The Day the Earth Stood Still. The Day the Earth Stood Still (a. Farewell to the Master and Journey to the World) is a 1. American science fiction film from 2. Century Fox, produced by Julian Blaustein, directed by Robert Wise, that stars Michael Rennie, Patricia Neal, Billy Gray, Hugh Marlowe, and Sam Jaffe. The screenplay was written by Edmund H. North, based on the 1.
The Day the Earth Stood Still (a.k.a. Farewell to the Master and Journey to the World) is a 1951 black-and-white American science fiction film from 20th Century Fox. UPDATE: You can now find our top 25 must-see movies of 2016 right here. There's an awful lot to look forward to over the coming 12 months, from Hollywood and beyond.
The score was composed by Bernard Herrmann. A humanoid (Michael Rennie) emerges, announcing that he has come in peace.
When he unexpectedly opens a small device, he is shot by a nervous soldier. A tall robot emerges from the saucer and quickly disintegrates the soldiers' weapons.
The alien orders the robot, Gort, to stop. He explains that the now- broken device was a gift for the President, which would have enabled him . After surgery, he uses a salve to quickly heal his wound. Meanwhile, the Army is unable to enter the saucer; Gort stands outside, silent and unmoving. Klaatu tells the President's secretary, Mr. Harley (Frank Conroy), that he has a message that must be delivered to all the world's leaders simultaneously.
Harley tells him that such a meeting in the current political climate is impossible. Klaatu suggests that he be allowed to go among humans to better understand their . Harley rejects the proposal, and Klaatu remains under guard. Klaatu escapes and lodges at a boarding house as .
Among the residents are young widow Helen Benson (Patricia Neal) and her son Bobby (Billy Gray). The next morning, Klaatu listens to the boarders speculate about why the alien is here. While Helen and her boyfriend Tom Stephens (Hugh Marlowe) go out, Klaatu babysits Bobby.
The boy takes Klaatu on a tour of the city, including a visit to his father's grave in Arlington National Cemetery; Klaatu learns that most of those buried there were killed in wars. The two visit the Lincoln Memorial, then the heavily guarded spaceship. Klaatu asks Bobby who is the greatest living person; Bobby suggests Professor Barnhardt (Sam Jaffe), who lives in the capital. Bobby takes Klaatu to Barnhardt's home, but the professor is absent. Klaatu adds an equation to a problem on Barnhardt's blackboard and leaves his contact information with the suspicious housekeeper.
That evening, a government agent takes Klaatu to Barnhardt. Klaatu explains that the people of other planets have concerns now that humanity has developed rockets and a rudimentary form of atomic power.
Klaatu declares that if his message is ignored, . Klaatu returns to his spaceship that night, unaware that Bobby has followed him. Bobby sees Gort knock out two sentries and Klaatu enter the saucer. Bobby tells Helen and Tom what he saw, but they do not believe him until Tom takes a diamond he found in Klaatu's room to a jeweler and learns it is . Klaatu reveals his true identity, then asks for her help. He has neutralized all electricity everywhere, except for such things as hospitals and aircraft in flight.
Exactly 3. 0 minutes later, the blackout ends. After Tom informs the authorities of his suspicions, Helen breaks up with him. She and Klaatu go to Barnhardt's home. En route, he tells her that should anything happen to him, she must say to Gort, . Helen quickly heads to the saucer.
Gort disintegrates both sentries and advances on her. When Helen utters Klaatu's words, the robot carries her into the spaceship, then leaves to retrieve Klaatu's body. Gort brings Klaatu back to life, but he explains to Helen that his revival is only temporary; the power of life and death is . This power cannot be revoked. Your choice is simple: join us and live in peace, or pursue your present course and face obliteration. Kaltenborn, Elmer Davis, Drew Pearson, and Gabriel Heatter, appeared and/or were heard as themselves in cameo roles. Spencer Tracy and Claude Rains were originally considered for the part of Klaatu.
I never discussed this angle with Blaustein or Wise because I didn't want it expressed. I had originally hoped that the Christ comparison would be subliminal. He presents himself as John Carpenter, the same initials as Jesus Christ (and borrowing a given name from one of his disciples, John). His previous actions are misunderstood, and he is eventually killed by military authority. At the end of the film, Klaatu, having risen from the dead, ascends into the (night) sky.
Other parallels include: his coming to Earth with a message for all mankind; his befriending of a child; possessing wisdom and specialized scientific knowledge beyond any human being; people being given a sign of his power. At the very start of the film, one of the radar technicians, upon observing the speed of Klaatu's spaceship, is heard to exclaim, . He reviewed more than 2. Studio head Darryl F. Zanuck gave the go- ahead for this project, and Blaustein hired Edmund North to write the screenplay based on elements from Harry Bates's 1. The revised final screenplay was completed on February 2.
