1950s movies marathon – part 18

The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951, USA, Wise)

The first plan from outer space was to send a giant robot and ask nicely.  Watched it before, and again now.  I don’t think I appreciated the last time I saw it how few science fiction movies (good or otherwise) had been made at this point.  And it demonstrates nicely SF’s potential for portraying ideas that are too big for realism.  In this case, it’s a stupid idea, (Plan 9 with better writing), but this is still a fantastic movie.  And the music .. yes!

My Favorite Spy (1951, USA)

Having successfully ruined 1940′s comedy, Bob Hope now hopes to set his mark on the 1950′s as well.  I hope they don’t let him.  Watched: 4 minutes.

The Kaiser’s Lackey / Der Untertan (1951, East Germany, Staudte)

What Werner Peters respects more than anything else in life is a display of raw Macht.  He allows himself to be subjected to the will of others, so that he may in turn subject others to his.  Generations of Kaiser worship have thus succeeded in creating the Perfect German.  Watched it all.  Wow, these guys have an even bleaker view of the course of German history than A. J. P. Taylor.

The Axe of Wandsbek (1951, East Germany)

I’m playing a game with these German movies.  I try to guess if they were made in East or West.  This one features two references to Nazi persecution of Communists in the first minutes, so my guess is Eastern.  Watched: 7 minutes.  (I was right.)