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The Day the Earth Stood Still ()

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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.
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Photos and Videos

201 photos | 1 video

Cast verified as complete

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Klaatu
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Helen Benson
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Tom Stevens
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Professor Jacob Barnhardt
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Bobby Benson
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Mrs. Barley
Lock Martin ...
Gort
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Patrick Aherne ...
General at Pentagon (uncredited)
Larry Arnold ...
Scientific Delegate (uncredited)
Walter Bacon ...
Sightseer at Spaceship (uncredited)
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Scientific Delegate (uncredited)
Oscar Blank ...
Peddler (uncredited)
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Chief of Staff (uncredited)
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Farmer (uncredited)
John Brown ...
George Barley (uncredited)
John Burton ...
British Radio Announcer (uncredited)
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Mr. Bleeker (uncredited)
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Scientific Delegate (uncredited)
Jean Charney ...
Mother (uncredited)
Beulah Christian ...
Secretary (uncredited)
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Captain (uncredited)
Louise Colombet ...
French Woman (uncredited)
James Conaty ...
General at Pentagon (uncredited)
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Mr. Harley (uncredited)
Eric Corrie ...
British Soldier (uncredited)
John Costello ...
Cockney (uncredited)
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Businessman (uncredited)
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Hilda (uncredited)
Jack Daly ...
Minor Role (uncredited)
Elmer Davis ...
Elmer Davis - Commentator (uncredited)
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Army Physician (uncredited)
Jim Doyle ...
Medical Corps Major (uncredited)
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Government Man (uncredited)
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Major General (uncredited)
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Mrs. Crockett (uncredited)
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Extra in Office Building Corridor (uncredited)
Michael Ferris ...
British Soldier (uncredited)
Elizabeth Flournoy ...
Emma - Jewelry Clerk (uncredited)
Curt Furberg ...
Scientific Delegate (uncredited)
Grady Galloway ...
American Radar Operator (uncredited)
Bill Gentry ...
Sentry (uncredited)
Paul Gerrits ...
Minor Role (uncredited)
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Military Officer at Pentagon Meeting (uncredited)
Robert Haines ...
Citizen (uncredited)
Glenn Hardy ...
Interviewer (uncredited)
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Scientific Delegate (uncredited)
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Taxi Driver (uncredited)
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Scientific Delegate (uncredited)
Gabriel Heatter ...
Gabriel Heatter - Commentator (uncredited)
Gil Herman ...
Government Agent (uncredited)
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Air Force Captain looking perplexed (uncredited)
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TV Announcer on Truck (uncredited)
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Pool Hall Patron (uncredited)
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H.V. Kaltenborn - Commentator (uncredited)
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Sentry (uncredited)
Kenneth Kendall ...
Soldier (uncredited)
Hassan Khayyam ...
Indian Radio Announcer (uncredited)
Richard LaMarr ...
Scientific Delegate (uncredited)
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Platoon Leader (uncredited)
Freeman Lusk ...
General Cutler (uncredited)
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Colonel Ryder (uncredited)
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Brigadier General (uncredited)
Bert Madrid ...
Sightseer at Spaceship (uncredited)
Mike Mahoney ...
Sentry (uncredited)
Sandee Marriott ...
Minor Role (uncredited)
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Air Force Sergeant (uncredited)
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Brady (uncredited)
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Military Officer at Pentagon Meeting (uncredited)
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Voice of General (uncredited)
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Government Man (uncredited)
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Woman looking at spaceship (uncredited)
Bruce Morgan ...
Government Man (uncredited)
Joseph C. Narcisse ...
Scientific Delegate (uncredited)
Bill Neff ...
Police Officer Behind Desk (uncredited)
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Colonel (uncredited)
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Margaret - Secretary (uncredited)
Sammy Ogg ...
Sam (uncredited)
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Major White (uncredited)
Gayle Pace ...
Captain (uncredited)
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Drew Pearson - Commentator (uncredited)
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Colonel (uncredited)
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Military Police Captain (uncredited)
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Cab Driver (uncredited)
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Army Captain (uncredited)
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Government Man (uncredited)
Anthony Redondo ...
Soldier (uncredited)
John M. Reed ...
Tank Driver (uncredited)
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Operator (uncredited)
Barry Regan ...
Minor Role (uncredited)
John Rice ...
Bobby (uncredited)
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Major General (uncredited)
Pola Russ ...
Russian Woman (uncredited)
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Government Man (uncredited)
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Minor Role (uncredited)
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Government Man (uncredited)
Peter Similuk ...
Russian Pilot (uncredited)
Bob Simpson ...
Colonel (uncredited)
Joseph P. Sinda ...
Kid In Saucer Landing Crowd (uncredited)
Reginald Lal Singh ...
Scientific Delegate (uncredited)
Marc Snow ...
Government Man (uncredited)
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Mr. Krull (uncredited)
Kim Spalding ...
Army Orderly (uncredited)
Murray Steckler ...
Soldier (uncredited)
Harmon Stevens ...
Minor Role (uncredited)
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Voice of Radio Announcer (uncredited)
Glen Walters ...
Scientific Delegate (uncredited)
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Carlson (uncredited)
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Radio Newscaster (uncredited) (voice)
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Sentry (uncredited)
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Radio Operator (uncredited)
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Military Police Sergeant (uncredited)
Wilson Wood ...
Government Man (uncredited)
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Colonel in Jeep (uncredited)

