GORT; KLAATU BARRADA NICKTU

[mrsl]

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I don't know what the words mean, exactly, but since they saved Mr. Carpenter and eventually the world, I figured I'd file them away in case they're needed some day.

Actually, I've always loved The Day The Earth Stood Still as a really good science fiction movie from the 50's along with Them. Today, however, I sat down and really watched it. Besides being directed as a film noir, the actors all played their parts for real rather than tongue in cheek, except for Richard Carlson, I can see why he never got way up there to the 'A' movies -- he just wasn't believable. The little kid (Billy Gray - Father Knows Best), showed more acting ability than he did. Carlson has two faces, bored, and highly excited and makes one or the other fit every scene. I like Michael Rennie in most anything so I don't criticize him. Patricia Neal might have been playing opposite Paul Newman in Hud for the performance she gave -- no wringing of the hands, or biting her lip for her. She was the kid's mother, and the caring woman when the 'spaceman' was hurt. She just plays it straight, and does her job. I don't believe I've ever seen Sam Jaffee as anything other than Sabu or the Doc in Ben Casey, but what a stretch that is. Here, as a scientist, you literally hang on every word, because this is the first character who's come along that makes any sense, in that he's not ready to go out and bomb Gort, or take a shot at the ship.

Considering it was made during the threat of nuclear war, the message that Mr. Carpenter brought could certainly be made useful today. Quite often the sci-fi movies of the 50's had messages about creating peace and avoiding war of any kind, but of course the messages were ignored as silly propaganda, which is a shame in some cases.
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[ken123]

mrsl,
Do you mean Hugh Marlow ?. Richard ( I Lead Three Lives ) Carlson is not ia member of the cast of " Day "

[mrsl]

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Ken123;

Thanks for catching my mistakes so clearly. I always get Hugh Marlowe and Richard Carlson confused with each other. They resemble each other in my minds' eye, and nine out of ten times I'll say one for the other and vice versa.
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[ken123]

Hugh Marlowe was usually a very wooden actor IMHO, but he was very convincing, as the outlaw leader " Zimmerman " ( aka Zim ) in the Western " Rawhide ", which in no way is related to the TV series of the same name starring Eric Fleming & Clint Eastwood. Ty Power & Susan Hayward were the stars of the film that was directed by Henry Hathaway. Mr Marlowe was also ok in " All About Eve ", as the playwright - husband of Celeste Holm.

[Lzcutter]

I don't believe I've ever seen Sam Jaffee as anything other than Sabu or the Doc in Ben Casey, but what a stretch that is.

How about as Gunga Din in the film of the same name? Jaffe plays the water boy/soldier/hero in that wonderful adventure film.

[knitwit45]

And isn't he the High Llama of Lost Horizons??

[klondike]

Sly Sam was also the perverse ex-con strategist who stole every scene he graced in Asphalt Jungle, dwarfing such savvy co-stars as Sterling Hayden, John McIntire & Louis Calhern!

[mrsl]

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Okay, okay, okay, please STOP -- I admit I was wrong beginning with giving the wrong name for the actor, and not remembering Sam Jaffee in so many other roles he's played, but, the real question is:

Does anyone have any comments on the movie, The Day the Earth Stood Still, and has anyone seen the remake from twenty oh eight?
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[jdb1]

I always prefer sci-fi that thinks. Sometimes the mundane can be much more scary and affecting than seething rubber monsters dripping special-effects blood. Even so, that kill 'em first and ask questions later mentality still pervades the edges of this movie. I also like the way the vistor from Out There is British. Moviemakers in the 50s knew we were much more likely to listen to him -- just like we paid attention to all those British legionaires and emperors in the Cinemascope Roman epics of the time.

I have one major problem with this movie, and her name is Patricia Neal. I simply do not like this actress, and I rarely want to look at anything she's in. Very fond of Billy Gray, though.

On the whole, I am inclined to watch it, and I think it goes well with War of the Worlds of the same period, which is in a similarly thoughtful vein.

