Google Ads
Login | Sign Up

The Day the Earth Stood Still Overview:

The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951) was a Drama - Science Fiction Film directed by Robert Wise and produced by Julian Blaustein.

The film was based on the short story Farewell to the Master written by Harry Bates published in Astounding Science Fiction Magazine in October 1940.

SYNOPSIS

Though it lacks the digital-era special effects (and the hero's giant robot companion looks as menacing as an industrial Maytag), this may be one of the greatest science-fiction films of all time. Soberly, almost solemnly, it depicts the arrival of an alien dignitary who has come to earth to deliver a message: stop warring among yourselves or you will be destroyed. Bidden to Washington, the world's leaders squabble until the alien ambassador loses patience and slips into the world to learn why humans can't hear the truth. Herrmann wrote the haunting score.

(Source: available at Amazon AMC Classic Movie Companion).

The Day the Earth Stood Still was inducted into the National Film Registry in 1995.

The Day the Earth Stood Still BlogHub Articles:

Michael Rennie is the visitor from space in “The Day the Earth Stood Still”

By Stephen Reginald on May 29, 2024 From Classic Movie Man

Michael Rennie is the visitor from space in “The Day the Earth Stood Still” The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951) was an American science fiction film directed by Robert Wise and starring Michael Rennie, Patricia Neal, and Hugh Marlowe. The supporting cast includes Sam Jaffe, Frances... Read full article

The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951, Robert Wise)

By Andrew Wickliffe on Dec 26, 2017 From The Stop Button

The Day the Earth Stood Still opens with these sensational titles. 3D text jumping out, set against the backdrop of space, Bernard Herrmann’s score at its loudest; the titles suggest the film is going to be something grandiose. It is and it isn’t. For the first act, director Wise moves quickly, ... Read full article

ClassicFlix (Teen Scene): The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)

By Virginie Pronovost on Jun 30, 2017 From The Wonderful World of Cinema

From March 2015 to April 2017, I was writing the monthly Teen Scene column for the website ClassicFlix. My objective was to promote classic films among teenagers and young adults. Due to the establishing of a new version of the website, it’s now more difficult to access to the old version and read... Read full article

Classics Revisited: The Day the Earth Stood Still

By Barry P. on Aug 16, 2015 From Cinematic Catharsis

(1951) Directed by: Robert Wise; Written by: Edmund H. North; Based on the story “Farewell to the Master,” by Harry Bates; Starring: Michael Rennie, Patricia Neal, Hugh Marlowe, Sam Jaffe and Lock Martin; Available on Blu-ray and DVD Rating: ***** “I'm impatient with ... Read full article

The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)

By Beatrice on Jul 24, 2015 From Flickers in Time

The Day the Earth Stood Still Directed by Robert Wise Written by Edmund H. North 1951/USA Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation Repeat viewing/Netflix rental #252 of 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die The sleek design of this early sci-fi thriller with a message has held up remarkably well ... Read full article

See More The Day the Earth Stood Still Articles

The Day the Earth Stood Still Quotes:

Helen: Now, you didn't really see a spaceship, but you thought you did.
Bobby Benson: I'd never call YOU a liar.
Bobby Benson: Department of Commerce. She's a secretary. They have a man they call the Secretary, but he isn't at all. My mother's a *real* secretary.
Klaatu: [after reading the Gettysburg Address at the Lincoln Memorial] Those are great words.
Klaatu: [turns to look at the statue of Lincoln] He must have been a great man.
Bobby Benson: Well sure.
Klaatu: [walking out of the memorial, then turning to look at Lincoln again] That's the kind of man I would like to talk to.
Helen: What about the rest of the world?
Tom: I don't care about the rest of the world!
[Seeing her shocked expression]
Tom: You'll feel different when you read about me in the papers.
Helen: I feel different now.
[Klaatu is revived by Gort after being fatally shot]
Helen: I - I thought you were...
Klaatu: I was.
Helen: You mean... he has the power of life and death?
Klaatu: No. That power is reserved to the Almighty Spirit. This technique, in some cases, can restore life for a limited period.
Helen: But... how long?
Klaatu: You mean how long will I live? That no one can tell.
See More Quotes from The Day the Earth Stood Still
The Day the Earth Stood Still Facts
To increase the sense of reality, some of the most famous broadcast journalists of the time were hired to do cameos as themselves. These included Gabriel Heatter, H.V. Kaltenborn and Drew Pearson.
Writer Edmund H. North was a former army officer who wrote the script in response to the proliferation of nuclear weapons during the Cold War.
There were two Gort suits: one that laced up down the back for when he had his front to the camera, another that laced up in the front for the shots of his back.
In 1951, 20th Century Fox theatrically distributed this with the short film The Guest.
To give the appearance of seamlessness to the space ship, the crack around the door was filled with putty, then painted over. When the door opened the putty was torn apart, making the door seem to simply appear.
See More Facts about The Day the Earth Stood Still >>