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The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)
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Overview
User Rating:
Director:
Writers:
Release Date:
28 September 1951 (USA)
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Tagline:
A robot and a man . . . hold the world spellbound with new and startling powers from another planet! more
Plot:
An alien lands and tells the people of Earth that they must live peacefully or be destroyed as a danger to other planets. full summary | add synopsis
Awards:
Won Golden Globe.
Another 1 win
&
1 nomination
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NewsDesk:
(278 articles)
Scores from Outer Space
(From SoundOnSight. 30 September 2009, 7:38 PM, PDT)
Cinematical Seven: Our Alien Friends
(From Cinematical. 18 August 2009, 8:02 PM, PDT)
(From SoundOnSight. 30 September 2009, 7:38 PM, PDT)
Cinematical Seven: Our Alien Friends
(From Cinematical. 18 August 2009, 8:02 PM, PDT)
User Comments:
Interesting In Itself & As A Reflection of Its Era
more (323 total)
Cast
(Complete credited cast)| Michael Rennie | ... | Klaatu | |
| Patricia Neal | ... | Helen Benson | |
| Hugh Marlowe | ... | Tom Stevens | |
| Sam Jaffe | ... | Professor Jacob Barnhardt | |
| Billy Gray | ... | Bobby Benson | |
| Frances Bavier | ... | Mrs. Barley | |
| Lock Martin | ... | Gort |
Additional Details
Parents Guide:
Runtime:
92 min | Germany:85 min
Country:
Color:
Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 more
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 |
USA:TV-G (TV rating) |
Ireland:G |
Argentina:Atp |
Australia:G |
Finland:K-12 |
Spain:T |
Sweden:15 |
UK:U
Filming Locations:
Fun Stuff
Trivia:
Robert Wise was attracted to the project because of its overt anti-military stance and also because he believed in UFOs.
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Goofs:
Revealing mistakes: In the shots from behind of Gort carrying first Helen, and later Klaatu, into the spaceship, the people being carried are clearly either small adults or adolescent children dressed to resemble Helen and Klaatu, in order to give the illusion of greater size to Gort. The small size of their limbs, and the differences in their relative heights and appearance from the close-up shots of Gort carrying the actual Helen and Klaatu, make this obvious.
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Quotes:
Movie Connections:
Referenced in Scorsese on Scorsese (2004) (TV)
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FAQ
How much sex, violence, and profanity are in this movie?A Note Regarding Spoilers
From what planet did Klaatu originate?
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more (323 total)
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Interesting both in itself and as a reflection of its era, "The Day the Earth Stood Still" may seem unspectacular now to those who are used to the extravagant science fiction pictures of the present time, but it deserves its place as a cinema classic. The story is worthwhile in itself, and as soon as you set aside any preconceptions about what science fiction should involve, it also builds up some pretty good drama and suspense. Its perspective is also interesting to see as a reflection of the concerns of its era, which have such obvious similarities with those of the present.
The story itself sometimes moves rather slowly, and the focus is really more on the reactions to Klaatu's arrival than on the action itself. As Klaatu, Michael Rennie stays pretty low-key, as does the rest of the cast much of the time. Although there are times when the movie might lack some energy as a result, in general it probably works better that way than it would have if there were too much forced emphasis on the urgency of Klaatu's mission, which is more than able to speak for itself. The ideas behind the story are fairly simple, but they are, of course, just as significant now (or in practically any other era) as they were in the 1950's.