A flying saucer travels faster than the speed of light and then lands on a desert planet. A translating robot greets the crew. A villain burns through blast doors. Force fields protect the ship. Before there was Star Wars, even before Star Trek, the science fiction film world was shaped by the 1956 film Forbidden Planet.
Loosely based on Shakespeare’s The Tempest, Forbidden Planet was the first film to feature an electronic musical score. Its sound effects are still the go to audio for anyone wanting to convey a mysterious space feel.
Starring Walter Pidgeon, Ann Francis, Leslie Nielson, and Robby the Robot.
Nominated for an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects.
Entered into the Library of Congress National Film Registry in 2013.
Admission is free.
98 minutes
Rated G
3:00 pm and 7:00 pm
in the Alice Louise Reynolds Auditorium on level 1 of the library.