Related post: “1950s Horror and Rational Fears”

The words above appear in a report from the mid-1950s titled “Comic Books and Juvenile Delinquency” from the Committee on the Judiciary’s investigation of juvenile delinquency in the United States. It serves as a reminder that more recent concerns about certain forms of music, violence in film, and other forms of popular culture, are part of a long and ongoing series of debates about entertainment and youth.  In this instance those in positions of cultural leadership in 1950s America were concerned about horror comics, a story that is detailed in the fine book The Horror! The Horror! Comics Books the Government Didn’t Want You to Read! (Abrams ComicArts, 2010) by Jim Trombetta.

For some reason 1950s horror comics have received a lot of attention lately in various horror magazines and books, and The Horror! The Horror! is an important part of this mix. But while much of the focus is often on the important contribution of EC Comics, this volume moves beyond that to remind the reader of a broad section of horror comics that fascinated and frightened young people during the post-war period. This book reproduces cover art, and at times the inner content, of long-forgotten horror comics such as Marvel Tales, Spellbound, Spook, Strange Terrors, Horrific, Strange Fantasy, and a host of others. Although modern generations of young people are used to plenty of on screen blood and gore in their horror in film and television, there is still plenty in these comics that contemporary readers may find appropriately revolting and worthy of horrific respect.

The Horror! The Horror! not only features color reproductions of 1950s horror comics, but also helpful introductory material where Trombetta sets the cultural stage for the rise of these pop-culture artifacts. Produced as a way of dealing with the national trauma’s of the Great Depression and World War II, Trombetta writes:

“These comics conveyed the unspeakable, and maybe even unthinkable, trauma of a whole society, but in a streetwise, urban-legend way. On one hand, they could be more reactionary, racist, and brutal than the surrounding culture, as if to rub the reader’s nose in a deliberate caricature. On the other hand, their radicalism could be startling. They kicked ove the biggest triumph in history just to see what might crawl out.”

From this cultural matrix Trombetta not only traces the rise of horror comics from crime comics, and discusses the government’s reaction to horror comics among youth, but also includes discussion of various common horror elements found in these materials, such as the werewolf, magic, skeletons, decapitated heads, and various forms of the undead.

One of the main features of this book is not only a fresh consideration of 1950s horror comics, but also the furor they caused as government officials feared they had the potential to corrupt youth. As Trombetta describes on the inside cover of the book, ‘[t]hese outrageous comic book images, [were] censored by Congress in an infamous televised U.S. Senate subcommittee hearing in 1954 investigating juvenile delinquency”. Although this may seem outrageous to us in the 21st century, we might recall that in 2007 Congress held hearings on gangsta rap lyrics, a repeat of similar hearings in the 1990s spearheaded by Tipper Gore. Another interesting feature of this book is its inclusion of a DVD with a documentary television show Confidential File that makes the case for the dangers of horror comics on youth through drama and interviews. As one individual in the documentary pleads with viewers:

“The final responsibility for the control of crime and horror comics rests with you. A few cities have already done something about them, not too many, but a few. Legislation against unfit comic books is possible. Legislation that won’t interfere with the rights of a free press. Contact your city officials. Let them know how you feel about the crime and horror comics. And remember this: America is the richest country in the world. We’re the world’s biggest producer of goods. But our most important commodity, the one commodity we can’t put a price tag on, is our children.”

The Horror! The Horror! is a fine addition to any collection on comic books, art, and horror in general. It can be purchased through the TheoFantastique Store.

The 1950′s was an idealistic time in American History, filled with hope, opportunity, and wonder. It was also, “The Atomic Age”, where new technology promised to both save humanity as well as put it in jeopardy. All of these factors gave birth to one of the most prolific genres in film history, 1950′s Science Fiction Cinema. More then just bug eyed monsters and little green men, 1950′s Sci-fi Cinema provided science inspiration for millions of eager youths across the country.

While monsters and invaders of many forms have always existed in cinema, it wasn’t until the 1950′s that Hollywood created a new character. This new character is the Modern Scientist. His predecessor, the Mad Scientist was evil and intent on using science for his own personal gains, no matter the outcome. With atomic energy now a part of the world everyone lived in, this type of scientist was more dangerous then ever. Instead, the Modern Scientist was created to calm the fears associated with the atomic age. This new American Citizen was brilliant, polite, thoughtful, charming and not surprisingly very good looking. Just as science took the lead in much of the news of the 1950′s, the scientist became Hollywood’s new leading man and a role model for young boys and girls across America.

