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Subject:Re[2]: CHAT: "Intercom" article From:Arlen -dot- P -dot- Walker -at- JCI -dot- COM Date:Wed, 5 Mar 1997 08:33:47 -0500
The quote should begin with 'Gort!' It's what Patricia Neal says to
the robot in "The Day The Earth Stood Still." It means, "It's OK
dude. Don't destroy Earth." Gort's the robot.
Someone else can give details on the film. Suffice to say, it worked!
We're still here.
(I always thought there were two A's in "Klaatu.")
Film was great though they completely destroyed (as usual for Hollywood)
the original story to make it. The film makers had a social point to make
that the original ending didn't serve, so it was completely excised and
replaced with the ending they wanted ("Play together nice or daddy spank").
The film played off the paranoia of the time (yes, all times are paranoid
to certain extent, but during the 50's the US was more than normally
paranoid). Starred Michael Rennie as the alien who walked amongst us,
Patricia Neal as the female lead, and Sam Jaffe as the kindly old
scientist. Was perhaps the finest of the black & white SF movies (though
"Fahrenheit 451" could make a good case for itself as well). If you haven't
seen it, run to the video store and rent it.
The line is a classic bit of AlienSpeak which is known throughout SF
fandom, and since most technologists came from that particular subset of
the population, it's widely spread through that segment as well. Hence the
connection to tech writing.
(For a bit of trivia, watch the opening sequences of "Tron." The programmer
who creates Tron and sends him on his mission has that phrase on his
cubicle wall.)
Have fun,
Arlen
Chief Managing Director In Charge, Department of Redundancy Department
DNRC 224
Arlen -dot- P -dot- Walker -at- JCI -dot- Com
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In God we trust; all others must provide data.
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If JCI had an opinion on this, they'd hire someone else to deliver it.
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