TCM Pick O’ The Day: Tuesday, March 31st
by John Nolte
8pm PST - The 27th Day (1957) – Aliens give five people from different nations the power to destroy their enemies. Cast: Gene Barry, Valerie French, George Voskovec, Arnold Moss Dir: William Asher BW-76 mins, TV-PG
What makes the “The 27th Day” unique from the more renowned 1950s sci-fi flicks is how the story takes a few wild philosophical turns you never expect, especially if you’re familiar at all with the genre. Everything starts out like “The Day the Earth Stood Still,” with one of those morally superior aliens coming to tsk-tsk mankind for our warlike ways as though the reasons behind the Cold War didn’t matter, but then ends in a surprising but emotionally satisfying fashion that avoids all that cynical moral relativism which is not only unjust but cliche.
This story of five ordinary people given the power to destroy the world might not be as good as “Earth Stood Still,” but intellectually it’s just as fascinating and with a much stronger moral clarity. Leftists will write it off as “jingoism” and “anti-Communist propaganda” (translation: patriotism they don’t like), but there’s nothing to justify those complaints. Ultimately, “The 27th Day” isn’t about nation or country or race or politics; it’s about liberty and hope and how good and similar we all are. And don’t let the cheap, recycled effects fool you. This is an under-appreciated gem with superb performances and a compelling concept played out efficiently.
For whatever reason, you won’t find this on DVD and TCM doesn’t screen it all that often, so you might want to set the DVR if only in the hope of seeing something unexpected. And if I’m wrong, it cost you a mere 75 minutes.
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22 Comments
Just set the DVR. Nothing's better for a late Thursday night watch than a 50's sci-fi!!
Sounds good.
Aw, Maurice Jarre died. How about a thread?
I'll have to disagree with your assessment of The Day the Earth Stood Still. I always saw it as supporting American intervention, with Klaatu representing the US and the Earth representing those countries at risk of falling to communism. I think that's why they changed it to that environmental drivel in the remake–if they'd kept the original plot, it would look like they were supporting the Iraq War.
I'd have to agree with your there…I was so turned off by the environment theme I almost got up and walked out. I was still hoping for some worth while reason to remain but it never came……
I must admit I never saw the representation you mentioned, but it was apparent even to a young mind like mine, (at the time) that it was anti-war.
I always liked it because it was just a cool old black and white science fiction movie. Now even my teenagers, thought the older one was better…..who would have thunk it..:)
Hoooboy. Another awesome film that the producers don't see fit to put onto DVD. Thanks for the review, though.
I disagree, but I still absolutely love TDTESS regardless of its worldview.
And who's left? Barry, Morricone, Williams, Schiffrin. Am I forgetting anyone? Yes. A thread, please.
Sci-Fi when done well makes you think. This is what has always attaracted me to this genre. A lot of good films are from the 50's.
Don't have TCM. Have to catch this sometime, somewhere.
I loved The Day the Earth Stood Still. First when I was a kid and thought the robot was cool. Later as an anti-war polemic. Today as just a good film. But at no time did I ever see it as supporting American intervention. The aliens were our "betters," and I don't think they stood in for anything except the anti-war, anti-nuke sentiments of the left wing in Hollywood. At best, the aliens might be stand-ins for the UN which hadn't shown its true ineptness and total dishonesty yet.
Well, at least the word aliens didn't trigger the moderation filter. It's getting very tiresome.
I'll try to catch this one….BTW A little hep from the gang, please. This may not be the place but no one else is as savvy as John's fans.
MY wife and I are headed to Paris for the first time. Any suggestions on films that would be a) a good watch, and b) a good descriptive view of the city
My first thought is A Little Romance.
Many thanks.
HBS
I do see the original as anti-War, but I really can't see it as anti-American no matter how left it might be. The alien lands in Washington rather than any other nation. He finds friends in individuals and a good family. The governments of the world disregards him and seek his life. The U.N. proves to be useless. It is pro-scientist (vs. science), but actually somewhat anti-government because it is the people who ultimately have the power to disarm the world against aggression. He fails because the governments have too much power and seek to expand that power by fear and war. Honesty, integrity, hope and faith are dashed by self-serving dictators. It is conservative despite itself.
Conservatives are not pro-War. They are pro-freedom and know war and aggression are a necessary evil against evil. If anything, the movie proved that point by the failure of the alien to peacefully change the world.
This movie is one of the reasons I still cling to my Laserdisc player. Like John said, it is a nice set piece sci-fi that tweaks the traditional formula. Plus the five represent the five world views at the time, so there is some exploration of what makes us different and what we can agree on. A nice, overlooked film that I hope doesn't get remade anytime soon.
Excellent pick, John–The 27th Day is one of my all-time favorites.
The last time TCM aired it was January of 2007 (I taped it on two VCRs because it it is so rarely shown).
TDTESS is overtly anti-war–it is an early example of productions by people disturbed by events of WWII. A great deal of SF (movies, novels and TV) from the fifties and sixties was anti-war, which is not surprising when you consider that much of it was produced by men who had served (often in lower ranks) in that war.
The "moderation" filter keeps pithy (and often interesting) to a minimum. I miss the "no holds barred" of DHP.
I've been told my comments are pithy. Except it sounded more like a double s in the middle, rather than a th.
PS: I was referring in each instance to the original TDTESS, not the current one, which I haven't seen (and probably won't).
TCM shows that it will air tonite at 11:00 PM
"You have not learned the lessons of history. Democracies are appeasers."
The original is great. What I got from it was we have nukes and we have space travel so Klatu and the gang had to show up to be the police.
These were the days when men were men and actors only repeated what was on their script. Not like today when in hollywood the size of your brain is supposed to belike that of your mouth. Or is it your wallet.
Its a known fact that women can do two things at once. Why do the males of hollywood (Hanks,Penn Sheen etc) try to emulate them.
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