Friday, March 11, 2022

The Day The Earth Stood Still: Gort




To me the breakaway star of the classic 1950s (and modern remake) science fiction movie The Day The Earth Stood Still, was Gort the Robot.

How cool is a giant robot that can emit killer destructive beams from its eyes and destroy tanks, weapons and anything else it sets its sight on?

Gort stood about seven feet tall and was solid metal with his only distinctive feature being his eye visor that rose to reveal his energy emitting eyes.

The Gort Rocket USA figure comes packaged in a 1950s style box with large graphics, huge type and slightly toned down color as produced by printing presses at that time.  

They all combine to give the flip lid box with securing tab a very retro, classic look.

Inside the inside front panel of the lid has a short description of Gort with a small illustration of him coming out of the flying saucer.  The Gort figure is secured in two piece form-fitting plastic cocoon and can be clearly seen behind a single clear plastic panel

The figure comes with a wind up key that inserts in the figure’s side.  A few turns and once placed on a flat surface the figure walks.

The Gort figure is made of metal, is silver in color and looks like a slightly down-scaled replica of the famous robot.

Like its movie’s namesake the toy has straight legs and arms, a huge chest and an equally large head.

A flip up visor reveals the transparent death ray emitter of its eyes.  A simple turn causes the visor to lower or rise.

The Gort figure reminds me of the post war Japanese toys so popular in the 1950s and early 1960s-right down to the clipped seams and sectional pieces.

On the back of the box is schematic of Gort as seen from all sides.

Psalm 118:24 (NIV) “The Lord has done it this very day; let us rejoice today and be glad.”

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