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The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951) 7.8
An alien lands and tells the people of Earth that they must live peacefully or be destroyed as a danger to other planets. Director:Robert Wise |
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Title: The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)
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Cast
| Complete credited cast: | |||
| Michael Rennie | ... | ||
| Patricia Neal | ... | ||
| Hugh Marlowe | ... | ||
| Sam Jaffe | ... | ||
 |
Billy Gray | ... | |
| Frances Bavier | ... | ||
|
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Lock Martin | ... | |
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Plot Summary
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Plot Synopsis
Storyline
An alien (Klaatu) with his mighty robot (Gort) land their spacecraft on Cold War-era Earth just after the end of World War II. They bring an important message to the planet that Klaatu wishes to tell to representatives of all nations. However, communication turns out to be difficult, so, after learning something about the natives, Klaatu decides on an alternative approach. Written by Bruce Janson <bruce@cs.su.oz.au>
Taglines:
From Out Of Space... A Warning And An Ultimatum See more »Genres:
Sci-FiParents Guide:
View content advisory »
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Details
Country:
USARelease Date:
28 September 1951 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
El día que paralizaron la Tierra See more »Filming Locations:
RKO Encino Ranch - Balboa Boulevard & Burbank Boulevard, Encino, Los Angeles, California, USA See more »Box Office
Budget:
$1,200,000 (estimated)Company Credits
Show detailed
company contact information
on
IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Sound Mix:
Mono (Western Electric Recording)Color:
Black and WhiteAspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1
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American Radar Operator: Holy Mackerel! Call headquarters. Get the lieutenant.
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Did You Know?
Trivia
The phrase "Klaatu barada nikto" has become a popular phrase among sci-fi fans over the years and has been featured in other movies, such as Army of Darkness (1992). See more »Goofs
In the boarding house scene, Drew Pearson states that the only means of identifying Klaatu are the photographs taken outside the spaceship, in which his head is covered by a helmet. However, Klaatu had also spent three days at Walter Reed Hospital, and any of his caregivers could have provided authorities with a detailed physical description. See more »Quotes
[first lines]American Radar Operator: Holy Mackerel! Call headquarters. Get the lieutenant.
See more »
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.