BATTLE OF THE WORLDS / Astounding! Awesome! Fantastic! - 1961

Here's a redo from a 2007 post which only had 3 pics! Also, it's a movie Eegah!! and I saw together way, way back in 1961 at the good old Sierra Theater, where, we'd roll down the aisles whenever we got bored! A great way to impress the girls... This story's about a runaway asteroid dubbed "The Outsider" that mysteriously begins orbiting the Earth and threatens it with severe weather and deadly flying saucers!

London born Claude Rains stars as Professor Benson, I take it that he's an American scientist living in space age Italy (wow, what a concept!). Claude only had 78 acting credits but they include THE INVISIBLE MAN, THE MYSTERY OF EDWIN DROOD, THE PRINCE AND THE PAUPER, THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD, MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON, THE WOLF MAN, CASABLANCA, PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, NOTORIOUS, THE LOST WORLD and more!

Here's Professor Benson, he's a busy guy, lives in his own little world, and, he doesn't like people!! But, a huge asteroid is headed this way and is on a collision course with Earth and the other scientists (who he really hates) come begging for his help!! He finally gives in but not before he humiliates them X to the 9th power!

In the meantime though, Earth's rockets and pilots are being pummeled in space by the asteroid's saucers and gravitational fields!

Then, we start doing the same thing to the alien saucers, this one here crashes but good.

As the Outsider gets closer and closer to Earth, the weather gets as bad as it can get!.. And, if you need to go get a pack of smokes, well buddy, good luck getting to a 7-11 in that!..

The Outsider has gone into orbit around Earth exactly at the distance the professor had predicted. So, he demands that he go with the space crew on a mission to land on the asteroid's surface! They land safely.

Of course this is a sixties Italian production, just look at those Euro designer spacesuits!

The professor uses one of his gadgets to open a portal into a system of super weird pink tubular caves. As they explore, they come across what the professor says are the long dead aliens, but, you can decide for yourself what that stuff is!

Then, the crew gets the word from Earth to get to their ship and head back asap! Nice shot, I'd have to believe that the art director was on some pretty good drugs!

Of course, the professor finds the Outsider's brain and starts chatting with it, holy crap, he's finally found something that truly understands him!!!..

Anyway, the crew blasts off without the professor, he has elected to stay behind with his new found friend! Then, nuke-filled Atlas rockets from Earth bear down on the asteroid and completely annihilate it to smithereens (great word). THE END!.. So, check in again tomorrow for another Dungeon Treat for your bag!