Although Hollywood was mostly interested in selling tickets and popcorn, there were others that understood the power of these films and the influence they had on society. Soon filmmakers like Walt Disney and George Pal started collaborating with famed rockets scientists, Werner Von Braun and Willie Ley in an effort to energize the American public and peak their interest in manned space travel. What followed were technically accurate sci-fi films that both entertained and educated the next generation of scientists in America. However as progress marched on, it was a real life event that finally sent the wheels into motion.

On October 4, 1957 the Russians provided the spark in the form of the first man made satellite, Sputnik. America immediately went into a panic and suddenly science and the need to match the Russians in space became a top priority. From that point forward, the American Government took exploratory space flight seriously and the first man they called was Werner Von Braun. With the help of science fairs and a revamped science curriculum an inspired population worked toward one of the greatest achievement of mankind, spaceflight. Along the way, Sci-Fi cinema and science fact worked together to change the lives of American Students in ways we only dreamed of before.

Through the use of the movies themselves and expert analysis from scientists and educators, Monsters From The Id weaves the intersecting themes of over thirty classic films in order to tell the untold story of the Modern Scientist and his role in inspiring a nation. The film continues to explore the psychological and cultural impact of 1950′s Sci-Fi cinema and asks, “where is science inspiration found today?”

As mentioned in the introduction to this post, finding inspiration for careers in the sciences through 1950s science fiction/horror is indeed an unusual and unique approach. But the positive aspects of science and the scientist in these films must be held in tension with the science run amok and “mad scientist” elements also frequently found in these films, and with the anti-rationalizing element in them as discussed by Mark Jancovich in Rational Fears: American Horror in the 1950s (Manchester University Press, 1996).

Related post:

“1950s Horror and Rational Fears”

Through its various printings Warren’s book has become something of a classic among science fiction film fans and scholars, and in a big way. The 1997 edition of this book was way out of my price range, with used copies going for over a thousand dollars at times. With the 2010 release of the The 21st Century Edition the cost for the previous edition has decreased, but the new volume itself is still a hefty $79.20 through retailers like Amazon.com. But even with a cost that exceeds most volumes on science fiction films, at 1,040 pages this book is worth the price.

Keep Watching the Skies! 21st Century Edition is clearly a labor of love for Warren who writes from the perspective of a lifelong fan who’s imagination was captured by these films while growing up in Oregon. He writes about films that he defines as science fiction (“a fantasy film in which the fantastic element is rationalized as being explicable in scientific terms”) and following a formula identified as “Fifties sci-fi” that covers a time span of 1950-1962. Warren notes that his treatment of these films is not academic, but instead is a result of his great affection for them which he feels provides special insights. As I read this in the Preface I was a little concerned about whether the insights would be idiosyncratic or of much depth. Thankfully, I quickly lost these concerns as Warren describes, for example, the influence of the re-release of King Kong on what would become known as “Fifties sci-fi”:

To back up a little, one of the biggest influences on 1950s SF movies was the then 20-year-old classic, King Kong. In the summer of 1952, Kong was reissued with a heavy television and radio promotion campaign. This onslaught of advertising, in fact, was one of the first to heavily use television. As a result, Kong made money – more money than it had in its first release and subsequent reissues combined. …

Without Kong‘s influence, the SF movies of the 1950s probably would have gone in a different, perhaps short-lived direction. … In a way, then, King Kong was the progenitor of the giant insect films, one of the most distinctive subgenres of the 1950s SF movies.

As a fan, researcher, and writer on these topics I should have known about the Kong reissue, and postulated its possible influence on 1950s science fiction films, but must admit I had no idea. Until I read Warren that is. In addition to the interesting discussion of the background, history, and trivia related to these films, Keep Watching the Skies! The 21st Century Edition includes little gems of insight that add to our understanding of these films, and in so doing it compliments academic treatments of them like Mark Jancovich’s Rational Fears: American horror in the 1950s (Manchester University Press, 1996).

If you are a fan of 1950s American science fiction add this volume to your library.

Related posts

“1950s Horror and Rational Fears”

“Weekend Nostalgia: The Day the Earth Stood Still and Forbidden Planet”

1950s horror/science fiction provided my initial foray into the fantastic when I was a young child in the 1970s and the films from this period remain a fascinating aspect of these genres for me. Yet curiously, at times these films get short shrift. Positive commentary can be found looking at the silent expressionist horror films, Universal Horror Film classics of the 1930s and 1940s, as well as the horror of the 1960s and into the 1970s with production companies like Hammer Films, and there is a growing body of analysis of more contemporary horror. But many times 1950s horror is dismissed as being somehow inferior to that of other decades.

