Michael Rennie

[Subdeacon Joe]

"Michael Rennie was ill the day the earth stood still..."

 

One of the reasons that Michael Rennie was cast as Klaatu in "The Day the Earth Stood Still" (1951) was because he was generally unknown to American audiences, and would be more readily accepted as an "alien" than a more recognizable actor. Studio head Darryl F. Zanuck had shown the script to Spencer Tracy, who was eager to play the role. Producer Julian Blaustein objected, saying that the audience would have numerous expectations about the character upon seeing an actor of such repute emerging from the flying saucer. Blaustein knew that Zanuck had the ultimate control, and if he insisted, Blaustein would either have to resign, or make the movie in an unsatisfactory way. Fortunately, Zanuck agreed, and Rennie was cast instead.

 

The first actor to whom the role of Klaatu was actually offered was Claude Rains, who wanted to accept it, but had to decline because of a prior commitment on Broadway. Decades later, director Robert Wise would remark, "Fortunately, we couldn't get him."

 

The Army refused to cooperate after reading the script. The studio then approached the National Guard, which had no qualms about seeing the Army depicted in a less-than-flattering light, and gladly offered their cooperation.

 

Patricia Neal has admitted in interviews that she was completely unaware during the filming that the film would turn out so well, and become one of the great science-fiction classics of all time. She assumed it would be just another one of the then-current and rather trashy flying saucer films, and she found it difficult to keep a straight face while saying her lines.

 

This was Rennie's third film for 20th Century Fox; though he was under contract to the studio for seven years, and while he had important supporting roles in all of them, Klaatu was the only lead role he was ever given. (IMDb)

 

Belated Happy Birthday, Michael Rennie!

 

 

[Red Gauntlet , SASS 60619]

Klaatu barada nikto.

[Forty Rod SASS 3935]

9 hours ago, Subdeacon Joe said:

"Michael Rennie was ill the day the earth stood still..."

 

One of the reasons that Michael Rennie was cast as Klaatu in "The Day the Earth Stood Still" (1951) was because he was generally unknown to American audiences, and would be more readily accepted as an "alien" than a more recognizable actor. Studio head Darryl F. Zanuck had shown the script to Spencer Tracy, who was eager to play the role. Producer Julian Blaustein objected, saying that the audience would have numerous expectations about the character upon seeing an actor of such repute emerging from the flying saucer. Blaustein knew that Zanuck had the ultimate control, and if he insisted, Blaustein would either have to resign, or make the movie in an unsatisfactory way. Fortunately, Zanuck agreed, and Rennie was cast instead.

 

The first actor to whom the role of Klaatu was actually offered was Claude Rains, who wanted to accept it, but had to decline because of a prior commitment on Broadway. Decades later, director Robert Wise would remark, "Fortunately, we couldn't get him."

 

The Army refused to cooperate after reading the script. The studio then approached the National Guard, which had no qualms about seeing the Army depicted in a less-than-flattering light, and gladly offered their cooperation.

 

Patricia Neal has admitted in interviews that she was completely unaware during the filming that the film would turn out so well, and become one of the great science-fiction classics of all time. She assumed it would be just another one of the then-current and rather trashy flying saucer films, and she found it difficult to keep a straight face while saying her lines.

 

This was Rennie's third film for 20th Century Fox; though he was under contract to the studio for seven years, and while he had important supporting roles in all of them, Klaatu was the only lead role he was ever given. (IMDb)

 

Belated Happy Birthday, Michael Rennie!

 

 

He didn't play Klaatu.  Klaatu was the robot.

[Sgt. C.J. Sabre, SASS #46770]

3 minutes ago, Forty Rod SASS 3935 said:

He didn't play Klaatu.  Klaatu was the robot.

The robot was Gort. What she said to him was, "Gort, Klaatu barada nikto."

[Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984]

From Wikipedia…

 

Rennie had carried out his basic training near Torquay in Devon, after which he was sent to the United States for fighter pilot training under the Arnold Plan. In this programme, pilots of the RAF were trained by United States Army Air Forces instructors. One of his fellow students was RAF Sergeant Jack Morton, who told an anecdote about when he and Rennie were in the same class:

At the end of our primary course we were posted to a Basic Flying School at Cochran Field, Macon, Georgia. The class which completed the course at Cochran Field was now split up, half were posted to Napier Field, Dothan, Alabama, to train on single-engine planes, and the remainder were posted to twin-engine schools. Like Cochran, Napier Field was a large permanent Air Corps Base and most of us were quite content to stay on the camp when we had time off. One of the cadets on our course had told us that he was a film actor, but no one took him seriously. We had to admit that he was right however when a film came to the camp cinema called Ships with Wings starring Michael Rennie.

[Pat Riot]

15 hours ago, Subdeacon Joe said:

The Army refused to cooperate after reading the script. The studio then approached the National Guard, which had no qualms about seeing the Army depicted in a less-than-flattering light, and gladly offered their cooperation.

When I was a kid I was an avid sci fi and scary movie fan. I was born 10 years after this movie but saw it a couple of times on TV as a kid. 
I recall watching it with my Dad and commenting that “Those Army guys sure don’t act like they know what they’re doing.” To which my Dad replied “Tom, it’s a movie. They aren’t real soldiers. They’re actors.”

That response seriously messed with this 7 year old connoisseur of the fine art of Sci-Fi. 
I decided that “from now on I won’t comment on really cool movies when my Dad’s around so he can’t ruin them for me.” 

 

[bgavin]

Army of Darkness:  Klaatu, Verata, Necktie.

[Gracos Kid]

I was a young kid when I saw this movie......scared of the dark for the next few nights......

[Black Angus McPherson]

22 hours ago, Subdeacon Joe said:

"Michael Rennie was ill the day the earth stood still..."

 

"Michael Rennie was ill The Day The Earth Stood Still,

Claude Rains was the Invisible Man."  was the first thing to pop into my mind when I saw the tread title. 

 

Angus

"It's just a jump to the left...."

 

 

[Alpo]

Wrong Claude.

 

They said the original choice was Claude Rains.

 

 

I knew the name, but the picture that came to mind was Claude Akins.

 

"Had to decline because of a prior commitment on Broadway"??? I had trouble visualizing this guy as a Broadway actor.

 

[Forty Rod SASS 3935]

18 hours ago, Sgt. C.J. Sabre, SASS #46770 said:

The robot was Gort. What she said to him was, "Gort, Klaatu barada nikto."

I stand corrected...but I'm going to watch it again just in case.  

[punxsutawneypete]

Michael Rennie played the villian Sandman on Batman.

[Linn Keller, SASS 27332, BOLD 103]

I was just a kid when I saw it, too.

I kept thinking, when the robot cut loose with its death ray, that if a good ol' boy with a Sharps rifle drove it in the side of the head with a hard cast .45-70 sugar loaf, they'd have no more property loss.

My father had an original Sharps, factory converted from the tobacco cutter: in my very young mind, that rifle could bust clear through the side of a ridge and kill a skulking swamp monster on the other side.

Wish I had that rifle ... as I recall, loaded with a 350 grain Gould's Express, it was ... effective ...