Me, Gort and Patricia Neal – The moment my earth stood still

By Ted Page, Captains of Industry

Patricia Neal, the great actress who passed away on Sunday, August 8th,  may be best known for winning an academy award in Hud, starring Paul Newman; but I will always remember her for her role in The Day The Earth Stood Still,  and for the night in Providence when I met her. Fred (my biz partner here at Captains) and I were at the opening night gala for the Providence Film Festival at the state house. Our short film, There Once Was a Man from Pawtucket, had opened the festival, and Patricia Neal was the guest of honor. I’ll never forget seeing her for the first time.  I introduced myself, shook her hand enthusiastically. She walked with a cane, and was bent with age. But she was striking nevertheless. Her eyes were extraordinary – large and luminescent. You could see that she was a star, and no amount of time, or the ravages of her multiple strokes, could dim her brightness.  I told her that I was a big fan, and that I loved in particular The Day the Earth Stood Still, the classic 1951 sci-fi film in which her character, Helen, falls for an alien visitor, Klaatu (Michael Rennie) who’s come to warn earth.  Klaatu tells Helen that should anything ever happen to him, his all-powerful Robot, Gort, will destroy the earth. Only one thing will stop Gort. She must utter the words Klaatu barada nikto.  Of course, the inevitable occurs, and Helen must come through and say the magic words. When I mentioned this great scene to Patricia, she paused for a moment, and looked up at me with those big eyes. She said, “I thought it was Klaatu nikto barada.” Now, I happen to be six foot six, and was towering over Patricia. I was, at that moment, a lot like the gigantic robot Gort, and here was Helen in the flesh, staring up me, uttering the only words that would disarm me – but not in the right order. I stammered, “Well, no, actually I do think it was Klaatu nikto barada.” But even as the words left my mouth, I knew that it was stupid to contradict her, even if I was right.

Here’s to you, Patricia. A wonderful and charming actress who will live on in many great films. I will always be your Gort!