The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)

User Rating:

8.1/10   

Director:

Robert Wise

Writers:

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

Release Date:

28 September 1951 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

A robot and a man . . . hold the world spellbound with new and startling powers from another planet!

Plot:

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

Plot Keywords:

Alien | Robot | Spacecraft | Washington D.C. | Tank

Awards:

Won Golden Globe. Another 1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

Michael Rennie	...	Klaatu
Patricia Neal	...	Helen Benson
Hugh Marlowe	...	Tom Stevens
Sam Jaffe	...	Prof. Jacob Barnhardt
Billy Gray	...	Bobby Benson
Frances Bavier	...	Mrs. Barley
Lock Martin	...	Gort
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Holly Bane	...	Army Captain (uncredited)
Oscar Blanke	...	Peddler (uncredited)
Marshall Bradford	...	Chief of Staff (uncredited)
John Brown	...	George Barley (uncredited)
John Burton	...	British Radio Announcer (uncredited)
Wheaton Chambers	...	Mr. Bleeker (uncredited)
Jean Charney	...	Mother (uncredited)
Beulah Christian	...	Secretary (uncredited)
John Close	...	Captain (uncredited)
Louise Colombet	...	French Woman (uncredited)
Frank Conroy	...	Mr. Harley (uncredited)
Eric Corrie	...	British Soldier (uncredited)
John Costello	...	Cockney (uncredited)
James Craven	...	Businessman (uncredited)
Marjorie Crossland	...	Hilda (uncredited)
Jack Daly	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Elmer Davis	...	Himself - Commentator (uncredited)
Lawrence Dobkin	...	Army physician (uncredited)
Jim Doyle	...	Medical Corps. Major (uncredited)
Roy Engel	...	Government Man (uncredited)
Charles Evans	...	Major general (uncredited)
Edith Evanson	...	Mrs. Crockett (uncredited)
Franklyn Farnum	...	Extra in Office Building Corridor (uncredited)
Michael Ferris	...	British Soldier (uncredited)
Elizabeth Flournoy	...	Emma, Jewelry clerk (uncredited)
Grady Galloway	...	American Radar Operator (uncredited)
Bill Gentry	...	Sentry (uncredited)
Glenn Hardy	...	Interviewer (uncredited)
Sam Harris	...	Scientific Delegate (uncredited)
Harry Harvey	...	Taxi driver (uncredited)
Gabriel Heatter	...	Himself Commentator (uncredited)
Gil Herman	...	Government agent (uncredited)
John Hiestand	...	TV Announcer on Truck (uncredited)
H.V. Kaltenborn	...	Himself - Commentator (uncredited)
Hassan Khayyam	...	Indian Radio Announcer (uncredited)
Harry Lauter	...	Platoon leader (uncredited)
Freeman Lusk	...	Gen. Cutler (uncredited)
George Lynn	...	Col. Ryder (uncredited)
Herbert Lytton	...	Brigadier General (uncredited)
Michael Mahoney	...	Sentry (uncredited)
David McMahon	...	Air Force sergeant (uncredited)
Tyler McVey	...	Brady (uncredited)
Harold Miller	...	Military Officer at Pentagon Meeting (uncredited)
Ralph Montgomery	...	Government Man (uncredited)
Bruce Morgan	...	Government Man (uncredited)
Howard Negley	...	Colonel (uncredited)
Dorothy Neumann	...	Margaret - Secretary (uncredited)
Sammy Ogg	...	Sam (uncredited)
Robert Osterloh	...	Major White (uncredited)
Gayle Pace	...	Captain (uncredited)
Drew Pearson	...	Himself - Commentator (uncredited)
Ted Pearson	...	Colonel (uncredited)
House Peters Jr.	...	Military Police Captain (uncredited)
'Snub' Pollard	...	Cab Driver (uncredited)
John M. Reed	...	Tank Driver (uncredited)
Fay Roope	...	Major general (uncredited)
Pola Russ	...	Russian Woman (uncredited)
James Seay	...	Government Man (uncredited)
Charles Sherlock	...	Government Man (uncredited)
Peter Similuk	...	Russian Pilot (uncredited)
Bob Simpson	...	Colonel (uncredited)
Marc Snow	...	Government Man (uncredited)
Olan Soule	...	Mr. Krull (uncredited)
Kim Spalding	...	Army orderly (uncredited)
Murray Steckler	...	Soldier (uncredited)
Harmon Stevens	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Charles Tannen	...	Voice of Radio Announcer (uncredited)
Harlan Warde	...	Carlson (uncredited)
Gil Warren	...	Government Man (uncredited)
Rush Williams	...	Military Police Sergeant (uncredited)
Wilson Wood	...	Government Man (uncredited)
Carleton Young	...	Colonel in Jeep (uncredited)

Directed by
Robert Wise

Writing credits
Edmund H. North		(screenplay)
Harry Bates		(story)

Produced by
Julian Blaustein	....	producer

Original Music by
Bernard Herrmann

Cinematography by
Leo Tover		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
William Reynolds

Art Direction by
Addison Hehr
Lyle R. Wheeler		(as Lyle Wheeler)

Set Decoration by
Claude E. Carpenter		(as Claude Carpenter)
Thomas Little

Costume Design by
Travilla

Makeup Department
Ben Nye	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Darryl F. Zanuck	....	executive in charge of production (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Bert Leeds	....	second unit director (uncredited)
Arthur Lueker	....	first assistant director (uncredited)

Sound Department
Harry M. Leonard	....	sound
Arthur von Kirbach	....	sound (as Arthur L. Kirbach)

