The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)

[coyote]

I'm guessing that most people on this forum are familiar with this movie. A spaceship lands on a baseball field in Washington D.C. and out pops Klaatu and his robot sidekick, Gort. The movie is very tame by todays standards, however, if you saw the movie back in the 50's it was actually quite stirring. Anyway, still my fave sci-fi flick.

Question..........this movie was released on September 28, 1951. Could it have contributed, in even a small way, to the 1952 UFO flap over Washington D.C.? Could people who saw the movie simply have become more sensitive to their surroundings, including lights in the night sky?

If you have not seen the movie check it out here..............

http://www.classiccinemaonline.com/cinema/sci-fi/thedaytheearthstoodstill.html

 

[Kandinsky]

It's one of the biggest puzzles in UFology. How far has the media affected our perceptions about UFOs? IT's enough to have most guys eventually walk away for a while...

Flying saucers were gracing the covers of pulp comics long before the first 1940s sightings. Greys were being described in late 19th Century literature. Cigar-shaped craft were part of hoax mythology by the turn of the 20th Century. UFO crashes were also being published in the news as far back as the late 1880s...they were hoaxes. THe point here is that all of our UFO legends and accounts have been a part of our consciousness before the modern UFOs began to be seen in our skies.

IN 2007 The Sun newspaper created hysteria in the UK by claiming global warming had led great white sharks into UK coastal waters. For three months, a lot of people saw great white sharks and the media was full of reported sightings. Images were published. The kicker is that it was all fake. THe Sun created the hype to boost sales. Not one great white has ever been seen or caught in such northern waters. They get radio-tagged and not one has ever been close to the UK coast. People saw what they wanted to see...

In 2008 The Sun did the same thing with UFOs. They hyped it. Every week featured a headline account of UFOs. If it shone or moved in the sky...it was alien UFOs. Sightings went through the roof and local newspapers began reporting more sightings. Sales were boosted. How many reports were real and how many made up? How many published stories were also made up by the papers?

I've seen genuine UFOs...they're out there. The point I'm trying to make is that many sightings in '52 would be working off the same psychology that led to people seeing sharks.

 

[Trajanus]

I'm guessing that most people on this forum are familiar with this movie. A spaceship lands on a baseball field in Washington D.C. and out pops Klaatu and his robot sidekick, Gort. The movie is very tame by todays standards, however, if you saw the movie back in the 50's it was actually quite stirring. Anyway, still my fave sci-fi flick.

Question..........this movie was released on September 28, 1951. Could it have contributed, in even a small way, to the 1952 UFO flap over Washington D.C.?

I don't think so. For one thing, yoiu'd think that there'd have been a flap sooner than mid '52, maybe by the end of '51, had it been a factor. The '52 UFOs were seen y military pilots and confirmed by radar. Doesn't seem due to media hype or mass hysteria.

 

[Frank Stalter]

I don't think so. For one thing, yoiu'd think that there'd have been a flap sooner than mid '52, maybe by the end of '51, had it been a factor. The '52 UFOs were seen y military pilots and confirmed by radar. Doesn't seem due to media hype or mass hysteria.

Civilian pilots and civilian radarscopes too. The military pilots had been scrambled out of Dover AFB and went to have the look.

 

[Decker]

You might wish to listen to my interview with Producer Robert "Bob" Wise that is on the Dark Matters forum. I conducted this with him back in the "90's" on my old show UFOs Tonite. This was one question that I asked him. And, you are correct ... this movie is one of the all time classics.

Decker
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[Gene Steinberg]

I don't think so. For one thing, yoiu'd think that there'd have been a flap sooner than mid '52, maybe by the end of '51, had it been a factor. The '52 UFOs were seen y military pilots and confirmed by radar. Doesn't seem due to media hype or mass hysteria.

As much as we admire this film now, particularly after the wretched remake, it wasn't exactly a box office sensation in its time. As to its cultural impact, yes I would suggest that the early UFO contactees were heavily influenced, particularly with the image of a tall, handsome being wearing a silver uniform, a common characteristic, but I doubt that the film generated much in the way of UFO flaps, especially not 9 months later.

 

[Frank Stalter]

As much as we admire this film now, particularly after the wretched remake, it wasn't exactly a box office sensation in its time. As to its cultural impact, yes I would suggest that the early UFO contactees were heavily influenced, particularly with the image of a tall, handsome being wearing a silver uniform, a common characteristic, but I doubt that the film generated much in the way of UFO flaps, especially not 9 months later.

"I am a handsome man from another planet. I'm here to share my handsomeness secrets with you. If you behave and don't blow yourselves up, I may also share my secrets for snappy dressing."

 

[dyingsun]

"I am a handsome man from another planet. I'm here to share my handsomeness secrets with you. If you behave and don't blow yourselves up, I may also share my secrets for snappy dressing."

I think that the 'UFO' phenomena is very real, though I also believe in mass hysteria and the collective unconsciousness.Make of that what you will.

 

[Frank Stalter]

I think that the 'UFO' phenomena is very real, though I also believe in mass hysteria and the collective unconsciousness.Make of that what you will.

There's a little of all that in this UFO business.

 

[Trajanus]

As much as we admire this film now, particularly after the wretched remake, it wasn't exactly a box office sensation in its time. As to its cultural impact, yes I would suggest that the early UFO contactees were heavily influenced, particularly with the image of a tall, handsome being wearing a silver uniform, a common characteristic

They spoke of blond Venusians--quite unlike actor M. Rennie (IIRC).

but I doubt that the film generated much in the way of UFO flaps, especially not 9 months later.

Nor I.

 

[coyote]

You might wish to listen to my interview with Producer Robert "Bob" Wise that is on the Dark Matters forum. I conducted this with him back in the "90's" on my old show UFOs Tonite. This was one question that I asked him. And, you are correct ... this movie is one of the all time classics.

Decker

OK, I listened to the interview and really enjoyed it!<!--Session data-->

 

[Experiencer7]

"It's one of the biggest puzzles in UFology. How far has the media affected our perceptions about UFOs?" Kandinsky.

Perhaps it would be more applicable to ask., how far have our perceptions affected the form of UFOs?
https://www.theparacast.com/forum/../members/2044-Kandinsky