Original subtitles

No one would have believed in the first years of the 20th century that we were

being watched by intelligences greater than man's, yet as mortal as his own.

But as men busied themselves about their various concerns, they were scrutinized

as narrowly as creatures that swarm and multiply in a drop of water.

Yet across the gulf of space, intellects, vast, cool, and

unsympathetic, regarded this Earth with envious eyes,

and slowly and surely drew their plans

against us.

I think I saw it. Oh, really?

Really? Yes, there.

Look. Do you mind if I... Please.

Good Lord.

So that's Mark.

Yes, but did you see a pillar of smoke?

Like a reddish flash round the edge? Yes.

May I?

If one of you kind people could... I hope I can

catch a piece of this in time.

Now, if you would please hold very still.

Gosh, look at that.

What do you think it is?

A volcanic eruption, perhaps.

Along the lines of Trakator.

Only bigger.

People thought something similar the last time Mars was as close to Earth.

During the oppositions of 94 and 98.

Keep it.

It's a present.

Welcome to the neighborhood.

We're pariahs, you know, George and I. Well, yes, I'm afraid so.

Welcome to the neighborhood.

Find your balance. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Easier said than done, actually. Try sitting. Sit. No, it's actually easier

me standing up. You wobble when you stand. Yeah, but it's about trying to

your momentum, I think.

At least it's nice to have someone to talk to in woking.

Oh, is it really?

No, that must be lovely for you. Yeah, thanks very much.

Stop it, George.

No, it's the corner that's the worry.

I'll race you. Come on. Oh, you want to race? Okay, good.

Some incentive.

You're looking at me in a very meaningful way, George.

Well, you just made me feel very poetic, Amy.

You sure it's poetry you're thinking about?

Poetry's very passionate, isn't it?

Yes, but it's brief.

Look, you've got one from the Socialist Society for the abolition of capital.

They've trapped me down, haven't they?

George? Yes? I forgot something.

What? Give me a kiss.

We won't be stuck here forever.

No, we might.

I promised.

Gentlemen, good morning.

It seems like the fuse we've all been watching for the last year may have just

been lit.

Six trawlers out of Hull, 50 miles offshore. They were fired on and sunk.

Twelve dead.

Family men.

Fired on by whom?

Russian Navy sailing south at the moment en route to engage the Japs. Working

theory is they mistook them for Japanese torpedo boats.

What, a bunch of trawlers 5 ,000 miles from Japan? Either way, Arnold, Britain

will be joining the show, so response from the Admiralty, please.

They're readying the troops. The Minister for War is going to be making a

statement. Get me a decent quote. You, Russian embassy, naval situation.

Sir? George.

General research.

Very good, sir, but would you mind awfully if I went to the Admiralty

It's only... I have a sorcerer, you see, sir, who I would rather like to speak

to.

Your brother?

All right.

Column and a half by midday, you can be in the finals. Thank you, sir.

Take Arnold with you, though.

You're rather glorious, don't you think? A war?

I haven't had a proper one since, what, Napoleon?

Tunics and cavalry? Listen, Arnold, why don't you go to the embassy instead?

I'm perfectly capable of taking care of this alone. Yes, but he wanted me to

cover the Admiralty, and you butted in.

He wanted you in any case. What?

Well, nothing, no. I just have this contact I'd like to speak to. Yes, of

course, yes.

You're not conducting personal business on company time now, are you?

And this is from the Empire Range.

We have it in stock down in Weybridge.

Full of rather vivid colours.

Nursery colours, perhaps.

You know, I grew up...

No, the shaman are.

My father was part of the survey.

How are you finding it in England?

Oh, rainy.

Oh. When I got off the boat at Dover, I thought England was the most grey and

cold place I could ever imagine.

Well, there's something to be said for the rain.

I know I would find India rather too warm.

And what does the man of the house do?

He's a journalist.

Oh.

Oh. That's you, is it?

Yes.

At birth.

Six weeks, at least.

Excellent.

Thank you very much.

We are very much in love, sir.

I'm sure the time will fly by.

of this cowardly and unprecedented attack by Russia, it is worth

recollecting that if you ask any man what nationality he would prefer

to be, 99 out of 100 will tell you that they would prefer

to be Englishmen.

Anglo -Saxon territory.

is for the Anglo -Saxon race, the best, most human, most honorable race the

world possesses.

