Herbert George Wells was an English novelist and prolific writer. His many works included contemporary novels, writings on history, along with political and social commentary. He is, to most of us, most familiar for his science fiction novels. Wells, and author Jules Verne, are considered to be the foremost innovators of the science fiction genre and have been referred to as the “fathers of science fiction.” Some of Wells most famous science fiction writings that have been made into motion pictures include “The Island of Doctor Moreau,” “The TimeMachine,” “The War of the Worlds,” and “The Invisible Man.”
From Reading to Writing
After suffering an accident during his youth, Wells became bed-ridden for a time and to help cope with the situation, he turned to reading books his father would bring him from the library. These books opened a new chapter in Wells’ life leading to his fascination for the fictional world. The desire to write followed and proved to be the perfect outlet for his fantasies and ideas.
August, 1953 – Newcomer Audrey Hepburn shines in the Paramount Studios production of Roman Holiday a romantic comedy about a European princess who goes AWOL.
The beautiful and charming Hepburn captured the hearts of Director William Wyler as well as her leading man Gregory Peck. The 24 year old daughter of an Irish banker and a Dutch baroness had spent her youth in Nazi occupied Holland.
After the war, she pursued her dream of being a classical ballet dancer eventually believing herself to be too tall for ballet. Still with a strong desire to dance she joined the chorus of a London musical. This move led to Hepburn being chosen to play the title role in Gigi on Broadway.
Her resulting success on Broadway gave Paramount the confidence to cast her in the role of Princess Ann in Roman Holiday. The rest, as they say, is history.
Audrey Hepburn, the thin child-woman with the large and expressive eyes who carries herself with delicate grace, would go on to become one of Hollywood’s most popular and captivating film stars.
Starring – Gregory Peck (Joe Bradley), Audrey Hepburn (Princess Ann), Eddie Albert (Irving Radovich), Hartley Power (Mr. Hennessy), Harcourt Williams (Ambassador).
Description – The beautiful Princess Ann is on a widely publicized tour of several European capitals including Rome. What sounds like a great vacation is no more than a bore for the Princess. Her schedule is very regimented and includes little more than demanding official duties.
Stressed by the experience she is given a sedative by her Doctor and instructed to rest. Instead, she sneaks out of the embassy to see Rome by herself. With the sedative beginning to take effect she falls asleep on a park bench and is found by expatriate reporter Joe Bradley.
After refusing money for a taxi home, Joe takes her to his apartment to spend the night. The next morning, while she is still sleeping, Joe gets to work a little late and tells his editor that his lateness is due to an interview with a visiting princess at a press conference.
This excuse backfires as the editor informs Joe that the conference was cancelled due to the princess becoming ill. Joe now sees a picture of the princess and realizes that she is the woman in his apartment.
Sensing a great opportunity for a news exclusive Joe decides to take the girl on a tour of Rome without telling her that he knows she is the princess and that he is a reporter. Princess Ann shares with Joe her desire to live a normal life and it seems as though the two are falling in love.
Her absence from the embassy has now caused a great deal of concern and the princess is reported missing. Is is possible for the princess to marry the commoner or will a higher calling taker her away?
NOTABLE: In 1999 this motion picture was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress.
Roman Holiday received three Academy Awards: Best Actress in a Leading Role (Audrey Hepburn), Best Costume Design, Black-and-White, and Best Writing, Motion Picture Story. The film was also nominated for Best Picture, Best Director (William Wyler), Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Eddie Albert), Best Writing, Screenplay, Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Black-and-White, Best Cinematography, Black-and-White, and Best Film Editing.
In 2008 the American Film Institute ranked Roman Holiday as the fourth best film in the romantic comedy genre.
After filming completed, Gregory Peck declared that Audrey Hepburn, in her first major starring role, should win the Oscar. As it turned out, she did.
Audrey Hepburn’s screen test for the role was good, but not great. After her test the cameraman, unknown to Hepburn, was instructed to continue filming. It was Hepburn’s candid and spontaneous interview footage that won her the role.
The film was shot in black-and-white so that the beautiful scenery of Rome would not upstage the characters.
While filming, Gregory Peck who was depressed about his recent separation and ultimate divorce from first wife Greta, met French woman Veronique Passani. The two fell in love and remained together for the rest of his life.
Personal Note: Although the ending may be thought of as bittersweet, this is an totally charming romantic comedy.
Starring – Gene Barry (Dr. Clayton Forrester), Ann Robinson (Sylvia Van Buren), Les Tremayne (Major General Mann),
Description – Dr. Clayton Forrester is fishing just outside the small town of Linda Rosa, California when what seems to be a large meteorite impacts nearby. When he reaches the impact site he meets Sylvia Van Buren, her uncle Pastor Matthew Collins, and local residents who also heard the impact.
