Episode 116 - The Day The Earth Stood Still

Classic Movie Reviews

One of our favorite movies, “The Day The Earth Stood Still” tells a cautionary tale in a time of the Cold War and rapidly advancing technology. Expertly directed by Robert Wise and starring the perfectly cast Michael Rennie, Patricia Neal, Hugh Marlow, Sam Jaffe and Billy Gray, this is a film with multiple layers of meaning and nuance. It’s a straight-forward sci-fi tale with a flying saucer, a superior alien race, and an invulnerable all powerful robot. It’s also a tale of the possibility of humankind's redemption in the face of a higher power. Or is it a tale of the origin of the human race on Earth. Or is it… well, you’ll see. There’s so much to discuss in this film. And let’s not forget the music, in what may be Bernard Herrmann’s best score, but which certainly is one of his best, he utilizes two Theramins for the first time in film and the score sets a standard for sci-fi scores that will be followed for decades after. We’re considering a Bernard Herrmann festival. So keep your eye out for that soon. We truly love this film and hopefully that comes through in the show. Enjoy!