And any challenge will be faced and defeated.

We are an empire on which the sun never sets.

Thank you.

I secondarily will take your questions, gentlemen.

There's nothing much to add to what the Minister has said so well, but I shall

do my best if you need facts and figures.

Good morning, sir. Is this covered by the Lansdowne Treaty?

And if so, how will the pact stand if the Russians attack us?

So, in regards to the Lansdowne Agreement, we are committed to wade in

Russia.

after certain lines have been crossed.

And is this one of those lines, sir?

Yes, well, we don't like to comment if we are not in full possession of the

facts.

However, in response to the atrocities in the North Sea, we are embarking

troops.

Army and Navy leave is cancelled, and that's all I can give you.

Thank you, gentlemen.

What is it? How the hell did you get in here? I had a press pass. It's the only

way I can think of to come and see you. I thought I made myself perfectly clear.

I don't want to be seen.

I, uh... I need your help.

With what?

I know you're joking.

I just know that you've always been very close to Lucy. Well, so have you.

She's your wife.

Look, just come over to the house. Come and see us. Come and meet Amy again.

Spend some time with her.

We're, um...

In Woking, your horse will come. I know where you live.

Don't you have a deadline, whatever you're calling?

Well, there's a woman's college on Bedford Square.

You could do a Masters of Natural Sciences, apply in September.

And how would a woman go about that? Well, a woman would get some letters of

recommendation, speak to some of the old ladies.

Benny!

Hey!

Stop it!

Benny!

You were just saying that you wanted to do something with your degree.

It would be a shame to waste it. It's what you're good at.

Darling, that's very kind, but there's a rather important piece of the puzzle

that needs to fall into place before anyone will give me a lesson of

recommendation.

What?

George?

What is it?

There's an egg there, Mary.

From the duck?

No, I think it's from the dog. Mary, ignore him. I can do that.

Thank you.

What is that?

It's a present. It's a clock that makes tea by distillation. George. Yes.

I went to see my brother today.

What did he say?

Nothing good.

What sort of business has a clerk got making tea? Please tell me. What are

going to do? Have a lavatory that makes bacon and eggs?

George.

Good evening.

Fred.

This is my brother, Frederick. Thank you so much for coming.

I'm pleased to meet you. This is Amy.

Can I... Mary, can I get you... I'm not going to dignify you or this person by

spending any more time here than I must, but you asked for my help this morning,

so I'm going to give it to you.

I've gone out to this venture.

Fred. Go back to Lucy. She will forgive you. I will forgive you. And then

perhaps life can continue.

If you do not, if you persist in your folly, then I guarantee you that you'll

ruined. I guarantee you will have no life to speak of.

It's a selfish, cruel pursuit.

And it cannot help but bring forth the most unpleasant consequences.

And unless you do as I suggest, then this is the last you'll ever see of me.

Good evening, Fred.

I'm the only brother you'll ever have.

And there's the tragedy of it, George.

Good evening.

Sir Greaves asks me for a column and a half, and I give him the article, and he

puts it in the paper, but he puts it in under Arnold Henderson's name.

Why don't you just leave? They won't print your stuff. But if I'm just going

leave, what are we going to live on? I have the legacy from my father. That's

not very progressive, though, is it? It's perfectly progressive. I don't need

be kept.

I should never have put you in this situation.

You didn't put me anywhere.

This was my choice, too.

We'll make it work.

Do you think so?

I wouldn't be here if I didn't.

Nuts to them, George.

Now, let's see what it is.

What is that?

Well, so you think they've come from space, like Halley's Comet or something?

Well, they have elliptical orbits, decaying. It might take thousands of

perhaps even go clean out of our sun system, and then suddenly one day

back, and bang.

Yeah, but I thought those things burnt up in the sky.

Thousands of miles an hour, perhaps even thousands of degrees of heat.

It's true here.

What could this be?

Somebody's got some clearing up to do.

So if it was, um, thousands of degrees, yes, why would it not have burned all of

this down?

I think it got so hot it just flashed out for a second, scorched everything,

then burnt out.

Is it a shooting star?

That's right, Mr. Thing.

Shooting star.

Imagine what would have happened if this had hit London.

Another couple of seconds, it probably would.

Okay.

