Forbidden Planet (1956)

Written by Wuchak on June 9, 2022

The 50's prototype Sci-Fi film and... Anne Francis

I didn't see "Forbidden Planet" (1956) until a full four decades after it's debut. I've seen it a few more times since then and here's what strikes me:

For one, although Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry is undeniably great, practically every primary aspect of Trek is present in "Forbidden Planet," which was released almost a decade before the first Star Trek pilot episode was produced (!). You name it: warp drive, Captain/First Officer/Doctor triumvirate, alluring space females, beam down/up (in a visual sense, at least), etc., it's all here in "Forbidden Planet."

The flick combines Shakespeare's The Tempest with psychological concepts. The invisible id monster is horrifying when finally viewed. It looks like a serious rendition of the Tasmanian Devil. The concept of the monster is a fascinating revelation and I wasn't expecting such mature commentary in a 50's sci-fi flick.

Furthermore, Dr. Morbius' elaboration on the former inhabitants of his planet, the Krell, is awe-inspiring to this day and the archaic special effects hold up well. This was the first major film to be set wholly in space and one of the first to feature an entirely electronic score (perhaps better described as a soundtrack).

One thing that really blows me away every time I catch this flick is, of course, Anne Francis, who plays Altaira (or Alta for short), in her cute space outfits.

I've heard some people complain about the scene where we are led to believe that Alta (Francis) is skinny-dipping, only to plainly observe that she's wearing a loose skin-colored bathing suit. Is this a cop-out on the filmmakers' part because it was 1956? Not at all because the bathing suit is clearly visible once she steps out of the water. Despite her sheltered innocent nature, let's give Alta some credit -- she was obviously playing a little coquettish joke on the Captain, to shock him and stir his mounting desire (which obviously worked).

Please remember that "Forbidden Planet" is from 1956 and so understandably has dated aspects, like the sound effects, small portions of goofy dialogue, the Captain's communicator, etc. Regardless, it must be HAILED as the honored blueprint for numerous sci-fi films and TV series to come.

The film runs 1 hour, 38 minutes, and was shot entirely in the studio in Culver City, SoCal.

GRADE: A