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The Day the Earth Stood Still

  • 19511951
  • GG
  • 1h 32m
IMDb RATING
7.8/10
82K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
6,000
1,124
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.
IMDb RATING
7.8/10
82K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
6,000
1,124
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Director
      • Robert Wise
    • Writers
      • Edmund H. North(screen play)
      • Harry Bates(based on a story by)
    • Stars
      • Michael Rennie
      • Patricia Neal
      • Hugh Marlowe
    Top credits
    • Director
      • Robert Wise
    • Writers
      • Edmund H. North(screen play)
      • Harry Bates(based on a story by)
    • Stars
      • Michael Rennie
      • Patricia Neal
      • Hugh Marlowe
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 465User reviews
    • 147Critic reviews
    • Awards
      • 3 wins & 1 nomination

    Videos1

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

    Photos194

    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
    • Mr. Bleeker
    • (uncredited)
    Spencer Chan
    Spencer Chan
    • Scientific Delegate
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • Robert Wise
    • Writers
      • Edmund H. North(screen play)
      • Harry Bates(based on a story by)
    • 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: 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.

    • 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 reviews465

    Review
    Top review
    10/10
    One of the best sci-fi movies ever!
    I remember several years ago in my film appreciation class, we were learning about the 50's, our professor had mentioned how many sci-fi films were made with Russian villain undertones as well as the cold war. We watched some of The Day the Earth Stood Still and this film just jumped at me, it was so different than any other film I had seen. I thought it was going to be so cheesy and lame since it was a 50's film, but after watching a little bit of it, I didn't realize the strong message it held. I remember in Terminator 2 there was a line that I still hold true to this day "It's in your nature to destroy yourselves", that maybe it's not all technology that will destroy us, but we are our own worst enemies. The Day the Earth Stood was before The Terminator, just like Metropolis was before this film, but these are the best stories and it's like watching a history lesson on film about the time and feel of the 50's.

    An alien spaceship has landed in Washington, D.C., but it's not what you think with the "take us to your leader" type of thing, rather a human like alien comes out offering input on what is going on in the universe, but he is immediately attacked by the humans and taken hostage. His name is Klaatu, he tries to explain several times that he's not here to hurt anyone, but the humans don't trust him. He escapes and goes to a family, since no one knows what he looks like, they think that he's a regular man who just needs a place to stay. He stays with a family and they show him around, they think he's a little strange but very polite and nice, but when they learn of his true identity, he tells them of what his intentions are to mearly warn Planet Earth of it's impending doom.

    The Day the Earth Stood Still is a true classic, I know there are a lot of young people who complain about the ending, how it's so anti-climatic, but I feel that it's a perfect film and I am so ticked off that it's being re-made. But I guess we will have to see what the film will be like, who knows? It might be good... yeah, right, sorry, was just trying to be nice. But I highly recommend you watch this movie, it's a true classic that has a strong message, has great actors, and fun effects. It's fun to watch these films, I wonder if they realized while making this film back in 1951 that they were acting out their own culture and history.

    10/10
    helpful•111
    17
    • Smells_Like_Cheese
    • Nov 12, 2008

    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
    • Production company
      • Twentieth Century Fox
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • 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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