It is in this context that Jancovich provides his analysis. He notes that critics have often dismissed 1950s horror as “trashy and sensationalist” where the films in this period are often conceived of as a form of Cold War paranoia. Jancovich challenges this assumption by arguing that:

Indeed, if there is a common feature to the majority of horror texts within the 1950s, it is not a conservative, Cold War politics, but rather a shift in emphasis away from a reliance upon gothic horror and towards a preoccupation with the modern world. Again and again, the threats which distinguish 1950s horror do not come from the past or even the actions of a lone individual, but are associated with the process of social development and modernisation. In this period, it is the process of rationalisation which is the threat, and in this way, horror texts were at least as concerned with developments within American society as they were with threats from without.

Through an exploration of various films as well as written texts and comics from the period Jancovich divides his analysis of resistance to rationality in American culture through horror into three areas of narrative, including invasion, the outsider, and crises of identity. Thankfully, his refreshing perspective leads him to conclude that 1950s horror was an important aspect of the development of the genre which continues to influence present day horror and broader popular culture. Although this volume is several years old it remains an important contribution to our understanding of a significant expression of horror/science fiction.

The first disc I put in my DVD player was the one that included the features associated with The Day the Earth Stood Still. These included a Making of The Day the Earth Stood Still, Decoding ‘Klaatu Barada Nikto”: Science Fiction as Metaphor, The Astounding Harry Bates, and The Mysterious, Melodious Theremin.

The second disc included special features associated with Forbidden Planet. Among these features I enjoyed Amazing! Exploring the Far Reaches of Forbidden Planet, the Turner Classic Movies original documentary Watch the Skies!: Science Fiction, the 1950s and Us, an entertaining collection of science fiction movie trailers, and Robby the Robot: Engineering a Sci-Fi Icon. (This last featurette included the work of Fred Barton, aka “The Robot-Man, who has established himself as an artist and technician in recreating custom made robots from various movies and television programs, including and especially Robby. See Barton’s website to learn more about this. If I had the disposable income Robby would be in my basement office as a part of my collection on the fantastic!)

Bringing the features together for these two films made for an interesting process, and it was striking to see a few similarities between them.

Both films differed from much of the science fiction of the 1950s in taking the subject matter perhaps a little more seriously than many of the cinematic offerings of the time. They offered intelligent screenplays that dealt with significant issues but in different ways. The Day the Earth Stood Still moved outward to address national and international issues related to post-war nuclear America during the Cold War in a standoff with the Soviet Union. By contrast Forbidden Planet moves in the opposite direction to raise issues related to the individual. Drawing upon the Freudian notion of the id, this film suggests that the real challenge may not be from aliens we encounter on other worlds, or even those who may come to us as alleged invaders, but rather the monster within ourselves that our increasingly sophisticated technology may empower with even more destructive ability.

Another similarity is the striking scores within each film. The Day the Earth Stood Still includes a score by the great Bernard Herrmann, who used two electronic instruments, theremins, to produce the eerie and alien sounding main element of the theme which has since become stereotypically associated with science fiction and alien films from this time period. One of the interesting features associated with the special edition of this film is a description of the theremin and how it works, and a demonstration of this process through a Main Title Performance by Peter Pringle.  Forbidden Planet has an equally memorable score courtesy of the first completely electronic music (or “tonalities” as credited in the film) that at times also served a dual purpose not only as music but also as sound effects.

In my view these films not only hold up as great examples of science fiction from the classic period of this genre in cinema, but also raise questions with contemporary relevancy. While The Day the Earth Stood Still may be read as a film investing hope and possibility in the young United Nations of the time, in the intervening decades of UN scandal and lack of ability to enforce sanctions aimed at impeding nuclear proliferation, are we still a nation and a world threatening not only our own survival, but that of possible intergalactic neighbors as well? In light of Forbidden Planet‘s warning of our inner monstrousness, how do we proceed with caution so that new technologies are used to further the best of humanity rather than materializing our monsters of the id?

The Day the Earth Stood Still and Forbidden Planet are two classic science fiction films that provide us with challenge and fodder for reflection amidst the tales of giant, irradiated creatures from the 1950s. They’re worth looking at, and thinking about, again and again.

I was a young child when I first discovered the fantastic through television broadcasts of science fiction films. These became sources that fueled my fears and fed my imagination. My fears took shape through films like Invaders From Mars (1953) with the images of aliens burrowing underground and mind control devices drilled into the base of human skulls. My sense of wonder gorged on films like The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951) with my imagination running wild through the possibilities presented by an army of Gort-like robots zapping people with his laser beam. Over the years my appreciation for these films has increased, and among fans they have become classics. For me, the problem with classics of cinema is that as a general rule they should be left alone in the area of remakes, although I am sympathetic to such films providing the inspiration for new creations of the fantastic.

