# Essential features of a Fifties sci-fi movie **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 6, 2011, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/essential-features-of-a-fifties-sci-fi-movie/595345 "2011-09-06T02:25:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Don\_Draper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Don\_Draper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_Draper)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2011, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/essential-features-of-a-fifties-sci-fi-movie/595345/41 "2011-09-07T05:19:40Z")
An extraterrestrial interstellar spacecraft that’s shaped like…well…a saucer. A robot minion. A dashing, square-jawed hero who can deliver a mean round house punch to the jaw. When the woman falls and screams (with her hand covering her face, palm facing away from her), the hero will pull / carry her to safety. ---
**Author:** ![Cara\_mel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/22d042/32.png) [@Cara\_mel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cara_mel)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2011, 5:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/essential-features-of-a-fifties-sci-fi-movie/595345/42 "2011-09-07T05:27:28Z")
The screaming-and-falling-down woman must always hurt her ankle. Men never hurt their ankles. ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2011, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/essential-features-of-a-fifties-sci-fi-movie/595345/43 "2011-09-07T05:32:52Z")
> [@Don\_Draper](#): > > An extraterrestrial interstellar spacecraft that’s shaped like…well…a saucer. Don’t forget being able to see the wires! > [@Don\_Draper](#): > > A robot minion. **MAN-IN-SUIT!** ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2011, 6:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/essential-features-of-a-fifties-sci-fi-movie/595345/44 "2011-09-07T06:28:42Z")
A character (usually a scientist) who says at the end of the film, “There are some things that science cannot explain,” or similar. ---
**Author:** ![mac\_bolan00](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b3f665/32.png) [@mac\_bolan00](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mac_bolan00)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2011, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/essential-features-of-a-fifties-sci-fi-movie/595345/45 "2011-09-07T06:37:11Z")
rumpled, thin-gauged vinyl rubber space boots, funny textured knitted clothes (pre-spandex era.) ---
**Author:** ![VOW](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/vow/32/3043_2.png) [@VOW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VOW)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2011, 7:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/essential-features-of-a-fifties-sci-fi-movie/595345/46 "2011-09-07T07:34:31Z")
And a HELLUVA lot of aluminum foil used for props! ACRES of the stuff! And the internal walls of spacecraft are covered with billions of toggle switches and military formations of small light bulbs, whose only function is to blink off and on with regularity. Blasting off means everyone sits in the special spacecraft chairs, and then the camera is tilted 90 degrees while somebody jiggles the floor. ~VOW ---
**Author:** ![Hogfather65](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/7bcc69/32.png) [@Hogfather65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hogfather65)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2011, 8:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/essential-features-of-a-fifties-sci-fi-movie/595345/47 "2011-09-07T08:01:19Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > Counts double if prefaced with “as you know”. double that if the use ‘you may not know this young lady, but…’ ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_A.Robrin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sam_a.robrin/32/14497_2.png) [@Sam\_A.Robrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_A.Robrin)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2011, 8:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/essential-features-of-a-fifties-sci-fi-movie/595345/48 "2011-09-07T08:55:21Z")
Oh, and at some point, someone has to be told about the monster, only to respond with some variation of “What is this, some kind of a gag or something?” ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2011, 11:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/essential-features-of-a-fifties-sci-fi-movie/595345/49 "2011-09-07T11:10:31Z")
> [@urban1a](#): > > “Make me a sergeant in charge of the booze.” > > Bob Thank you! Now it makes sense! ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2011, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/essential-features-of-a-fifties-sci-fi-movie/595345/50 "2011-09-08T00:53:37Z")
> [@Evil\_Captor](#): > > This was not a particular feature of fifties SF films, but a requirement of the Hays Code that governed all films in the 50s. From the [Wiki on pre-Code Hollywood:](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pre-Code_Hollywood) In fact, I believe the suits forced the director of “Day The Earth Stood Still” to film and insert the bit where Klaatu tells Helen that his resurrection is temporary or not quite what it seems, because the power over life and death is “reserved to the almighty spirit.” Or they forced him to add it to the script. Or something. . ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2011, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/essential-features-of-a-fifties-sci-fi-movie/595345/51 "2011-09-08T00:59:20Z")
> [@TreacherousCretin](#): > > In fact, I believe the suits forced the director of “Day The Earth Stood Still” to film and insert the bit where Klaatu tells Helen that his resurrection is temporary or not quite what it seems, because the power over life and death is “reserved to the almighty spirit.” > > Or they forced him to add it to the script. Or something. > . I liked it. ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2011, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/essential-features-of-a-fifties-sci-fi-movie/595345/52 "2011-09-08T01:05:37Z")
> [@VOW](#): > > I gotta get technical. The screaming woman ALWAYS, I mean ALWAYS puts her hand to her mouth, but faces the palm outwards. And she never just sees “it” and screams. She always stares, her face filling with terror which builds up, and finally she screams. Like a sneeze. Seems to me that most people spotting an “it” instantly jump backwards and go _ **AGH!** _ in a nanosecond. . ---
**Author:** ![Kim\_o\_the\_Concrete\_Jungle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ee7513/32.png) [@Kim\_o\_the\_Concrete\_Jungle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kim_o_the_Concrete_Jungle)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2011, 7:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/essential-features-of-a-fifties-sci-fi-movie/595345/53 "2011-09-10T07:03:47Z")
The soundtrack has to have a Theramin playing. ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2011, 7:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/essential-features-of-a-fifties-sci-fi-movie/595345/54 "2011-09-10T07:50:16Z")
Pointy tits. Gotta have pointy tits. ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2011, 7:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/essential-features-of-a-fifties-sci-fi-movie/595345/55 "2011-09-10T07:51:17Z")
> [@Superfluous\_Parentheses](#): > > [The Bronson caves](http://www.seeing-stars.com/locations/BronsonCaves.shtml) > > ETA: [Wiki page with list of movies from 1919 to 2010 (Mega Shark vs. Crocosaurus FTW!)](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bronson_Canyon) Cool! Thanks for the links. ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2011, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/essential-features-of-a-fifties-sci-fi-movie/595345/56 "2011-09-10T17:28:47Z")
> [@TreacherousCretin](#): > > EDIT: I did just think of another often essential feature: **Bronson Caves.**. Oh. SP was way ahead of me with it. . ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2011, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/essential-features-of-a-fifties-sci-fi-movie/595345/57 "2011-09-10T17:35:30Z")
> [@TreacherousCretin](#): > > As the train is crashing, there is a brief close-up shot where the word LIONEL is plainly visible. Don’t try this at home! No, wait…I did that frequently. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Rocketeer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocketeer/32/4437_2.png) [@Rocketeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rocketeer)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2012, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/essential-features-of-a-fifties-sci-fi-movie/595345/58 "2012-01-28T03:35:25Z")
Sorry to resurrect this zombie, but last night Mrs. R and I watched **Back to the Future** for the first time in a considerable while. I was pleased to see that even though it was made in the Eighties, it still has a number of the Essential Features: Helicopter Science lecture Screaming woman 3/5; not bad! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2012, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/essential-features-of-a-fifties-sci-fi-movie/595345/59 "2012-01-28T03:59:40Z")
Helicopter? ---
**Author:** ![Rocketeer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocketeer/32/4437_2.png) [@Rocketeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rocketeer)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2012, 6:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/essential-features-of-a-fifties-sci-fi-movie/595345/60 "2012-01-28T06:08:56Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > Helicopter? Briefly, at the end, when the terrorists are apprehended. 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/essential-features-of-a-fifties-sci-fi-movie/595345.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/essential-features-of-a-fifties-sci-fi-movie/595345.md?page=4)