In southern California, Dr. Clayton Forrester, a well-known atomic scientist, is fishing with colleagues when a large object crashes near the town of Linda Rosa. At the impact site, he meets USC library science instructor Sylvia Van Buren and her uncle, Pastor Matthew Collins. Later that night, a round hatch on the object unscrews and opens; a Martian weapon disintegrates the three men standing guard at the site, simultaneously shutting down all technology in the town with an electromagnetic pulse. The United States Marine Corps surround the crash site as reports pour in of identical objects landing all over the world and destroying cities. Pastor Collins attempts to make contact with the Martians, but is also disintegrated. The Martian war machines effortlessly defeat the military with their "Heat-Ray" and "skeleton beam" weapons.
Attempting to escape in a military spotter plane, Forrester and Sylvia crash land and hide in an abandoned farm house. They begin to develop closer feelings for each other just before the house is buried by yet another crashing cylinder. They encounter and dismember an "electronic eye" on a long cable from a nearby hovering Martian machine, and collect a blood sample from a Martian wounded by Forrester with an axe while protecting Sylvia. They manage to escape unseen just before the farm house is obliterated. Forrester takes the camera housing and blood samples to his team at Pacific Tech, in the hopes of finding a way to defeat the invaders.
Many of the major world capitals are destroyed by the Martians, and the United States government makes the decision to drop the atomic bomb. The Martians' force shields, however, prove impervious to the bomb's destructive power.

Directed by Byron Haskin
Starring Gene Barry, Ann Robinson

In southern California, Dr. Clayton Forrester, a well-known atomic scientist, is fishing with colleagues when a large object crashes near the town of Linda Rosa. At the impact site, he meets USC library science instructor Sylvia Van Buren and her uncle, Pastor Matthew Collins. Later that night, a round hatch on the object unscrews and opens; a Martian weapon disintegrates the three men standing guard at the site, simultaneously shutting down all technology in the town with an electromagnetic pulse. The United States Marine Corps surround the crash site as reports pour in of identical objects landing all over the world and destroying cities. Pastor Collins attempts to make contact with the Martians, but is also disintegrated. The Martian war machines effortlessly defeat the military with their "Heat-Ray" and "skeleton beam" weapons.
Attempting to escape in a military spotter plane, Forrester and Sylvia crash land and hide in an abandoned farm house. They begin to develop closer feelings for each other just before the house is buried by yet another crashing cylinder. They encounter and dismember an "electronic eye" on a long cable from a nearby hovering Martian machine, and collect a blood sample from a Martian wounded by Forrester with an axe while protecting Sylvia. They manage to escape unseen just before the farm house is obliterated. Forrester takes the camera housing and blood samples to his team at Pacific Tech, in the hopes of finding a way to defeat the invaders.
Many of the major world capitals are destroyed by the Martians, and the United States government makes the decision to drop the atomic bomb. The Martians' force shields, however, prove impervious to the bomb's destructive power.

Directed by Byron Haskin
Starring Gene Barry, Ann Robinson