“Klaatu barada nikto”
The Day The Earth Stood Still
The most famous Klaatu quote from the original The Day the Earth Stood Still is the command to the robot Gort: Other notable quotes include his declaration that “the threat of aggression by any group, anywhere, can no longer be tolerated” and the ultimatum given to humanity: “join us and live in peace, or pursue your present course and face obliteration”.
Here are some key quotes attributed to Klaatu:
“Your choice is simple: join us and live in peace, or pursue your present course and face obliteration”.
“Klaatu barada nikto.” (The command to Gort)
“The universe grows smaller every day, and the threat of aggression by any group, anywhere, can no longer be tolerated”.
“There must be security for all or no one is secure”.
“This planet is dying. The human race is killing it” (from the 2008 remake, spoken by the character Klaatu).
“Now, we do not pretend to have achieved perfection, but we do have a system, and it works”.
The Day The Earth Stood Still (1951) it was not one of the first science fiction movies: that distinction belongs to earlier films like A Trip to the Moon (1902), but it was a seminal work in the Golden Age of Science Fiction that solidified the genre with its thought-provoking themes and iconic imagery. While the genre existed long before 1951, The Day the Earth Stood Still is considered a classic for its blend of philosophical content, anti-war messaging set against the Cold War backdrop, and high artistic quality. IA
I watched this movie in 1951 at the Orpheum Theater in Neosho, Missouri. Before the feature film began, we were entertained with cartoons, Movietone News.
Movietone News evolved from an earlier newsreel established by Fox Films called Fox News which was founded in 1919. It produced silent newsreels. When Fox entered talkies in 1928 with Mother Knows Best, the name Fox Movietone was applied to Fox’s sound productions.
LOONEY TUNES
1944–1964: The Golden era
More popular Looney Tunes characters were created (most of which first appeared in Merrie Melodies cartoons), such as Pepé Le Pew (debuted in 1945’s Odor-able Kitty), Sylvester (debuted in 1945’s Life with Feathers), Yosemite Sam (debuted in 1945’s Hare Trigger), Foghorn Leghorn (debuted in 1946’s Walky Talky Hawky), Marvin the Martian (debuted in 1948’s Haredevil Hare), Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner (debuted in 1949’s Fast and Furry-ous), Granny (debuted in 1950’s Canary Row), Speedy Gonzales (debuted in 1953’s Cat Tails for Two), the Tasmanian Devil (debuted in 1954’s Devil May Hare), and Ralph Wolf and Sam Sheepdog (debuted in 1953’s Don’t Give Up the Sheep).
I just stepped into the past. This old man was nine in 1951.
On Saturday, mother would give us, myself and two sisters, twenty-five cents each to watch a move at the Orpheum or Band Box theaters. Enough money to watch the movie, buy a bag of popcorn, candy bar, and a drink.
As an additional bonus, Saturday’s were double feature day. Two movies for the price of one, and further, in those days the house was not cleared after the movie ended – one could sit through another three, four hours. An all day, and often into late evening affair if the movies are interesting.
Mom got an all day break from her brood.