A serious, high-minded exploration of humanity's place in the universe and our responsibility to maintain peaceful coexistence, it has remained the gold standard for the genre of the era. The Day the Earth Stood Still was the first postwar respectably-budgeted "A" science fiction film. The plot of the film centers on the gaslighting of a female protagonist aboard a cruise vessel. This superior TV series ran for five seasons and starred Michael Rennie as Harry Lime and Jonathan Harris (Dr. Smith from Lost in Space). Gort takes her inside the spaceship, and then retrieves Klaatu's lifeless body, which he revives. Rennie's next film dramatically moved his billing up to first and assured him screen immortality. Second leads and then leads in seven other British films produced between 1946 and 1949 followed, including what may be considered Michael Rennie's only role as one of two central characters in a full-fledged love story. Upon cremation, his ashes laid to rest in Harlow Cemetery, Harrogate.
He also played other bit parts and later, minor, unbilled roles in ten additional films produced between 1936 and 1940, the last of which, "Pimpernel" Smith, had a belated release in July 1941, while Rennie was already in uniform, serving in the Royal Air Force during World War II. Michael Rennie's next film was the last under his five-year contract with 20th Century Fox. Rennie's second Fox film gave him fourth billing in the top tier. A unique aspect of the film is the participation, within its fictional structure, of four top newscasters and commentators of the period—Elmer Davis, H. V. Kaltenborn, Drew Pearson and Gabriel Heatter. Their son David Rennie is a UK circuit judge in Lewes, Sussex. The hugely influential Nobel Prize-winning critic and playwright George Bernard...
The 1937 test, which exists in the British Film Institute archives under the title "Marguerite Allan and Michael Rennie Screen Test", did not lead to a movie career for either performer. In the late stages of his career Rennie did extensive work on television, most notably appearing on the popular mystery series "The Third Man." Please confirm or enter it below to complete your profile. As her sister Vivian later explained, she wasn’t dating white men because she was “prejudiced” against black men, as some press outlets alleged. He was first married to Joan England in 1938. (Klaatu does indicate he's "worried" and warns that Gort could potentially destroy the entire planet.) Fifth-billed after the remaining first-tier stars Orson Welles, Cecile Aubry and Jack Hawkins, Rennie was specifically cast as 13th century King Edward I of England, whose 6' 2" frame gave origin to his historical nickname, "Longshanks".
The humanoid alien protagonist of the film, Klaatu (Michael Rennie), instructs Helen Benson (Patricia Neal) that if any harm befalls him, she must say the phrase to the robot Gort (Lockard Martin).In response Gort relents from destroying the Earth and resurrects Klaatu from death. the verification email.To resend the verification email, please enter your email address and click Submit. In 1959 Rennie became a familiar face on television, taking the role of Harry Lime in The Third Man, a British-American syndicated TV series very loosely based on the character created by Orson Welles. USED BY Gary Cooper, the strong, silent hero of the screen, died of cancer at 12:27 p.m. Saturday in the quiet of his Holmby Hills home. Eric Alexander Rennie was born in Idle, a village near the West Yorkshire city of Bradford (subsequently, a Bradford suburb) and educated at The Leys School, Cambridge. The film, released on August 14, 1952, was well-directed by All Quiet on the Western Front's Lewis Milestone, and Rennie's performance was respectfully, but not enthusiastically, received by the critics. The Rains of Ranchipur, released on December 14, 1955. John Rennie, the designer and builder of the original Waterloo Bridge, is presumed to have been his great-great grandfather. He was 70 y old. Michael Rennie's next film was the last under his five-year contract with 20th Century Fox.
Both of Michael Rennie's marriages ended in divorce. The story was dramatized in 1954 for Lux Radio Theatre, with Rennie and Billy Gray recreating their roles and Jean Peters speaking the dialogue of the Patricia Neal character.