The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)

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:

Young Boy | Red Scare | Death Ray | Political Protest | Social Commentary

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

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:

Portugal:M/12 | Canada:G (video rating) | Italy:T | Canada:PG (Ontario) | Brazil:Livre | Germany:12 | Australia:PG (DVD rating) | USA:Approved (PCA #15271) (original rating) | South Korea:12 (2004) | Canada:G (Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Quebec) | USA:G (re-rating) (1969) | 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:

In the original story, the robot, Gort, was the master - Klaatu was merely one of a series of doubles, or maybe clones, that died after a short time.

Goofs:

Continuity: In final scene, Gort alternately stands feet together/feet apart between shots.

Quotes:

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

Movie Connections:

Featured in Watch the Skies!: Science Fiction, the 1950s and Us (2005) (TV)

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.