You said it sounded like a bomb. Do you think it could be a bomb? How big would

the gun have been?

Mr. Thing, who would have fired this? The Russians, perhaps.

George, how big would the gun have been? All right.

Don't you think we should inform the army?

Why? It just seems that in situations such as this, that you inform the army.

I've telephoned it to the Astronomer Royal. This is common land.

We're perfectly entitled to be here.

The last thing we need is a lot of rough men in tunics cloning the place up.

George, you should wire your paper. Yes, I think I probably should.

The telegraphs are out.

What, all of them?

Went down when I called.

Right, well, then, you've got to go in. There's no way they won't print this.

Just show them the photographs.

I think you have a rather high opinion of my employers. We'll be all right

won't we?

Keep it warm till you get back. All right, just don't... I mean it.

Don't touch that until someone... George, I promise I'm not going to touch

anything. All right. I'll be back. We'll be safe.

Turn around.

Let's get a quick... One, two, three.

Shall we?

If we don't break out this story, sir, then another paper will. George, we

clearly have bigger fish to fry at the moment. Wait for a local to file it on

the agency.

I'm local and I'm filing, sir. No news.

There's hardly anything on these photographs.

We'll go and talk to your brother again. We need more on the Russia mystery. So

you can promise me a byline and then give it to Arnold? It's not me.

It's his lordship.

I'm sorry.

His lordship has views.

No, I'm sorry, sir. Are we pretending his lordship is perfect now?

George, you cannot expect to do what you've done and have no consequences.

You're very lucky to have retained any sort of job at all. Sod that!

Really.

Sod that.

George.

and thought his logic.

In fact, I'll work.

Oh, it's a gossipy place, Wilking.

I wouldn't worry.

You should hear what they say about me.

Why? What do they say?

Well, gentleman bachelor of advancing years.

Why does he keep himself nicely turned out?

Well, um, George was married to his cousin.

They were somewhat maneuvered towards each other by his family. Well, his

brother.

They had betrothed when they were 15.

Ended up despising each other. No one was happy.

Then you appeared.

It matters to society for free thinkers.

Well, I'm sure it was worth the joining fee.

So what do you think?

Do you think it could be from Mars?

What, the eruption, do you mean?

I wouldn't think so.

It means something can't erupt from Mars and end up in Surrey.

Well, at least... It's the millionaire one again.

How long have you been married?

Um... And so that's the other funny thing.

Um... Rather afraid than not.

back there.

Hello.

I hope no one's been munting about with this.

Stent, Astronomer Royal.

Ogilvy? Yes, sir.

Thought you were a chemist, not an astronomer.

Jack of all trades.

Put a tablecloth on it, Cyril, and the other stuff, and a pot of tea, please.

Good Lord.

Bigger than the Cape York one.

This might be the biggest meteorite ever found.

Come in, let's have a snap.

Come on, chaps.

What's that?

Harold, on my right. The rest of you try not to get in the way.

This is going to make some fellow very well known indeed

Good afternoon, Lucy.

Good afternoon.

I trust that you're well.

What do you think?

Why are you here?

Have you come back?

Sorry.

Then why in hell are you here?

I'm here to ask you if you will sign the papers.

Are you not ashamed?

I'm very sorry. Of course you're not sorry.

I am.

Of course I am extremely regretful for any pain that I may have caused you.

But what was I to do?

I agonized over the decision, and I had no other choice.

She's selfish about my words.

That girl with the red hair.

That girl will do whatever it takes to make sure she gets on.

It's nothing to do with getting on.

Lucy.

Amy and I are in love.

We fell in love.

Just as I hope that you one day will fall in love.

I didn't intend for this to happen.

But can you really say that you were happy, Lucy?

You're a coward.

That's your character.

Your brother said the same thing.

You're too afraid to face up to responsibility.

I'm sorry, Lucy, but I think this is about the only brave thing that I've

done. I couldn't give you children, so you left.

Someone younger and prettier.

My father had the measure of you all along.

I left because we made each other miserable.

Because we had no conversations, often for weeks.

Because we shared no interests or views or friends.

Even if there was the remotest chance of having children, then I wouldn't want

them to be born into such an unhappy situation, Lucy, please.

Please will you sign the papers?

And sacrifice myself for the altar of your sickness?

No, George, I will be the spectre at your feast.