Special Effects by
Fred Sersen	....	special photographic effects
L.B. Abbott	....	effects team (uncredited)
Melbourne A. Arnold	....	robot builder (uncredited)
Ray Kellogg	....	effects team (uncredited)
Emil Kosa	....	effects team (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Perkins Bailey	....	costume designer: Klaatu
Charles Le Maire	....	wardrobe director
Sam Benson	....	wardrobe (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Orven Schanzer	....	first assistant editor (uncredited)

Music Department
Bernard Herrmann	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Dr. Samuel Hoffman	....	musician: theremin (uncredited)
Paul Shure	....	musician: theremin (uncredited)

Other crew
Dr. Samuel Herrick	....	technical advisor (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation (presents) (as Twentieth Century-Fox)

Distributors

• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation (1951) (USA) (theatrical) (released by)
• Centfox (1952) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1962) (USA) (TV)
• Fox Films (1952) (Finland) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• CBS/Fox (1988) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Encore Entertainment (1998) (UK) (video) (laserdisc)
• Fox Video (1995) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Mainostelevisio (MTV3) (1996) (Finland) (TV)
• Svensk Filmindustri (SF) (2006) (Sweden) (DVD)
• Svensk Filmindustri (SF) (2008) (Sweden) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (19??) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (2003) (Netherlands) (DVD) (collector's edition)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (2005) (Netherlands) (DVD) (2-disc special edition)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (2007) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (2003) (USA) (DVD)

Runtime:

92 min | Germany:85 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | French | Hindi

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

Australia:PG (DVD rating) | Canada:G (Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Quebec) | Canada:PG (Ontario) | Portugal:M/12 | Italy:T | USA:Approved (PCA #15271) (original rating) | USA:G (re-rating) (1969) | Canada:G (video rating) | South Korea:12 (2004) | Brazil:Livre | Germany:12 (f) | Netherlands:12 | Argentina:Atp | Australia:G | Finland:K-12 | Spain:T | Sweden:15 | UK:U

Filming Locations:

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

Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

The role of Klaatu was originally intended for Claude Rains.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: While it has been noted that it would not be dark at 8:30 p.m. in Washington D.C. during the late spring or summer (when Professor Barnhardt's meeting is set to begin), in the film it had been pitch black for hours before the climactic scene at the spaceship - from the time Tom arrives back at his office, through the cab chase, Klaatu's shooting, Gort's retrieval of Klaatu and the scenes back inside the ship - none of which is credible for that time of year.

Quotes:

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

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Bob Came from Outer Space (2000) (V)

A science fiction classic that beautifully melds the ordinary and the fantastic

This science fiction classic is more relevant than ever, and I don't mean its silly message about peace. Yes, yes, we're all violent, silly, war-like humans, and we should all throw away our guns and atomic bombs posthaste if we know what's good for us. Thanks, Klaatu. We'll get right on that. Meanwhile, we'll enjoy the chance to watch your story on DVD because we live in an age – yes, of war and cruelty and weapons of mass destruction – but also of Jar Jar Binks and "Alien vs. Predator."

Klaatu (Michael Rennie) is a gentlemanly outer-space alien who comes to earth in his flying saucer to send us Earthlings a very important message. Sadly, we shoot him on arrival and try to imprison him in a hospital room. He escapes, however, and goes out among us to find the basis for our "strange, unreasoning attitudes." He takes a room in a boarding house, where he meets the widowed Mrs. Benson (Patricia Neal) and her young son (Billy Gray). The widow is being romanced by an insurance salesman (Hugh Marlowe), who later displays a lust for glory that endangers Klaatu – and thus the rest of the world. Klaatu is in better hands when he reveals himself to Professor Barnhardt (Sam Jaffe), a brilliant scientist and the best hope for the survival of Earth.

It's funny, but I never think about this movie in terms of that plot outline. To me, this film is composed of small moments about people – especially Mrs. Benson. Mention "The Day the Earth Stood Still" to me, and the first thing I think about is that moment where the strange new boarder tells her that he'd like to spend the day with her son. She hesitates a moment and says in a lowered voice, "Well, that's awfully nice of you to suggest it." It's a tiny moment about her concern for her son, her good manners and her intelligent ability to reply quickly and diplomatically. Patricia Neal, not Gort the robot, makes this movie come alive for me.

The real reason this story is so fresh is because – it's a good story. It's not an excuse to slap us senseless with fast-paced cutting or drown us in great globs of special effects. It has an engaging plot with warm, interesting characters. If we stupidly (and as you know, Klaatu, we humans can be so very stupid) limit ourselves to the New Releases section of the video store, we forget that some sci-fi thrillers put story before special effects.

The trick work in this movie is excellent, though. I think the robot looks silly, but when Gort opens its visor and we hear that unnerving theremin music, we don't care that this supposedly metallic creature bends like Styrofoam at the knees. We know those laser beams eyes are about to scorch everything in their sight.

Michael Rennie makes up for Gort's deficiencies. He gives what easily could have been a humorless, sanctimonious character a quiet, graceful authority. His slightly otherworldly looks add to the illusion; and Neal as Mrs. Benson completes it by reacting to him with obvious respect – even when she fears him.

Under Robert Wise's direction, every shot is strikingly composed and brings out the maximum dramatic potential of the story. The sense of rhythm and pacing is beautifully suspenseful. Bernard Herrmann, with the theremin as one of his instruments, gives the movie both a nervous tension and a sense of wonder. And the story is so perfectly constructed that it even gets away with a big speech for a climax.

What's the heart of this movie? There's a bravura sequence where Billy Gray secretly follows Rennie from the boarding house to his spaceship. It's a simple, wordless scene where the entire team of filmmakers – and that goes double for Herrmann – meld the ordinary and the fantastic. You want a special effect? That's it.