Directed by

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Robert Wise

Written by

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Edmund H. North ... (screen play by)
 
Harry Bates ... (based on a story by)

Produced by

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Julian Blaustein ... producer (produced by)

Music by

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Bernard Herrmann ... (music)

Cinematography by

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Leo Tover ... director of photography

Editing by

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William Reynolds ... film editor

Editorial Department

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Orven Schanzer ... first assistant editor (uncredited)

Art Direction by

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Addison Hehr ... (art direction)
Lyle R. Wheeler ... (art direction) (as Lyle Wheeler)

Set Decoration by

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Claude E. Carpenter ... (set decorations) (as Claude Carpenter)
Thomas Little ... (set decorations)

Costume Design by

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Travilla ... (costumes designed by)
Clinton Sandeen ... (uncredited)

Makeup Department

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Ben Nye ... makeup artist
Lynn F. Reynolds ... makeup artist (uncredited)

Production Management

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Gene Bryant ... unit manager (uncredited)
Darryl F. Zanuck ... executive in charge of production (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director

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Richard Del Ruth ... second assistant director (uncredited)
Stan Hough ... assistant director: second unit (uncredited)
Bert Leeds ... second unit director (uncredited)
Arthur Lueker ... first assistant director (uncredited)

Sound Department

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

Special Effects by

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Melbourne A. Arnold ... robot builder (uncredited)
Gerald Endler ... mechanical effects (uncredited)
Hal Millar ... special effects (uncredited)

Visual Effects by

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Fred Sersen ... special photographic effects
L.B. Abbott ... effects team (uncredited)
Lyman Hallowell ... visual effects editor (uncredited)
Ray Kellogg ... effects team (uncredited)
Emil Kosa ... effects team (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department

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Earl Gilbert ... rigging electrician (uncredited)
Len Prout ... gaffer (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department

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Perkins Bailey ... costume designer: Klaatu's
Charles Le Maire ... wardrobe director
Sam Benson ... wardrobe (uncredited)
Ed Wynigear ... wardrobe (uncredited)

Music Department

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

Additional Crew

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Samuel Herrick ... technical advisor (uncredited)
Anthony Jowitt ... dialogue director (uncredited)
Steve Pritko ... stand-in: Michael Rennie (uncredited)
Clifford Sales ... double: Billy Gray (uncredited)
Crew verified as complete

Production Companies

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Distributors

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Special Effects

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Other Companies

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Storyline

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Plot Summary

Travelling at mind-boggling speed, a gleaming unidentified flying object zooming in from boundless deep space penetrates the Earth's atmosphere, landing smoothly in Cold War Washington, D.C. Encircled by large yet feeble military forces, the peaceful intergalactic ambassador, Klaatu, emerges from the mysterious vessel accompanied by the silently dangerous robot of incomprehensible power, Gort, only to witness firsthand the earthlings' hospitality. The sophisticated humanoid declares that he comes in peace; however, he needs to assemble the world's greatest minds to hear his merciful warning and a definitive ultimatum. Is Klaatu the messenger of humanity's doom? Written by Nick Riganas

Plot Keywords
Taglines A robot and a man . . . hold the world spellbound with new and startling powers from another planet! See more »
Genres
Parents Guide View content advisory »
Certification

Additional Details

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Also Known As
  • El día que paralizaron la Tierra (United States, Spanish title)
  • Farewell to the Master (United States)
  • Journey to the World (United States)
  • Mission spatiale : Le Jour où la Terre s'arrêta (France)
  • Le Jour où la Terre s'arrêta... (France)
  • See more »
Runtime
  • 92 min
Country
Language
Color
Aspect Ratio
Sound Mix
Filming Locations

Box Office

Budget $1,200,000 (estimated)

Did You Know?

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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, so he had to be aided by wires (in shots from the back where he's carrying her (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. See more »
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. See more »
Movie Connections Edited into The Giant Claw (1957). See more »
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. See more »
Quotes Helen: Gort. Klaatu barada nikto. Klaatu barada nikto.
See more »
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