[mrsl]

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Judith:

I agree about Patricia Neal, even though I praise her work in this, that doesn't mean I like her a lot. I did like her in In Harm's Way, simply because she 'fit' so well with the Duke. she was 'way off base paired with young, handsome Paul Newman, in Hud.

That idea of shoot first and 'maybe' ask questions later is infantile, and irritates the heck out of me. I'll never understand how mathematics makes a connection with anything at all. Watching Numb3rs, has never helped me to 'get' that at all, even though each week he runs through some kind of explanation using math. How would someone from another planet, who speaks a different language, know what was on the doctors blackboard, and be able to fix it, would the numbers be that similar?
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[Professional Tourist]

I haven't seen The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951) in many years, but I remember enjoying it when it would be aired on television. I've looked for it on YouTube this morning, but have not found a complete copy (they all have some segments missing). This was also produced for Lux Radio Theater in January of 1954 with Michael Rennie and Jean Peters. If anyone is interested, here it is.

[Ollie]

This film intrigues me more than I like it. I probably consider it a "preference for scenes, not the whole film" kind of event. For example, the early half of the film is interesting to me (in the hospital, his departure and then his arrival at the boarding house where Aunt Bee is doing her best anti-Adlai speech). And Sam Jaffe's "Does it frighten you?" bit. Rennie's return to the blackboard and warning the secretary to leave his scrawlings up there... and boy, ain't that the truth - it's SO wonderful that the Western math characters were amazingly universally. As in Universe.

As for the Hugh Marlowe-Richard Carlson thing, throw in Richard Denning in there, too. Even when I see them together (CREATURE FROM BLACK LAGOON has two of 'em, but don't ask me which two), I can't tell 'em apart! And then there's Dana Andrews, which is also their twin brother. But I know him - and still can't forgive him. How could he leave Laur - er, Gene Tierney alone?!! IDIOT. I could just smack him for that... jiminy... "Ya have a chance to spend time with Laur - er, Gene, and instead you're off, wanderin' around?!!"

Oh well... I have the same problem with Jimmy Stewart. He has a chance to spend time with Grace Kelly, and all he's doing is peering out windows at a bleached-out Raymond Burr. Jeepers...

[TalkieTime]

Speaking of lookalikes, we have a nickname for the Zenith DTT901 Coupon Eligible Converter Box (for TV reception with an antenna). The nickname is "GORT" because the front panel LED reminds one of the light that appears when Gort's visor is opened just before the ray zaps and disintegrates weapons and people.

The other day I had Born To Dance (1936) on in the background but I wasn't watching it too closely. Then, in several scenes I heard what I thought was William Holden's voice. I watched to see if it was really Holden (who would be younger than twenty in 1936). The voice belonged to Alan Dinehart (who was then in his late 40's). Even with a thirty year difference in their ages both also bore some physical resemblance to each other.

[ken123]

Michael Rennie's human name in Day is Mr Carpenter, a reference to Jesus who was the son of a carpenter and The Price of Peace.

[Ollie]

I tried to sit thru the Surfer Dude version of DAY since it's on HBO, and I couldn't get past more than 2 minutes of any attempt. Keanu doesn't do a bad job. Kathy Bates's character issues such angering dialog that she repels me from watching it. In fact, there are a lot of characters that repel me from this film so, in comparison, Keanu doesn't do a bad job.

This is a remake that attempts differences, and I give them some brownie-points for the creative attempt. But I see no attempt at making this film BETTER. James Hong - a long-on-Earth alien - is a very interesting twist. And they use it - how? "Let's go to McDonalds!" "Let's sit in a diner!" Wow. Yeah, THAT is really a great exploitation of a creative change! (rolling eyes)

Do they want to cheaply jerk tears from us by writing in a By-Daddy's-Tombstone scene?

I see "differences" but I don't see any demonstation of "This will be a better film". And they're right - this is not.