war of the worlds (1953)

Dr Forrester (Gene Barry), a physicist, spots a meteorite crashing to earth whilst on holiday and investigates. There he meets Sylvia (Ann Robinson), but the site is too hot to go near. When they leave we see the meteorite is actually a spacecraft, which kills the men still there. There follows an colossal battle with the army for the fate of not just America, but the earth. As mass panic sets in, Forrrester and Slyvia manage to flee to Los Angeles. All seems lost as the martians sweep all before them, as they await the end (in the most obvious of places, a church), but just before dawn the approaching Martians falter. When Forrester investigate he realises the martian is dying, of a common cold, an infection that the Martians have no resistance to.
A classic of 50's Sci-fi, in this adaption of the H G Wells novel, replacing the satire on class with a religious theme and updating it from 19th century London to 50's California. Knocks spots off the recent remake.