KLAATU’S SPACESHIP
from the 1951 science fiction film ‘The Day the Earth Stood Still’ directed by ROBERT WISE
‘The Day the Earth Stood Still’ is a regarded as one of the best science fiction films of the 1950s. Along with ‘The Thing From Another World and ‘Them!’ it heralded the Sci-Fi movie phenomenon of the 1950s.
The film is as relevant today as it was when it was made and released over 70 years ago. It still looks great, and has an excellent script, with believable characters and solid visual effects This spaceship looks every inch to be the classic 1950s ‘Flying Saucer’ and comes complete with an equally sleek metallic robot - the unforgettable GORT.
As a model kit, this would be an interesting challenge as it is completely smooth. The entrance / exit portal just appears, there is no panel, or hatch, as such. In the classic Aurora tradition I imagine the top dome coule be removable, and maybe there would even be a replacement part showing the doorway opening. Like other Aurora Sci-Fi kits such as the ‘Flying Sub’, and ‘The Invaders’ there could be a limited interior as seen in the film.
I imagine this could be a foray into chrome parts ror the exterior surfaces anyway. There are no panels and no details of any kind. No visible engines and in the film the ship glows when it is in motion, suggesting something other than jet or rocket propulsion. As such this could have made for a fun entry in Aurora’s ‘glow in the dark’ kits, with the exterior hull being molded in the classic glow in the dark plastic.
The ship arrives in Washington DC and this is depicted here, arriving in the daytime. The glow in the dark has the artwork amended to a dusk scene – approximating the ending of the film and the ship’s departure.
Claude Carpenter, Paul Thomas and Frank Lloyd Wright all had a hand in the design of this ship.
Special Photographic Effects Supervised by Fred Sersen.
Check out the video ‘ What If .. Fantasy Model Kit Box Art #5’