6 Degrees of The Day The Earth Stood Still

I love cheesy old movies. The more stupid, the better. In particular, Abby & I love to watch old movies and make fun of them. One of our favorites is the 1951 version of The Day The Earth Stood Still. It's so very lame, really. Abby and I even have a nickname for each other: Klatu and Klatu II (Abby, did you know that we've been spelling Klatu incorrectly? But let's continue with our misspelling.) Last night as I was flipping channels, I saw it yet again. Of course, there is a renewed interest in this old movie because a remake of the movie is about to make its debut. My opinion of this new movie is that Keanu Reeve is a Klaatu (correct spelling) wannabe. He does have the stoic persona down to a tee, but, hey, that's how he was on Regis & Kelly. He's just boring in real life. Give me the good ole 1951 movie any day of the week.

Gort and Klaatu

Have you heard of the "game" 6 Degrees of Kevin Bacon? Briefly, you try to come up with how Kevin Bacon is connected to other stars through movies. This is my attempt to have a 6 Degrees of The Day The Earth Stood Still. It's strictly my backwards version of the game. It's how some stars are connected to this movie through other stars/movies/TV shows. For example:

(1) Klaatu is talking with Mrs. Benson (played by Patricia Neal) and Tom Stevens (played by Hugh Marlowe).

Where have you seen Hugh Marlowe before?

Yep, He was Jim Matthews on the soap opera Another World. I watched that every day after school for years and years.

(2) The Benson boy in the movie, Bobby, is played by Billy Gray;

Where have you seen him before?

That's right - Father Knows Best.

(3) Remember from Father Knows Best teenager Betty played by Elinor Donahue? Where have you seen her as a slightly older lady?

The Andy Griffith Show!
I always wondered: Did Ellie Walker, the pharmacist, steal Andy away from Helen, the school teacher? What happened to her? For that matter, what happened to Andy's wife? She died, but nothing was ever explained. Inquiring minds want to know. Or, as seems to be the case, hyperactive-minds-that-zip-around-like-horseflies want to know.

(4) Back to Father Knows Best - where do you remember seeing Robert Young (the father) in later years?

Marcus Welby, M.D.

Who is the other doctor in the picture?

(5) James Brolin who is now married to Barbara Streisand.

I don't know about you, but I'm tired from flitting back and forth between decades. Returning to the 1951 The Day The Earth Stood Still . . . . my favorite line in the show is when Patricia Neal repeats to Gort the following line (a line Klaatu told her to say in case of emergency).

"Gort! Klaatu barada nikto!"

No where can the translation be found. Use your own imagination. It could be profanity.

Do you think I have A.D.D.? I think it's a possibility. Let me know what you think. But as Klaatu said, "The decision rests with you."