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:

From Out Of Space... A Warning And An Ultimatum

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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

To increase the sense of reality, some of the most famous broadcast journalists of the time were hired to do cameos as themselves. These included Gabriel Heatter, H.V. Kaltenborn and Drew Pearson.

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Goofs

When Gort moves behind the wall to pick up Helen, the frame shifts slightly. This was because director Robert Wise stopped the camera, moved in a rig to hold Patricia Neal and started again (Lock Martin could not do it on his own - see trivia).

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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 The Naked Witch (1961)

User Reviews

Classic Science Fiction, that stands the test of time.

The first time i saw this movie, i was 10 yrs old. That was in 1974,it was on t.v. that night, and my father, let me stay up to watch it. Because many years earlier, he saw it at the movie theater as a teenager. He told me that The Day the Earth Stood Still, was the reason he became a sci-fi fan. Well, so did i that night! To this day despite all the fancy, special effect, movies that are out there, this movie stands above them all. The humanity in this movie is so moving, that alone makes it a classic.But much more than that,it's message still rings true today,and should never be forgotten. A masterpiece! 9.5/10.