You deserve every bit of pain that is coming to you.

And mark my words, pain will come.

If you want to marry again, you may do so when I'm dead.

That's my last word.

Put off that music, Cyril. Use your noddle.

There's something inside.

I'm in my clockwork. You'd need a devil of a big key.

It's expanding.

George needs to see this.

Madam, who are you?

Is this a place for a lady?

She's my assistant.

Ah, Mary.

Is the mistress at home?

She's been out all day, sir.

On the common?

What about this bomb, then?

Well, it's not a bomb, is it?

May I go up?

My sister's there and I should like to before it's... Mary, would you mind

waiting at the house in case the mistress returns?

Thank you.

These people budge.

Where's your mama, boy?

Huh?

Amy!

Amy!

Excuse me.

What's happening?

It's moving.

Something's... It's opening.

Where's Amy?

What's that?

I don't know. George, what happened to Ogilvy?

Mary! What now is happening? We don't know. Did you find your sister? She

come back.

Well, let's find her. Then we'll look for Ogilvy.

Jane!

Jane!

Jane! Jane!

There she is.

Jane! I can't think what caused reactions like that.

Maybe there was some kind of chemical in there, like a phosphine, maybe

something that combusts with the air. What do you think? Perhaps it's burnt

itself out by now.

Where's Benny? Where's the dog?

Ogilvy! Ogilvy!

No one's allowed over the common.

I'm just trying to find my friend.

There's no one alive down there.

Only more like these poor sods. Right.

Attachments of three, please.

You two?

Yes, sir. Him.

The second one landed in the lake at Five Fleet. After we clean up this mess,

we'll join you there.

Yes, sir.

King's Royal Artillery!

Move out!

Are you West Surrey? West Surrey Artillery, that's right.

Well, is there no one here from London?

Well,

it's a forest fire, that's all.

Sorry, this isn't a forest fire. This wasn't a forest fire.

I'm sorry, but something falls down from space. It's boiling hot.

All that gorse.

People go and look, get themselves killed.

We're going to fence off the second one before the same thing happens. Get a

move on, bombardier.

Get home, mate.

It's all in hand.

This wasn't a forest fire.

He's not made contact this morning.

I'm sorry, he hasn't, sir. But we're not entirely sure he didn't resign

yesterday. Here's his desk.

We can let you know as soon as he arrives.

Where is he in relation to what went on?

What exactly did go on, sir?

We're hearing a lot of very odd things about this story, sir.

Shooting star hit fossil common crowd, gathered then some sort of explosion. No

one seems to know anything for sure. Well, there's a forest fire. The West

Surrey went in. They haven't asked for reinforcements, so whatever it is, it's

in hand.

There.

That's where George said it landed.

That's where the fire was.

And that's his house.

Did you find him? No, no sign. You?

No. So the other one's come down in the woods nearby feet.

What? Yes.

That's so close to the first.

That can't be a coincidence.

No.

I need to tell you something.

I, uh, I went to see my wife yesterday.

To ask her to sign the divorce papers.

And?

Do you think we've been selfish?

George.

Life is selfish.

Love even more so.

It's silly to pretend otherwise.

Well, she said that she would let us be married when she was dead.

What's going on?

Something's moving.

Clear out now. You're in range.

We'll go to the Admiralty. What?

You're joking. Look, if anyone's doing anything about this, it'll be my

If we get separated, we meet there, all right? All right.

Ah, come on!

Something else is occurring to the south of London, Hampton Court, Waveridge,

near the site of the first impact.

I don't know what to make of the reports, but there are bodies floating

river. We'd have them fetched up.

Yes. Commandeers and porters, we're not having...

Corpses decorating the terms?

Where's your brother now?

Well, among this lot, I hope.

The refugees from the towns and villages around the event.

You trust what he said to his paper about the shooting star?

I don't know, Minister.

It makes as much sense as anything else we've been told.

I'm not printing anything about it. Not until there's confirmation, sir.

Where is the king?

Sandringham, with the prince and princess of Wales.

There is nothing.

to suggest it's not just an act of God.

A great piece of rock falls from space.

What are we hearing on the wires?

Well, the local telegraphs stopped yesterday. The transatlantic cables

this morning, so we have no information.

What does that mean?

Does that mean it's happened somewhere else, not just here?