The site is on fire and after the blaze is extinguished a mysterious object is revealed that certainly is not a meteorite. The residents of the small town hope this unusual object will become a profitable tourist attraction. Dr. Forrester is not so sure as the object is much lighter than a meteorite and is radioactive.
Three men are left behind as Dr. Forrester waits for the object to cool down so that it will be safe enough to approach and examine. While the three wait, the object unscrews to reveal a probe that is approached by the men in a friendly manner. They are all killed by a Heat-Ray that reduces them to ashes.
Reports now begin to flood in about other landings around the world and the military is called in. Pastor Collins tries to approach the object with the hope of avoiding a confrontation and is also killed.
The military takes action, but has no effect as the object is protected by a force-field that nothing can penetrate. The Heat-Ray wipes out almost all of the troops, the tanks, and their artillery. The destruction is the same everywhere there have been landings all over the world.
It seems that our Earth has been watched and its water, clean air, and natural resources are now the object of a Martian invasion. With seemingly no other choice the use of the Atomic Bomb is necessary.
The bomb fails and it is estimated that Earth will be conquered in six days. Is there anything can stop The War of the Worlds?
NOTABLE: The War of the Worlds won the Academy Award for Best Effects, Special Effects, and was also nominated for Best Film Editing, and Best Sound Recording.
This film was the first screed depiction of the H. G. Wells classic novel.
Producer George Pal has wanted to film the final third of the film in 3-D, but that was considered to be too expensive.
Two days into filming production had to stop as it was realized that the rights to film the novel were for a silent version only. Fortunately, the estate of H. G. Wells quickly gave permission for the sound production.
The film had a production budget of $2 million using $600,000 for live action and $1,400,000 for special effects.
Animator Walter Lantz and Producer George Pal were good friends and Pal would always try to work Lantz’s character Woody Woodpecker into his films. Look carefully, and you will see Woody in the branches of the tree during the initial flyover of the Martian craft.
Personal Note: This was, and still is, one of my favorite Science Fiction films from the fifties, or for that matter, any other decade. There is sci-fi magic in many of the classics made during this time that no remake can ever capture.
Vivid color and excitement make this superior 1950′s sci-fi!
Starring – Jack Hawkins (Ericson), Donald Sinden (Lockhart), John Stratton (Ferraby), Denholm Elliott (Morell), John Warner (Baker), Stanley Baker (Bennett), Virginia McKenna (Julie Hallam).
Description – Based on the bestselling novel by Nicholas Monsarrat, this is an impressively accurate account of the British naval officers and seamen who served on escort ships during World War II.
After completing service in the British Merchant Navy, Lt. Commander George Ericson is called upon by the Royal Navy and given command of the HMS Compass Rose intended for convoy escort duties.
Led by mostly inexperienced and newly-commissioned officers the first threat they face is bad weather. Initially, German submarines lacked the ability to strike far into the Atlantic, but after the fall of French ports this all changes. With the advantage of new ports to strike from, the German U-boats can now reach convoys anywhere in the Atlantic.
Months of dangerous crossings of the Atlantic have taken its toll on the crew of the Compass Rose as has the emotional strain of having lost so many convoy ships along with their crew to the relentless German attacks.
Now, the seemingly inevitible happens; the Compass Rose is torpedoed. Most of the crew are lost. Among the survivors are Commander Ericson and First Lt. Lockhart. With the battle for the Atlantic still raging, the Commander and First Lieutenant are given a new ship to command and the vital, but hazardous escort duties must continue.
The Cruel Sea is a gripping adventure filmed in the style of a semi-documentary.
NOTABLE:The Cruel Sea received an Oscar nomination for Best Writing, Screenplay.
The film remains true to the novel which were based on the author’s personal experience serving as an escort vessel officer during the war. However, some of Nicholas Monsarrant’s grimmist images were ommitted from the film.
Herbert George Wells was an English novelist and prolific writer. His many works included contemporary novels, writings on history, along with political and social commentary. He is, to most of us, most familiar for his science fiction novels. Wells, and author Jules Verne, are considered to be the foremost innovators of the science fiction genre and have been referred to as the “fathers of science fiction.” Some of Wells most famous science fiction writings that have been made into motion pictures include “The Island of Doctor Moreau,” “The Time Machine,” “The War of the Worlds,” and “The Invisible Man.”
August, 1953 – Newcomer Audrey Hepburn shines in the Paramount Studios production of Roman Holiday a romantic comedy about a European princess who goes AWOL.
