Today’s movie review is for the SciFi classic: “The Day The Earth Stood Still” (1951). This movie starred Michael Rennie and Patricia Neal. Basically, an alien spaceship lands in Washington, D.C. and the ship pilot – Klaatu, played by Rennie – announces he is here to deliver a message to all of Earth. He is wounded, rushed to a hospital from which he escapes and then he moves into a boarding house where he attempts to learn about humans “first hand”. | |
At the boarding house he meets a single mother (Neal) and her son, who befriends the alien and gives him a tour of D.C. While playing tourist, Klaatu sets out to meet the smartest man on Earth so the alien can convey his message. Fade to much later… Klaatu tells Mrs. Benson (Neal) that if anything happens to him she is to tell his robot / guard (Gort) the (now famous) line: “Gort, Klaatu barada nikto.” Klaatu is killed by the military. Mrs. Benson delivers the message to Gort. Gort recovers Klaatu’s body and brings him back to life using alien technology. | |
Klaatu delivers his message of warning to Earth’s scientists that the planet will be destroyed if we attempt to take our nuclear weapons into space. He then says good-bye and leaves Earth. | |
The movie is about fear of the unknown and fairly anti-war. As such, it was very much ahead of its time – this being the real beginning of the “cold war” period. It has many “quaint” images in it. I particularly enjoyed seeing the old style switchboards and operators. | |
I will always remember Rennie for his role in this movie and in my young mind it (the movie) defined SciFi for me for many years. The only three equals (for me) were “Village of the Damned” (1960), “The Blob” (1958) and “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” (1956). All four of these are excellent period SciFi movies and I would highly recommend any of them. | |
Final recommendation: Highly Recommended!! After 60 years, the movie still holds up well as SciFi and as a commentary on the United States at that time. I guess we must have heeded the message of the movie as we have never tried to take our nuclear weapons into space. More accurately, we’ve made no “serious” efforts to go to space. This is not to denigrate the multiple craft we have sent to the ends of our solar system. It is a criticism of the fact that we haven’t set foot on the moon in 40 years (1972). | |
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On This Day In: | |
2022 | But Don’t Be A Rocking Horse |
2021 | Be Interesting |
Wonder What Is Wrong With Me | |
2020 | To Our #IdiotInChief: Wear A Mask! |
2019 | Silent Purpose |
2018 | Just Bake The Cake, Man |
2017 | Visible Proof |
2016 | Poor Enough Means |
2015 | Still Standing |
Follow Your Heart | |
2014 | Just Reminded |
2013 | A Fine Balance |
2012 | One Measure |
2011 | Seeking The Common Ground |
In Brightest Day… | |
Still Standing
June 20, 2015 by kmabarrett
Posted in Movie Review, Movies | Tagged Gort, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Klaatu, Klaatu Barada Nikto, Michael Rennie, Mrs. Helen Benson, Patricia Neal, The Blob, The Day The Earth Stood Still (1951) - movie review, Village of the Damned | 3 Comments
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I, too, still love this classic. Having watched it in the mid 60s, I was mesmerized by Klaatu’s silvery garb and Gort. I may be in error, but I recall a boy on a trike being saved by a firehose- like belt.
But I do place War of the World’s near the top as well as my faves, only outdone by Anne Francis in Forbidden Plant.
Hi,
Thanks for the visit and for leaving a comment.
I don’t remember that in either version of the film. It does remind me of the “Outer Limits” episode “The Premonition” where a guy gets thrown into a kind of time slow-down. Time is still moving, but at a very slow pace. He discovers his daughter is about to be hit by a truck which didn’t have the parking brake on correctly. He ends up tying a belt to the hand-brake so when time reverts to normal, the moving truck pulls the hand-brake, which stops the truck, and saves his kid.
LOL! Darn! Now, I’m gonna have to go find that episode to see if I remember it correctly…
Yes, War of the Worlds and Forbidden Planet were also two movies I enjoyed. And, yes, Anne Francis was a cutie back then… I remember her more from her TV role, “Honey West”. She played a “sexy” private investigator. Ahead of her time!
Again, thanks for stopping by.
I believe you are right about the Outer Limits! That’s where it’s from!