This is particularly the case with December’s release of a new version of The Day the Earth Stood Still. I first heard that this film was in the works a few months ago and immediately my shields of skepticism were raised as I pondered how bad a remake of the classic could be. My skepticism was tempered somewhat when I heard that Scott Derrickson served as director, perhaps best known for The Exorcism of Emily Rose (2005) and Hellraiser: Inferno (2000). Derrickson has a real appreciation as a fan for horror that contributes positively to his work, and my hope is that this will lend itself to a fresh interpretation of the ideas behind the new take on Klaatu, as well as his 2009 effort in the remake of The Birds. (In my view the remake of Psycho [1998] was unnecessary and contributed nothing to Hitchock’s classic, even reproducing Hitchcock’s orginal shot for shot thus confirming the brilliance of the original, so why The Birds [1963] remake should fare any better is beyond me. But I’m trying to think positively.)

Beyond these general concerns for the new film a few other areas are worth watching for.

First, the context for the 1950s classic was the Cold War, the potential for global thermonuclear war, and the newly formed United Nations. It remains to be seen how the new film will engage its current historical, social, and cultural context of a post-9/11 world of global terrorism and the many failures of the United Nations to address this and other challenges. Hopefully the new film will move beyond the current tendency to create action films with thin veneers of horror or sci fi and will engage our current cultural crises through the promising possibilities of social engagement and commentary provided by science fiction.

Second, Michael Rennie did a wonderful job as the alien Klaatu in the original film, lending gravitas to the subject matter which even his co-stars such as Patricia Neal did not take seriously. Keanu Reeves plays Klaatu in the new film, and while he has established a body of work in science fiction, including the Matrix trilogy, most critics acknowledge his popular appeal while recognizing his lack of depth as an actor. Will Reeves’ popularity in science fiction films in the past be enough to counter possible perceptions of lack of gravitas in the title role? I suppose it depends upon the depth this film attempts to present to viewers, and whether it is a sci fi-action film or a sci fi film with great digital effects which nevertheless wants to be taken seriously in addressing contemporary cultural issues.

Third, the original film is still the subject of academic debate in the figure of Klaatu who is killed and resuscitated by Gort. Many commentators, such as Anton Karl Kozlovic, have interpreted Klaatu as a Christ-figure who dies and rises again, while others such as Douglas Cowan, have challenged this commonly accepted interpretation. It remains to be seen whether the new film will present Klaatu as Christ-figure, especially given Derrickson’s Christian faith, whether the character and the plot are so different from the original that it is not possible to interpret the character in this way, or whether many viewers will interpret Klaatu in this fashion regardless of the way in which the character is depicted. (See Christopher Deacy’s interesting discussion of this phenomenon here.)

Perhaps next month I will be watching this film with greater scrutiny than many of my fellow film goers. But in any event, it holds the potential of being a successful end-of-year sci fi film much like last year’s I Am Legend. Despite my continuing skepticism, I’ll try to think positively. See you in the theater with popcorn and Whoppers in hand.

Picture, if you will, a place where communication students can study the creative work of one of the most prolific writers in television history – not from textbooks – but from the actual scripts he crafted. In the Rod Serling Archives at Ithaca College can be found one the most unique and complete collections of work by a writer whose name is synonymous with the “golden age of television.” It’s the material from which Emmy-award winning programs are made — like Patterns… Requiem for a Heavyweight… and The Comedian and the series that gave birth to the modern “TV marathon” – The Twilight Zone. Rod Serling taught at the Ithaca College Communications School from 1967 to 1975.

Why Ithaca College? Just 50 miles south is Serling’s hometown (Binghamton), and much closer is the family cottage on Cayuga Lake where ­ in an airstream trailer behind the main house – some of the most memorable scripts in television history were crafted. Then, there is the fact that in the early 1970′s, writer became teacher – and shared his creative genius with students at the College… and that after his death in 1975 Carol Serling (a longtime Ithaca College Board member) decided her husband’s work needed a permanent home where it could be preserved and shared.

The 2009 conference will be held October 2-3. The call for papers may be found here.

Related to Serling and his work on The Twilight Zone, readers may recall TheoFantastique’s previous interview with Marc Scott Zicree, author of The Twilight Zone Companion (Silman-James Press, 1989).