“Michael Rennie was ill the day the earth stood still…”
One of the reasons that Michael Rennie was cast as Klaatu in “The Day the Earth Stood Still” (1951) was because he was generally unknown to American audiences, and would be more readily accepted as an “alien” than a more recognizable actor. Studio head Darryl F. Zanuck had shown the script to Spencer Tracy, who was eager to play the role. Producer Julian Blaustein objected, saying that the audience would have numerous expectations about the character upon seeing an actor of such repute emerging from the flying saucer. Blaustein knew that Zanuck had the ultimate control, and if he insisted, Blaustein would either have to resign, or make the movie in an unsatisfactory way. Fortunately, Zanuck agreed, and Rennie was cast instead.
The first actor to whom the role of Klaatu was actually offered was Claude Rains, who wanted to accept it, but had to decline because of a prior commitment on Broadway. Decades later, director Robert Wise would remark, “Fortunately, we couldn’t get him.”
The Army refused to cooperate after reading the script. The studio then approached the National Guard, which had no qualms about seeing the Army depicted in a less-than-flattering light, and gladly offered their cooperation.
Patricia Neal has admitted in interviews that she was completely unaware during the filming that the film would turn out so well, and become one of the great science-fiction classics of all time. She assumed it would be just another one of the then-current and rather trashy flying saucer films, and she found it difficult to keep a straight face while saying her lines.
This was Rennie’s third film for 20th Century Fox; though he was under contract to the studio for seven years, and while he had important supporting roles in all of them, Klaatu was the only lead role he was ever given. (IMDb)
Patricia Neal is one of may favorite actresses. I recall as a young kid seeing here in several movies when I was young in the 60’s and early 70’s (I watched a lot of the movie reruns on Channel 2’s Two On The Aisle Sunday afternoon movie program, and saw her in many films.
I just re-watched her in Hud, a few weeks ago for the first time in years.
Kind of sci-fi, but more satire… I remember KTVX Channel 4 used to have a Saturday afternoon movie of the week, I think they used part of Pink Floyd’s “Time” as their theme music on the intro between commercials.
One Saturday I came in from riding my bike and plopped down on the couch and caught the very end of Dr. Strangelove, where Slim Pickens is riding the nuclear bomb like it’s a rodeo animal.
“OK, this is different”, I remember thinking.
Later in college we analyzed Dr. Strangelove in a lib-ed film studies class (before the term “liberal” became the new “commie”) - Stanley Kubrick’s use of camera angles, use of black and white to make it appear more formal, a satire take on the Cold War that helped thoughtful citizens not go entirely insane from thinking about the gravity of the situation, etc.
In terms of Sci-Fi, 2001: A Space Odyssey was simply mind blowing, I had to watch the movie twice + read the book. Arthur C. Clark’s masterpiece.
(Interestingly, decades later I had a coworker from Sri Lanka, where Clark retired, who actually went to grade school across the street from Clark’s residence in Colombo. She remembered they would see him out on his porch, and he would wave at them. Small world. I asked her if they knew how he was famous - she said they knew he was some kind of important person, but they were kids, they didn’t know why.)
@sweetgrass I remember that intro to “Time” like it was yesterday. There was all of the funky black light pictures they showed during the intro, too. If I also remember correctly Wooly Waldron did the announcements for the show.
