boyfriends,
I remember a (Sturgeon?) story about a lucrative industrial scientist who
was in a slump and the company tourbleshooter found out that he performed
better under stress and introduced his wife & mistress to each other..

Robert Carnegie

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Jan 22, 2022, 3:45:05 PM1/22/22
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On Friday, 21 January 2022 at 20:27:38 UTC, Robert Carnegie wrote:
> On Friday, 21 January 2022 at 14:13:05 UTC, Michael F. Stemper wrote:
> > On 19/01/2022 19.53, David Brown wrote:
> > > Here's another movie review that might be of interest, When Worlds Collide, an early 1950s movie based on a Gernsback-era novel. Something a little random that came up that I don't have quite the knowledge to answer: Was it really that common in relatively early sci fi to show explorers without space suits going out on a planet without at least the hand wave of testing the atmosphere? As I comment in the review, it's a "trope" parodied in Galaxy Quest that seems to tn up "straight" in When Worlds Collide, but the data points still aren't much to go on.
> > > https://trendytroodon.blogspot.com/2022/01/no-good-very-bad-movies-14-one-that.html
> > Robert Carnegie's comment has serious echoes of _Doctor Strangelove_.
>
> I'm not close enough to either version to know if they
> make a specific point that the scientist's daughter having
> two boyfriends is the opposite of a problem.

...on reflection, this story has it:
(Christmas pantomime 2008, wow.)
<https://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20081121>

Robert Carnegie

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Jan 22, 2022, 5:18:58 PM1/22/22
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...and (got sucked in)
<https://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20090311>

The Horny Goat

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Jan 22, 2022, 5:50:40 PM1/22/22
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On Sat, 22 Jan 2022 12:54:05 -0600, "Michael F. Stemper"
<michael...@gmail.com> wrote:

>
>> But you remind me. Is the general abundance of
>> fictional disabled Nazis - realistic?
>
>I'm not really aware of any such abundance. AAMOF, Strangelove
>is the only fictional disabled Nazi that I can think of. Plenty
>of (allegedly ex-)Nazis in the decade or two after WWII, which
>was reflective of the real-world situation. But, I can't think
>of any others in wheelchairs or even on crutches.

As I understand it Sellers himself was originally supposed to ride the
bomb at the end of the movie but in an early rehearsal fell 15' to a
concrete floor and broke his leg which is why Dr Strangelove was in a
wheelchair.

The 2nd last scene of the movie where Sellers gets out of his
wheelchair was one of the last shot and so after Sellers' doctor gave
the OK for him to leave the wheelchair he notified Kubrick who decided
on the fly to rewrite that scene and NOT inform the other actors so
the shock and surprise when Sellers gets out of the wheelchair and
says "Mein Fuehrer - er Mr President - I can VALK!!!" was entirely
genuine as no one had seen him out of the wheelchair in several weeks.
(This is the scene just before Vera Lynn's closing song)

Leif Roar Moldskred

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Jan 25, 2022, 9:08:37 AM1/25/22
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Robert Carnegie <rja.ca...@excite.com> wrote:
>
> ...and (got sucked in)
> <https://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20090311>

Also these two pages:

https://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20100924
https://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20100927

--
Leif Roar Moldskred
Yeah, I ship it.

Quadibloc

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Jan 26, 2022, 12:05:50 AM1/26/22
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On Saturday, January 22, 2022 at 11:54:21 AM UTC-7, Michael F. Stemper wrote:

> I'm not really aware of any such abundance. AAMOF, Strangelove
> is the only fictional disabled Nazi that I can think of. Plenty
> of (allegedly ex-)Nazis in the decade or two after WWII, which
> was reflective of the real-world situation. But, I can't think
> of any others in wheelchairs or even on crutches.

A disabled ex-Wehrmacht soldier, at least, appeared in a comic
reprinted in "The Great Canadian Comic Books". It was published
without color after World War II; essentially, he saw the futility
of war, and foiled plots by people still loyal to Nazism, with the
assistance of a midget who acted as his arms.

John Savard
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