Science fiction writer Raymond F. Jones worked as an uncredited adviser. They collaborated with the noted architect Frank Lloyd Wright for the design of the spacecraft. Paul Laffoley has suggested that the futuristic interior was inspired by Wright's Johnson Wax Headquarters, completed in 1. Laffoley quotes Wright and his attempt in designing the exterior: . If cut, the rift would appear to heal like a wound, leaving a continuous surface with no scar. Meade in Maryland.
The shooting schedule was from April 9 to May 2. The primary actors never traveled to Washington for the making of the film. Director Robert Wise indicated in the DVD commentary that the War Department refused participation in the film based on a reading of the script.
The military equipment shown, however, came from the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment then stationed at Ft. Meade which supplied the vehicles, equipment and soldiers for the segments depicting Army operations.
Not used to being in such a confining, heat- inducing costume, he worked carefully when wearing the two oversize, laced- up- the- front or back, foamed neoprene suits needed for creating the illusion on screen of a seamless metallic Gort. Wise decided that Martin's on- screen shooting time would be limited to half hour intervals, so Martin, with his generally weak constitution, would face no more than minor discomfort. These segments, in turn, were then edited together into film's final print. Also mentioned in the DVD's documentary interview was the original title for the movie, . Herrmann chose unusual instrumentation for the film: violin, cello, and bass (all three electric), two theremin electronic instruments (played by Dr. Samuel Hoffman and Paul Shure), two Hammond organs, a large studio electric organ, three vibraphones, two glockenspiels, marimba, tam- tam, two bass drums, three sets of timpani, two pianos, celesta, two harps, one horn, three trumpets, three trombones, and four tubas. By using the theremin, Herrmann made one of music's first forays into electronic music, one year before Karlheinz Stockhausen and three years before Edgard Var.
Danny Elfman noted The Day the Earth Stood Still's score inspired his interest in film composing, and made him a fan of Herrmann. Cast, although secondary to the story, works well.! It is by far the best of the science- fiction pictures yet produced. It holds one's interest undiminished from start to finish and, although the theme is admittedly fantastic, one is made to feel as if he is seeing a real- life occurrence because of the expert handling of the subject matter and the extremely fine special effects work. Clarke's list of the best science fiction films of all time, just above Stanley Kubrick's 2. A Space Odyssey, which Clarke himself co- wrote. In 2. 00. 1, it was ranked number 8.
Years.. 1. 00 Thrills, a list of America's most heart- pounding films. The Day the Earth Stood Still was acknowledged as the fifth best film in the science fiction genre.! Klaatu barada nikto! Two years later, Reagan told the United Nations, . The Robot Hall of Fame described it as .
Clarke of Cinefantastique called it .
The 5 Best Sci- Fi Movies on Netflix Right Now. The Simpsons has been a television institution for nearly 3.
Since its debut on Fox in 1. As the longest- running scripted show on TV, it's no surprise that the show's history is littered with interesting anecdotes, loads of cultural references, bizarre guest stars, offbeat writers, wild fan theories, and even a bit of drama. Dig a bit deeper into the history of television's favorite animated family with 1. The Simpsons. 1. IT’S IVY LEAGUE COMEDY AT ITS FINEST. The folks behind The Simpsons are smart. Incredibly smart.
One look through the writers and producers who have passed through the show reveals graduates, scholars, and professors from some of the best universities on the planet. And many of them didn’t start out by studying writing. Watch The Case For Christ (2017) Online Free. Al Jean, who has been the show’s executive producer on more than 4. Harvard when he was just 1. Writer Jeff Westbrook was an algorithm researcher and attended both Harvard and Princeton before becoming a professor at Yale.
Writer David X. Cohen graduated from Harvard with a physics degree and University of California, Berkeley with an M. S. And this is just a sample of the brain power it takes to bring The Simpsons to life. ONLY GOD HAS FIVE FINGERS. It’s an animation tradition, but one character bucks that trend: God. In the episode “Homer the Heretic,” Homer meets the big cheese, who sports a long white beard, flowing robe, and the standard five fingers on each hand. Just one of the perks of being in charge.
There is one inconsistency, though: Jesus is actually depicted with five fingers in the episode “Thank God It’s Doomsday,” but in subsequent appearances, he’s back to four. Whether this is some profound message or a simple animator slip- up is up to your own interpretation. The episode “Kamp Krusty,” from the show’s fourth season, was originally batted around as a potential plot for a film. In the episode, Bart, Lisa, and the other kids of Springfield go to Krusty the Clown’s shoddy sleepaway camp for the summer while Homer and Marge stay behind to rekindle their marriage.
According to the DVD commentary, a feature- length script never came together. In fact, the writers had a hard enough time stretching the story out to a standard episode length, so an 8. THE SIMPSONS GOT INTO A PUBLIC WAR WITH THE BUSH FAMILY. Bush, but they wrote the letter in character as Marge Simpson. The letter takes some good- natured shots at Mrs. Bush and pleasantly scolds her for the critique, including the line, “Ma'am, if we're the dumbest thing you ever saw, Washington must be a good deal different than what they teach me at the current events group at the church.”The war was over . Speaking at a convention for religious broadcasters in 1.
