Forbidden Planet

Synopsis: Science fiction story with a plot derived from The Tempest. In the year 2257, a distant star has three inhabitants - Professor Morbius (Prospero), his daughter Altaira (Miranda), and Robby the Robot (Ariel). Something has destroyed the planet’s other inhabitants, and now a monster mind-thing (Caliban) begins to pick on the spaceship’s crew.
Language: English
Country: United States
Medium: Film; Video
Technical information: Colour / Sound
Year of release: 1956
Duration: 96 mins; 8,662 feet

Director

Fred Wilcox

Producer

Nicholas Nayfack

Cinematographer

George Folsey

Screenplay

Cyril Hume

Music

Bebe Barron; Louis Barron

Cast

Notes: Estimated budget $1,9000,000
The BFI National Archive holds a 35mm master and viewing copy print.

The DVD release in 2006 to mark the film’s 50th anniversary is a new widescreen version and digitally transferred from restored new film and audio elements. The 2-disc set (Region 1) special edition includes a number of documentaries on the film, deleted scenes and the feature film THE INVISIBLE BOY which also features Robbie The Robot.
General: Forbidden Planet was the first major motion picture to feature an all-electronic film score. Louis and Bebe Barron worked on the score for only three months. The Musicians Union objected to the finished product and blocked the Barrons from being credited as composers, hence the term ‘electronic tonalities’.
Figures: Gross $3,000,000 USA (IMDb) 2005
Reviews: An analysis of the film appears in Judith Buchanan’s article ‘Forbidden Planet’ in Shakespeare on Film, (Harlow, Pearson Education, 2005) pp. 96-103.

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British Universities Film & Video Council