When Worlds Collide is a 1951 science fiction film directed by Rudolph Maté and produced by George Pal. The movie is based on the 1933 science fiction novel of the same name written by Philip Wylie and Edwin Balmer.
The movie follows the story of an astronomer named Dr. Cole Hendron and his colleague, Dr. Tony Drake, who discover that a star named Bellus is on a collision course with Earth. They predict that Bellus will come close enough to Earth to cause massive earthquakes, tsunamis, and other catastrophic events, which will wipe out all life on the planet.
Dr. Hendron and his team devise a plan to build a rocket ship, named the Ark, which will carry a chosen few to a planet called Zyra that is orbiting around Bellus. Those individuals who are selected to go to Zyra include Dr. Hendron, his daughter Joyce, her fiancé, a pilot named Davidson, and a group of people chosen by lottery.
The team faces several obstacles in their mission, including a lack of funding and resources, political opposition, and the skepticism of the public. Nonetheless, they manage to build the Ark and launch it just as Bellus passes by Earth, causing massive destruction.
In the end, the Ark lands on Zyra, but many of the crew members are killed in the process due to the harsh environment. The survivors must find a way to rebuild their civilization on the new planet, while mourning the loss of their loved ones and the world they left behind.
When Worlds Collide was a critical and commercial success, and it is considered a classic of the science fiction genre. The movie won an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects in 1952, and it inspired a sequel, titled After Worlds Collide, which was published in 1934.
