The Day the Earth Stood Still
Season 11, Episode 05
May 15, 2023
A warning and . . . an ultimatum
Re-Imagined Radio considers the Lux Radio Theatre adaptation of the 1951 SciFi movie, The Day the Earth Stood Still. A space alien arrives in Washington, DC, and delivers a warning and . . . an ultimatum. Live peacefully or be destroyed by robots of unimaginable power. This radio story overlays Cold War fear of rockets and nuclear war, space aliens, flying saucers, and robots. The result is powerful, insightful, thought provoking, a fine example of radio storytelling.
Access the episode script
Background
First a Short Story
The story we know as "The Day the Earth Stood Still" was first published as "Farewell to the Master"
in
Astounding Science Fiction Magazine, October 1940. It was written by American science
fiction writer and editor Hiram Gilmore "Harry" Bates III. Bates edited several action-adventure pulp
magazines, and was founding editor of Astounding Science Fiction.
Bates used themes then popular in Science Fiction literature, and popular culture: aliens, robots, and flying saucers. Bates played with these ideas in his story, even reversed the long-held stereotype of aliens. In his story, the alien Klaatu is kind, wise, noble, like a benign god. The giant robot Gnot — the name was changed to Gort in the 1951 movie adaptation — exhibited sadness, gentleness. Read "Farewell to the Master" here→.
Flying Saucers
One of the earliest descriptions of "flying saucers" was by Texas farmer John Martin who described a
saucer-shaped object he saw in the sky moving "at wonderful speed." Martin's description was included in
an article published in the January 25, 1878 issue of the Denison Daily News.
On June 24, 1947 pilot Kenneth Arnold flew from Chehalis, Washington, for a business trip to Yakima. Approaching Mineral, at 9,200 feet altitude, just before 3:00 PM, Arnold looked toward Mt. Rainier, to the Northeast, and saw nine metallic-looking discs flying at incredible speeds in a chain formation. Arnold reported what he saw to the U.S. Military but no positive identification was ever made. His description, and reports of a "flying saucer" found less than two weeks later at Roswell, New Mexico, July 7, 1947 helped popularize the term.
Space Travel
Space travel was effectively planted in the public mind in 1902 by a silent adventure film written
and
directed by French filmmaker Georges Méliès (ME-less). His 16-minute film, A Trip to the Moon (Le
Voyage dans la Lune), imagined astronauts traveling to the Moon in a capsule shot from a
large cannon. The scene in which the capsule lands in the Moon's eye is one of the most iconic and
frequently referenced images in the history of cinema. Watch the original black and white film.
A Movie Adaptation
In 1951, Bates's short story was adapted by Edmund H. North as the movie The Day the Earth Stood Still, starring Michael
Rennie, as Klaatu, and Patricia Neal, as Helen Benson. The film score was composed by Bernard Herrmann.
The movie story retained the alien in human form, the 8-foot-tall metal robot, and the flying saucer introduced by Bates. To these science fiction literature themes, North added Cold War paranoia about invasion and concerns about world destruction from nuclear war using "intercontinental missiles armed with hydrogen bombs."
A Radio Adaptation
The 1951 movie was adapted for radio by Milton Geiger and broadcast January 4, 1954, as an episode
of
Lux Radio Theatre (Episode #862). Michael Rennie again starred as Klaatu, but Jean Peters
replaced Patricia Neal as Helen Benson.
Cast
Michael Rennie as Klaatu
Jean Peters as Helen Benson
Paul Frees as Narrator
Herb Butterfield as Professor Barnhardt
Lamont Johnson as Tom Stevens
Tudor Owen as Mr. Harley
Billy Gray as Bobby Benson
Edith Evanson as Mrs. Crockett
William Conrad as General Cutler
Credits
Music composed and directed by Rudy Schrager
Contemporary Relevance
As we hear in this radio story, even alien intervention cannot break through human intransigence.
Klaatu's message is ignored by humanity. Today, we face a similar situation with Climate Change and
Artificial Intelligence. Although not delivered by a space alien arriving with a giant robot in a flying
saucer, the message, and ultimatum are the same: address both climate change and artificial intelligence
or face extinction.
Production
Contents
Samples from the 1954 Lux Radio Theatre adaptation of the 1951 movie The Day the Earth Stood Still.
Credits
Written, Produced, and Hosted by John F. Barber
Sound Design, Music, and Post Production by Marc Rose of Fuse Audio Design
Promotional Graphics by Holly Slocum Design
Producer's Notes
This episode explores how science fiction can serve as a mirror to contemporary concerns, and how the
warnings of the past remain remarkably relevant to our present challenges.
— John F. Barber
Promotion
Press
Graphics
