One of my favourite films...

Day the Earth Stood Still

Release Date: 1951 (by 20th Century Fox).
Running Time: 1 hour, 32 minutes.
Director: Robert Wise.

Composer: Bernard Herrman
Cast: Michael Rennie (Klaatu/Mr. Carpenter); Patricia Neal (Helen Benson); Hugh Marlowe (Tom Stevens); Sam Jaffe (Dr. Barnhardt); Billy Gray (Bobby Benson); Francis Bavier (Mrs. Barley); Lock Martin (Gort); Drew Pearson (himself); Frank Conroy (Harley)

Saucer landing Click here to hear the introductory music RealAudio required (Courtesy of MovieTunes)

A saucer-shaped UFO lands in Washington, D.C. and is promptly surrounded by the military. Klaatu emerges, and in short order, is shot by a trigger-happy soldier. As he lays writhing on the ground, an eight foot tall gleaming metallic robot, Gort, emerges from the spaceship and begins vaporizing the weapons on the scene, until he is stopped by Klaatu. After being taken to Walter Reed Hospital, Klaatu asks for nothing less than a meeting with all of the world's leaders.

Gort in angry mood

He is told by a Presidential aide that such a meeting would be impossible, due to deep political divisions in the world. After escaping from the hospital, Klaatu assumes the identity of an ordinary man, taking residence in a boarding home. He befriends fellow boarder, Mrs. Helen Benson (Patricia Neal) and her son Bobby (Billy Gray) and uses this time to explore. Revealing himself to an Einstein-like scientist, Professor Barnhardt, Klaatu states that he will demonstrate his powers in a non-violent way in order to convince Earth's leaders of the need for a meeting with him. Gort & Helen watching over Klaatu on the saucer

After stopping virtually all electricity worldwide for a half hour, Klaatu is tracked down by the military and shot dead attempting to escape. At Klaatu's request, Helen Benson locates Gort and repeats a command given to her to stop the robot from using its full destructive powers. After being brought back to life by Gort, Klaatu warns an assembly of scientists that humankind must cease its warlike ways, which would inevitably threaten its planetary neighbors, or face destruction itself. Klaatu further reveals that his home world was a member of an organization of planets that had created a "race of robots" to preserve the peace, entrusted with "absolute power" in matters relating to aggression. With that said, Klaatu and Gort hastily depart, leaving the audience to ponder his words.

The news conference Leaving the saucer Gort looking happy

Based on the short story "Farewell to the Master", this is a classic film which came out at a time when there was paranoia in the United States over the Cold War.

Links to other Day the Earth Stood Still sites:

Dreamer's The Day The Earth Stood Still - A fantastic site with much information about the film and the story it was based on.

Gort - an excellent site on the film