What the hell are we looking at?

There's no chance this is the Russians.

I honestly don't know, Mr.

The Prime Ministers in Scotland were unable to contact him. Until we know

this situation turns out to be, I'm taking charge.

Yes, Mr.

Sir, one of the three people wants to speak to you.

Where? Where is he?

Have you seen George?

Please tell me you've seen George. I was supposed to meet him here.

I'm afraid I haven't.

When did you last see him?

A horse that was unbolted. It carried me off down Mabry Hill towards Weybridge.

I lost George somewhere near the house.

He'd gone to rescue our dog.

And he shouted at me to leave, and I... I did try and get back to him, I did,

but the fire was so intense.

And that was the last that you saw of him? Yes.

Some thing near the side of a house, something fell down. I just thought it

followed by this smoke.

And he shouted at you that you should go?

Yes.

And you did so?

Yes, it was impossible for me to get back to him.

So did your horse bolt or did he just ride his way? It was impossible for me

get back to him.

Well, maybe he managed to find a way out.

The horse will come in. I thought you could say.

George has been my brother for 36 years.

When he was born, my mother allowed me to carry him in to meet her father.

And I looked after him on his first day at school. He was scared, and he'd

forgotten his pocket handkerchief, and he was crying for it, and I gave him

mine.

He was my baby brother.

My baby brother.

That was that.

Until you came along.

He still is your baby brother.

Well, it's devoutly to be wished.

I'm going to him as child.

Is he here?

I'm afraid not.

Just keep on looking.

How long is this for?

A week.

A week?

We all pull together. We'll be right as rain.

Shall we get you that?

What was the great victory like?

It was hard.

A lot was lost.

Celebrate what we have.

Celebrate the miracle.

Yes, of course, but the difficulty is if one

knows in one's heart that God delivers miracles, then one must also

accept the thought of divine retribution.

To be frank, I find that very difficult to bear.

God is good, not difficult.

Your husband will come back.

Yes, of course.

Amy?

I know you're there!

Come out here!

I know you're there!

Where is everyone?

I don't know.

Fled.

Dead.

You're not staying here, are you?

Would you, uh... Would you mind awfully just waiting for me? Just, uh... Just

for a moment.

man with a border terrier. Have you seen him?

Amy!

Amy!

Amy, the refugees have stopped coming. There's not a single one from Horsall

awoken.

The fire must have died down me.

Amy's just hurt.

If he doesn't turn up, then I'll go back.

And what should be done if he never does?

What? What should be done about this child?

That is not your concern.

Well, if anything has happened to George, I rather think it is my concern.

don't need your help.

Neither of us need your help.

Well, perhaps he's gone back to his wife.

Oh, is this the punishment you had in mind?

Is this the wages of our sin?

It's between us and the town.

That's where she was headed.

My wife.

There's no kindness to the right sort of wife to make her a widow.

She's expecting a child, actually.

I'm going to be a father.

I was... buried.

And half a ton of earth, I felt like.

Except it wasn't earth. It was, uh... Bodies.

My pals.

Dead horses.

Oh, God. I have to find the baby.

It's coming from one of those houses.

Come on.

What are you doing?

We take cover.

Where's it coming from?

There was an eruption from Mars, midnight every night for the last few

When did this chap take the last photograph?

Friday. That's not to say it's the last explosion. The belief is that he was

killed at Hussle.

How far away is Mars?

Thousands of miles.

Hundreds of thousands. It's about 35 million at the moment.

Then by that logic, dear lady, in 10 days the thing must have travelled what?

150 ,000 miles per hour.

Does that really sound like it? None of it sounds likely, does it?

Well.

And she saw what actually occurred at Horsall. She was there with your

Yes, the thing came up into the air. It didn't explode. It didn't cause a

forest fire. It sent out a pulse of some kind that...

Burnt people to death.

Next day, something came out of the ground and burnt down all there was

Maybury Hill and Weybridge.

And what happened in Weybridge? Oh, people were trying to escape. They were

trying to get on trains or get down the river, and then this thing came up over

the brow of the hill. It seems to be some kind of creature, like a

machine.

We just let out this...

This firestorm.

The regiments at Weybridge have 12 -pounders, old ones, and no shots fired,

apparently.

The second one came down a bifleet, and that's where most of these refugees are

from, from the impact.

