FORBIDDEN PLANET (1956) (****)

In the 1950s, science fiction began to step out of kid adventure mode and deal with more adult themes. This coy sci-fi adventure dealt with the secret thoughts that lurk within us all. Its influence on the genre is endless, most notably inspiring the tone and psychological themes of STAR TREK.

Inspired by Shakespeare's THE TEMPEST, the story follows Commander J.J. Adams (Leslie Nielsen, NAKED GUN) as he leads an expedition to the distant planet of Altair IV where a previous expedition has gone missing. When they arrive at the planet, the only surviving member of the last crew, Dr. Edward Morbius (Walter Pidgeon, MADAME CURIE), warns them to turn around and go home. Adams ignores the warning and lands to find that the previous crew was wiped out by an unseen entity. Dr. Morbius has utilized the highly advanced technology of the previous inhabitants of the planet, the Krell, to build an advanced robot named Robby (Marvin Miller, M*A*S*H). What he's less willing to reveal is his beautiful daughter Altaria (Anne Francis, BLACKBOARD JUNGLE). How Lt. "Doc" Ostrow (Warren Stevens, THE BAREFOOT CONTESSA) and Lt. Jerry Farman (Jack Kelly, TV's MAVERICK) react to her, he might have legitimate concerns.

Dr. Morbius has built a utopian world for himself where anything he could dream of can be created synthetically by Robby. This comes is handy for the ship's cook (Earl Holliman, GUNFIGHT AT THE O.K. CORRAL) when he runs out of alcohol. The doctor has populated the world with creatures from Earth like deer and tigers. They're all peaceful toward the doctor and his daughter. But what is this invisible creature that roams the planet? And why does he attack the crew when they attempt to build a communication device to contact Earth?

The tone mixes suspense with tongue-in-cheek humor. A great many laughs are garnered from Altaria's naiveté with men other than her father. Many of the crew would like to teach her though. The interchanges between her and the men feel just like Kirk and the bevy of alien women he seduced. Adams, on the other hand, is far more conservative and demands that she cover up. To today's audiences, Nielsen isn't a leading man, only a screen buffoon, but he fills the bill nicely as the straight-laced dutiful leader. Francis is wonderful as the curious, yet slightly cold, virgin from another planet.

One will be struck at the production design and how well it stands up decades after it's release. Iconic images abound. The classic spaceship approaching the glowing outline of the planet. The green alien sky. Robby's glass dome head and whirling parts. The barren landscape of the alien surface. The Krell Deco-like catacombs. The way the invisible monster appears. Animator Joshua Meador was on loan to MGM from Disney to create the monster. George J. Folsey's Cinemascope photography captures the rich color palette, making the production feel grander than its limited budget would allow. Bebe and Louis Barron's all-electronic musical score was the first of its kind, setting a standard for sci-fi music.

When it comes to what people think of the look of classic sci-fi, this is the kind of film they think of. For the 1950s, the film stood out for not being a parable for the Red Menace. The plot of THE TEMPEST is mined, but it's expanded on with an ingenious Freudian sublevel. And yet with its deeper meaning, the film never loses a sense of wonder and fun. The pinnacle of 1950s sci-fi hit in 1956 with this film and INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS marking the best of the decade.