The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)

An alien lands and tells the people of Earth that they must live peacefully or be destroyed as a danger to other planets.

Director:

Robert Wise

Writers:

Edmund H. North (screenplay), Harry Bates (story)

Stars:

Michael Rennie, Patricia Neal, Hugh Marlowe

Won 1 Golden Globe. Another 1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Michael Rennie	...	Klaatu
Patricia Neal	...	Helen Benson
Hugh Marlowe	...	Tom Stevens
Sam Jaffe	...	Professor Jacob Barnhardt
Billy Gray	...	Bobby Benson
Frances Bavier	...	Mrs. Barley
Lock Martin	...	Gort

Storyline

An alien (Klaatu) with his mighty robot (Gort) land their spacecraft on Cold War-era Earth just after the end of World War II. They bring an important message to the planet that Klaatu wishes to tell to representatives of all nations. However, communication turns out to be difficult, so, after learning something about the natives, Klaatu decides on an alternative approach.

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Plot Keywords:

alien | robot | escape | washington d.c. | spacecraft | 

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Taglines:

Strange Power From Another Planet Menaces The Earth!

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Genres:

Drama | Sci-Fi | Thriller

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English French Hindi

Release Date:

28 September 1951 (USA)

Also Known As:

El día que paralizaron la Tierra

Filming Locations:

RKO Encino Ranch - Balboa Boulevard & Burbank Boulevard, Encino, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$1,200,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

92 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The musical score by Bernard Herrmann was what inspired Danny Elfman to be a composer.

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Goofs

Klaatu is shot in his left shoulder, yet we see him wounded on the ground and leaning against his left side, his left hand on the ground. That would have been too painful and instinctively Klaatu would not have leaned on the side he was shot.

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Quotes

[first lines]
American Radar Operator: Holy Mackerel! Call headquarters. Get the lieutenant.

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Crazy Credits

Elmer Davis, H.V. Kaltenborn, and Drew Pearson identify themselves when they appear on screen. Radio personality Gabriel Heatter is identified by an announcer.

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Connections

Referenced in CyberTracker (1994)

User Reviews

My FIRST sci-fi movie!

When I first saw this movie (on television circa 1957)I was just a young child four years of age. I remember sitting on my father's lap and watched the whole thing through my fingers as I held my hands over my eyes for protection (yeah...right!). Gort and Klaatu were magnificent space travelers...and with a message of peace during a time that the Soviets and U.S. were deep into the 'cold war'. Very timely! Very scary! It spooked me then and I still get a chill watching the movie today. But, it's one of the classics that will live on forever! It's message is as meaningful today as it was back in the 50's. Maybe we should all watch it again and take notes.........