We need to send in some of the London battery, some of the bigger guns.

Isn't that responding unduly? I mean to say, we haven't... If it's an undue

response to try and stop one of these things from getting here and

everyone in London, then by all means, don't do it.

She is quite sure of this creature? Yes, sir, she is.

She's not the only one, sir.

Where's Sergeant Major? There he's up.

Thanks.

Just the two of you? Where have you come from? Oh, Horsall. Has anyone else come

up from that direction? I'm reporting for duty, Sergeant Major.

I was with Captain Cartwright, West Surrey Artillery.

He's dead, along with the rest of the company.

Whatever got us there is back there still.

I need to find my wife.

We were separated on Maybury Hill, and she was headed in this direction.

We've got a 12 -pounder coming up.

Orders are to go to the woods at Bypley, where the second thing landed, bombard

it before it opens.

Can you handle a weapon? Oh, have you seen her? She has red hair, and she's

and she was coming from Maybury Hill. Maybury Hill! Listen.

We were wiped out.

We didn't get a shot off.

The only thing that came down Maybury Hill was death.

She said that we should...

She said that we should meet in London, you see, so... I'm asking for

volunteers, sir. There's no road to London clear. She's pregnant, you see.

She's pregnant, so that's that. I really must find her.

Stay and do your duty like an Englishman.

Make your child proud of you when it comes.

Did Daddy fight?

Yes, of course.

Was he a soldier?

No, he was very brave.

What does this word say?

Read the letters.

We, uh... We, uh... Ponds.

Weapons.

Weapons are quite useless, my dear sergeant.

Good.

Good flat ground.

We're not shooting fish in a barrel.

Sir. Sir.

Just think.

I don't think they're firing on any things. It's a good idea, sir. Number

gun. Ready?

Yep. H .E.

400 yards.

Sir.

Bring us a shell. Look, sir, I've seen what these creatures can do. Sir, no,

you just told. Shell. Which one's the shell? Yeah.

Use delayed five seconds.

Load it. I'm trying to set the damn thing right.

Okay.

Focus on the job. Cartridge!

Cartridge!

Have you seen it?

Have you seen it, sir? We destroy this damn thing first, sir. Then we can all

go. All right?

We see what we can retrieve, take it to the top for us.

Come on.

You're not done yet.

Ladies and gentlemen, if I may say a few words.

It seems that something has arrived in England. Something has perhaps been

brought into the world.

It has completely destroyed Weybridge Railway Station and massacred

an entire battalion of the Western Surrey Army.

Formidable as it seems, the visitor or visitors have

scarcely moved from the area into which it has fallen.

Whatever the power of this thing may turn out to be, we might rest

assured in the thought of our brave soldiers facing the threat head on.

The great British army are rivaled by neither man nor monster. Parley!

Do you have a spark?

We parley!

This is nothing for anyone to be concerned about.

You are in great trouble!

We are the masters of warfare.

are the best in the world.

And

so,

for anyone feeling troubled by these reports, please remember one thing.

There cannot be more.

than two of them again.

Kissed for a hero.

I'm a married woman.

There's nothing curtainry.

And you're drunk.

There are tunnels.

Sir!

Minister!

Come on!

Frederick. Frederick, close these doors.

Sir!

Close them!

Millions, please!

We can't abandon him.

What were you before? A scientist?

No, just an amateur.

I sometimes wonder, if we hadn't advanced ourselves so far, whether they

wouldn't have come for us in the first place.

Who knows?

It's easy to lose yourself in remembering.

You mustn't.

It's our duty to raise the spirits.

Hope? Yes, well, I wasn't much use at that before, so I'm certainly not now,

believe me.

I've tried, and it doesn't work.

You've a lot to be glad of.

You're the only one with a child.

Yes.

You're right, I'm sorry.

You're from Woking, aren't you?

Was.

Briefly, another life.

Well, there's a chap from Woking on the church lists.

Horsel Common.

Your down as his next of kin just came through this morning.

But the church lists are for living people.

He's traveling all the way from Worcester.

He'll be here in the morning.

Now, if that's not to be classed as a miracle, I don't know what is.

I haven't told anyone how it ended for me.

People were in hiding or they were far away, but I was there.

I was there when they came out of their machines.

The War of the Worlds, next Sunday, 8 .30 on One.