Cedric Hardwicke

Commentary: Mars is more than 140 million miles from the sun, and for centuries has been in the last status of exhaustion. At night, temperatures drop far below zero even at its equator. Inhabitants of this dying planet looked across space with instruments and intelligences that which we have scarcely dreamed, searching for another world to which they could migrate. They could not go to Pluto, outermost of all planets. So cold, that even it's atmosphere lies frozen on it's surface. They couldn't go to Neptune, or Uranus. Twin worlds in eternal night and perpetual cold. Both surrounded by an unbreathable atmosphere of methane gas, and ammonia vapor. The Martians considered Saturn, and attractive world with it's many moons and beautiful rings of cosmic dust. But, it's temperature is close to 270 degrees below zero. And ice lies 15,000 miles deep on it's surface. Their nearest world was giant Jupiter, where there are titanic cliffs of lava and ice with hydrogen flaming at the tops, where the atmospheric pressure is terrible. Thousands of pounds to the square inch. Nor could they go to Mercury, nearest planet to the sun. It has no air, and the temperature at it's equator is that of molten lead.

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Commentary: The Martians had calculated their descent with amazing perfection and subtlety. As more of their cylinders came from the mysterious depths of space, their war machines, awesome in their power and complexity, created a wave of fear throughout the world.

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Julian Northrup: Live and let live, that's my motto.
Mr. Brink: Yes. You can hardle expect me to second that.

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