Forbidden Planet

Dir. Fred M. Wilcox. 1956, 98 mins. 35mm. With Walter Pidgeon, Anne Francis, Leslie Nielsen. Neilsen plays Commander J.J Adams, sent with his crew to investigate the silence from a planet inhabited by scientists. He discovers that only two, Dr. Morbius and his daughter Altaira, have survived the hideous monster that roams the planet—and one of them carries a deadly secret. The film features a number of spectacular special effects and the groundbreaking use of an all-electronic music score. It was also the first screen appearance of the iconic Robby the Robot, who can be seen as a precursor for 2001’s HAL.