President George H. W. Bush vowed to strengthen American families, to make them . Well the show wasn’t done with the former First Family yet. In the episode “Two Bad Neighbors,” the Bushes move across the street from the Simpsons, and the former president engages in a battle of wits with Homer and Bart (and ends up with a rainbow wig glued to his head).
Though the ex- president didn’t voice the character, it provided a definitive end to the feud, as the family eventually drove the Bushes out of Springfield through the same idiotic behavior Barbara Bush derided years earlier. MATT GROENING REMOVED HIS NAME FROM THE EPISODE “A STAR IS BURNS.”For a show that’s been on the air for close to 3. The Simpsons hasn’t endured much public drama outside of the occasional cast salary negotiations. But one of the show’s most memorable feuds went straight to the press, and it concerned the 1. A Star is Burns,” which featured the character Jay Sherman (voiced by John Lovitz) from the series The Critic coming to Springfield.
Feeling that the episode was just a cheap crossover, The Simpsons creator Matt Groening removed his name from the episode’s opening credits, the first and only time his name wasn’t associated with the series. This led to a very brief—but surprisingly brutal—war of words between Groening and executive producer James L. But his behavior right now is rotten. And it's not pretty when a rich man acts like this. However, this time it was another Groening creation—Futurama—stopping by for an episode in 2. Simpsorama.”6. ELIZABETH TAYLOR VOICED MAGGIE FOR ONE WORD. Maggie is famous for her pacifier and 2.
Lisa’s First Word.” And the voice behind Maggie was none other than Elizabeth Taylor, who was hired to say one thing: “Daddy.”The scene takes place at the end of the episode once Homer leaves Maggie’s room after tucking her in, so of course no one hears her. To get the line just right, producer Al Jean requested a number of takes from the Hollywood icon, culminating in Taylor telling Jean, “F- -- you,” in her Maggie voice while the tapes were still rolling. Taylor reappeared on the show toward the end of the fourth season in the episode . THE SHOW HAS LANDED BOTH BANKSY AND THOMAS PYNCHON. Yet somehow, they both contributed to The Simpsons—Banksy with a couch gag and Pynchon as a guest- voice.
Pynchon appears (with a paper bag over his head to preserve his mystique) in two episodes, “Diatribe of a Mad Housewife,” where he endorses Marge’s book, and “All’s Fair in Oven War,” where he eats some chicken wings she made. He even edited his own dialogue for the show, removing a line where he was supposed to call Homer a fat ass. Al Jean said he was a little concerned with the nature of the couch gag at first, but he and Groening agreed to leave it in with minimal changes. And no, nobody on The Simpsons ever met Banksy.
In both cases, the reclusive artists were tracked down by casting director Bonnie Pietila. HOMER MAKES LESS THAN $2.
A YEAR AT THE NUCLEAR PLANT. In some episodes, they have to forego fancy quilted toilet paper to make ends meet and, in others, Homer can pull wads of money out of his wallet if the plot calls for it. It’s all part of the show’s famous .
That’s $2. 4,3. 95 per year, and $3. Vox. 9. MICHAEL JACKSON VOICED A CHARACTER BUT HAD AN IMPRESSIONIST DO THE SINGING. One of the most important parts of the early success of The Simpsons was the roster of A- list celebrities that provided guest voices for the series. This was at a time when a prime- time animated show wasn’t given much respect in show business, so having the likes of Dustin Hoffman, James Earl Jones, Larry King, Penny Marshall, and Phil Hartman lend their vocal talents to the show gave it an air of respectability that it needed. Perhaps the biggest coup came during season three, when the show landed Michael Jackson as a guest.
In “Stark Raving Dead,” Jackson plays a heavy- set, white mental patient who believes he’s the King of Pop and befriends the family after being Homer’s sanitarium cellmate. Jackson was a big Simpsons fan, so he was happy to lend his voice to the show.
His speaking voice, that is. Jackson refused to sing on the show when it came time for the episode’s musical number, instead leaving that up to a soundalike. When the cast discovered this during the episode’s table read, Harry Shearer (voice of Mr. Burns and many others) looked over at Yeardley Smith (Lisa Simpson) and said, “We’ve paid just enough for the speaking Michael Jackson but we can’t afford the singing Michael Jackson.”When Jean asked why exactly Jackson didn’t want to sing on the show, the music legend told him, “I’m playing a joke on my brothers” with no further explanation. Don’t go looking for Jackson’s name in the show’s closing credits, though.
He appeared under the pseudonym John Jay Smith, which, again, was never explained. THE SHOW’S MOST PROLIFIC WRITER IS NOTORIOUSLY RECLUSIVE. The Simpsons has churned out a number of great comedy writers who have gone on to mainstream success—Conan O’Brien and The Office creator Greg Daniels among them—but there’s one whose legend eclipses nearly everyone else. Casual fans might not know him, but among Simpsons die- hards, the name John Swartzwelder is met with hushed awe.