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The Day the Earth Stood Still

  • 1951
  • G
  • 1h 32m
IMDb RATING
7.8/10
84K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
2,654
1,835
The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)
Watch the trailer for the sci-fi classic The Day the Earth Stood Still.
Play trailer1:08
1 Video
99+ Photos
DramaSci-Fi

An alien lands in Washington, D.C. and tells the people of Earth that they must live peacefully or be destroyed as a danger to other planets.An alien lands in Washington, D.C. and tells the people of Earth that they must live peacefully or be destroyed as a danger to other planets.An alien lands in Washington, D.C. 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
    • Harry Bates
  • Stars
    • Michael Rennie
    • Patricia Neal
    • Hugh Marlowe
  • See production, box office & company info
  • IMDb RATING
    7.8/10
    84K
    YOUR RATING
    POPULARITY
    2,654
    1,835
    • Director
      • Robert Wise
    • Writers
      • Edmund H. North
      • Harry Bates
    • Stars
      • Michael Rennie
      • Patricia Neal
      • Hugh Marlowe
    • 486User reviews
    • 128Critic reviews
    • 83Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 3 wins & 1 nomination

    Videos1

    The Day the Earth Stood Still: Trailer
    Trailer 1:08
    Watch The Day the Earth Stood Still: Trailer

    Photos198

    Lock Martin, Patricia Neal, and Michael Rennie in The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)
    Lock Martin and Michael Rennie in The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)
    Michael Rennie in The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)
    Lock Martin and Michael Rennie in The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)
    Michael Rennie in The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)
    Lock Martin, Patricia Neal, and Michael Rennie in The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)
    "The Day the Earth Stood Still" Patricia Neal & Michael Rennie 1951 20th
    "The Day the Earth Stood Still" Michael Rennie, Hugh Marlowe, & Patricia Neal 1951 20th
    "The Day the Earth Stood Still" Hugh Marlowe, Patricia Neal & Michael Rennie 1951 20th
    The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)
    The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)
    The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Michael Rennie
    Michael Rennie
    • Klaatu
    Patricia Neal
    Patricia Neal
    • Helen Benson
    Hugh Marlowe
    Hugh Marlowe
    • Tom Stevens
    Sam Jaffe
    Sam Jaffe
    • Professor Jacob Barnhardt
    Billy Gray
    Billy Gray
    • Bobby Benson
    Frances Bavier
    Frances Bavier
    • Mrs. Barley
    Lock Martin
    • Gort
    Patrick Aherne
    • General at Pentagon
    • (uncredited)
    Walter Bacon
    • Sightseer at Spaceship
    • (uncredited)
    Rama Bai
    Rama Bai
    • Scientific Delegate
    • (uncredited)
    Oscar Blank
    • Peddler
    • (uncredited)
    Marshall Bradford
    • Chief of Staff
    • (uncredited)
    Chet Brandenburg
    Chet Brandenburg
    • Farmer
    • (uncredited)
    John Brown
    • George Barley
    • (uncredited)
    John Burton
    • British Radio Announcer
    • (uncredited)
    Michael Capanna
    • Sentry
    • (uncredited)
    Wheaton Chambers
    Wheaton Chambers
    • Mr. Bleeker
    • (uncredited)
    Spencer Chan
    Spencer Chan
    • Scientific Delegate
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • Robert Wise
    • Writers
      • Edmund H. North
      • Harry Bates
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Lock Martin, the doorman at Grauman's Chinese Theater, was cast because of his nearly seven-foot height. However, he was not a physically strong man and could not actually carry Patricia Neal, and so had to be aided by wires (in shots from the back where he's carrying her, it's actually a lightweight dummy in his arms). He also had difficulty with the heavy Gort suit and could only stay in it for about a half hour at a time.
    • Goofs
      Klaatu arranges to have the electromagnetic fields neutralized from 12.00 pm to 12:30 pm EST, yet it is clearly broad daylight in every country in which people are struggling with inoperative devices. In Asia and the Middle East, it should've been nightfall during this time frame.
    • Quotes

      Reporter: Would you like to say a few words? I suppose you are just as scared as the rest of us.

      Klaatu: In a different way, perhaps. I am fearful when I see people substituting fear for reason...

      Reporter: [Cutting him off abruptly] Thank you, thank you, sir.

      [Moves on to another spectator]

    • 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.
    • Connections
      Edited into 20 Million Miles to Earth (1957)

    User reviews486

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    9/10
    The Gentleness of the Message
    After seeing the horrendous remake of this film, it made me go back to the original. This is a movie with a great message, and while it doesn't have all the bells and whistles, it has a human message. What makes it differ is that perhaps the response to power as significant as this first wave force may be tempered by a hesitation to destroy. Also, the aliens are benevolent and confident. Klatu is there to save the Earth and its people, not to make it a new central park for his future generations. Gort is an enforcer, but never acts unless provoked. It isn't that there is no cynicism in this film. Obviously, when threatened, the military types want to respond with carnage. Once it is established that this is of no use in a huge demonstration of power (done in the most "humanitarian" way. Michael Rennie has some personality, despite his bewilderment as a stranger in a strange land.. Patricia Neal is really caught in unfamiliar territory, but does a very good job in her role. This is an early treasure of the sci fi genre.
    helpful•27
    1
    • Hitchcoc
    • Mar 20, 2010

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    FAQ8

    • What is 'The Day the Earth Stood Still' about?
    • Is 'The Day the Earth Stood Still' based on a book?
    • From what planet did Klaatu originate?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • September 20, 1951 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Languages
      • English
      • French
      • Hindi
      • Russian
    • Also known as
      • Farewell to the Master
    • Filming locations
      • The Ellipse, National Mall, Washington, District of Columbia, USA(landing of the flying suacer on the oval)
    • Production company
      • Twentieth Century Fox
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

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    • Budget
      • $1,200,000 (estimated)
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 32 minutes
    • Color
      • Black and White
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.37 : 1

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