How Forbidden Planet Shaped Sci-Fi Cinema

As usual there are spoilers ahead! 

Forbidden Planet (1956) is a somewhat overlooked 50s classic. Although it often fails to make lists of the greatest sci-fi films of all time it has come across often in my written research and when speaking to guests. It’s a film that not only seems to excite avid fans of sci-fi cinema but also influenced some of the genre’s heavy hitters like both Star Wars and Star Trek. A costly, slick, colourful movie which takes a break from the red scare themes and invites us to delve into the dangers of the human mind. 

We mention Isaac Asimov’s Three Laws of Robotics in the episode which are: 

1. A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm. 

2. A robot must obey orders given it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law. 

3. A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law. 

The fourth law also known as Law Zero or Zeroth Law is: 

A robot cannot cause harm to mankind or, by inaction, allow mankind to come to harm.

I have two amazing guests to help unravel the threads in this space opera. 

The Experts

Jay Telotte is Professor Emeritus of film and media studies at Georgia Tech. He has written/edited numerous books and articles about science fiction film including the 2023 book Selling Science Fiction Cinema. 

Glyn Morgan is Curatorial Lead at the Science Museum in London and a science fiction scholar.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to the film, some historical context and the guests 

02:25 The impact of Forbidden Planet 

07:56 MGM does big budget sci-fi 

13:52 Robby the Robot: a new type of robot and Asimov’s laws 

22:02 Special effects 

23:15 Altaira: miniskirts, the Hays Code and sexism 

32:44 The monster: Disney, the id and technological hubris 

38:01 The sound of electronic music: Bebe and Louis Barron’s breakthrough 

43:50 The legacy of Forbidden Planet 

50:09 Recommendations for the listeners

NEXT EPISODE!

The next episode we will focus on The Incredible Shrinking Man. You can buy or rent the 1956 film from many outlets or check the Just Watch website to see where it may be streaming in your region. It is worth checking platforms like Tubi and Pluto if they are available.

 

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