The Day the Earth Stood Still: B-Movie Camp, or Just Great Cinema?

In the past few years audiences watching Film in the Fog have been provoked to ask such pressing questions as, Did that man just poke the Blob with a stick? Can a large octopus really take down the Golden Gate Bridge? And, Did the outer space naval chief just proposition Robbie the Robot with a lube job?

This year’s selection, The Day the Earth Stood Still, begs questions, sure, but ones of a different sort from the questions our past movies prompted. What’s surprising is that it almost appears to comment directly on the current social situation: Does war make us safer or more vulnerable? How do we decide who is our friend or our enemy? Who gets the power to do that? Should we value all life on earth as if there were a higher meaning to it? Yikes! Add to this the fact that The Day the Earth Stood Still provokes these responses while remaining an example of wonderful cinema, and you can start to see our problem. Is this movie just too good? As much as we tried, there’s simply no getting around it, The Day the Earth Stood Still stands the test of time as a beautifully shot, deeply thought and socially relevant film, directed by Robert Wise and with a score by the incomparable Bernard Herrmann no less.

Does this mean that Film in the Fog is getting too serious?

No, it doesn’t. After all the film’s tag line tells us, “From out of space . . . a warning and an ultimatum!” And Gort the robot does start to veer toward the silly with his metallic, yet oddly rubbery, silver suit (a triumph of art direction). Perhaps we won’t mention Herrmann at all, but will simply focus on his use of the theremin?

Inspired silliness just might be the single best way not only to see movies, but to approach the modern world. OK, maybe that’s reaching (yes, definitely reaching). But, it should be clear, camp is very important; it is a way of looking. For example, some of you probably have already protested, “But I think The Blob is an actually good movie.” Luckily, it can be great and still be campy. Steve McQueen can be watched as a cinematic icon-in-the-making or as an uncomfortable actor in a ridiculous scenario . . . simultaneously. And, don’t spread it around, but the composer of that film’s title song was Burt Bacharach. Talent/buffoonery: It’s such a thin line. It all depends on how you decide to watch.

So, bring some snacks, definitely a jacket, maybe a blanket, your love of classic cinema and an eye for the absurd. Buy some aluminum foil and dress like Gort. It’s Film in the Fog! Klaatu barada nikto.

Film in the Fog: The Details

The Film Society and the Presidio Trust present the fourth annual Film in the Fog at 5:00 pm Saturday, October 1, on the lawn of the Main Post Theatre, 99 Moraga Avenue at Montgomery Street in the Presidio. The free, all-ages picnic, concert and movie screening will feature the ’50s science-fiction classic, The Day the Earth Stood Still, live bands and a costume contest.

The science-fiction fable about a dignified alien who travels to Washington, D.C. to deliver an anti-agression warning to the world and learns that his peaceful view is shared by much of the population, but not those in control, is more timely than ever. Superb acting by Michael Rennie and Patricia Neal, a trenchant script by Edmund H. North, smooth direction by Robert Wise, a stunning visual style by cinematographer Leo Tower and an eerie, theremin-drenched score by Bernard Herrmann combine to make this one of the most memorable science-fiction films of all time. The film program will begin at 7:00 pm with a vintage newsreel and an antic-filled classic cartoon.

The spacious lawn of the Main Post Theatre has plenty of room for low lawn chairs and blankets, and the public is encouraged to arrive early to select a picnic spot. The SuperSonic Saxes from the Air National Guard Band of the West Coast will play a program of American music standards beginning at 5:00 pm. Also at 5:00 pm the historic Main Post Theatre will open for public tours. At 6:30 pm there will be a Best-Dressed Gort contest in honor of the mighty robot in the film. Food and beverages from the White Star Café will be available for purchase.