The Day the Earth Stood Still

Director: Robert Wise

Overview

"Though dated in many ways, The Day the Earth Stood Still is still a classic of the science fiction genre, and Fox obviously recognizes that with a wonderful DVD release. The image restoration shines through as this full-frame transfer looks better than e

Product Details

Release Date:	03/04/2003
UPC:	0024543050056
Original Release:	1951
Rating:	G
Source:	20TH CENT
Region Code:	1
Presentation:	[B&W]
Sound:	[monaural, THX-Supervised Mastering, stereo]
Language:	English
Time:	1:32:00
Sales rank:	1,039

Special Features

Audio commentary by Robert Wise & Nicolas Meyer; 70-minute "Making the Earth Stand Still" documentary; Movietone newsreel (1951); Restoration comparison; 5 still galleries; Shooting script; Theatrical trailer; Full-frame format (aspect ratio 1.33:1); Audio: English stereo, English mono, French mono, Spanish mono; Subtitles: English, Spanish

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Michael Rennie	Klaatu
Patricia Neal	Helen Benson
Hugh Marlowe	Tom Stevens
Sam Jaffe	Prof. Barnhardt
Billy Gray	Bobby Benson
Frances Bavier	Mrs. Barley
Lock Martin	Gort
Drew Pearson	Himself
Frank Conroy	Harley
Carleton Young	Colonel
Fay Roope	Major General
Edith Evanson	Mrs. Crockett
Robert Osterloh	Maj. White
Tyler McVey	Brady
James Seay	Government Man
John Brown	Mr. Barley
Marjorie Crossland	Hilda
Glenn Hardy	Interviewer
House Peters Jr.	MP Captain
Rush Williams	MP Sergeant
Olan Soule	Mr. Krull
Gil Herman	Government Agent
James Craven	Businessman
Harry Lauter	Platoon Leader
Charles Evans	Major General
Harlan Warde	Mr. Carlson
Wheaton Chambers	Jeweler
Elizabeth Flournoy	Customer
Dorothy Neumann	Barnhardt's Secretary
George Lynn	Col. Ryder
Freeman Lusk	Gen. Cutler
John Burton	British Radio MC
George Reeves	Newscaster
Harry Harvey Sr.	Taxi Driver
Gabriel Heater	Commentator
Elmer Davis	Commentator
H.V. Kaltenborn	Commentator
Bobby Gray	Actor
Harry Harvey	Taxi Driver
Marshall Bradford	Newscaster
Stuart Whitman	Actor
Bernard Herrmann	Composer

Technical Credits

Edmund H. North

Edmund H. North	Screenwriter
Julian Blaustein	Producer
Fred Sersen	Special Effects
Darryl Zanuck	Executive Producer
Harry M. Leonard	Sound/Sound Designer
Arthur L. Kirbach	Sound/Sound Designer

Scene Index

Side #1 -- Side A
1. Main Titles
2. A Fast Bogey
3. A Spaceship
4. A Spaceman
5. Examination
6. A New Tenant
7. Seeing the Sights
8. Visiting Professor Barnhardt
9. Curious About Carpenter
10. In the Spaceship
11. Carpenter's Confession
12. The Military Takes Over
13. Three Little Words
14. Goat's Task
15. Addressing Earth
Side #2 -- Side B
1. Main Titles
2. An Interesting Script
3. Casting
4. The Robot
5. The Gentle Giant
6. Art Direction
7. The Score
8. Grabbing the Audience
9. The Perfect Title
10. The Sneak Previews
11. Not Like the Other Movies
12. Political Overtones
13. Something Important to Say
14. A Classic Film
15. The Collectors

Menu

Side #1 -- Side A
Play
Language Selection
Languages: English Stereo
Languages: English Mono
Languages: French Mono
Languages: Spanish Mono
Subtitles: English
Subtitles: Spanish
Subtitles: None
Scene Selection
Special Features
THX Optimizer
Audio Tests
Video Tests
Commentary
View the Film With Commentary by Robert Wise and Nicholas Meyer: On
View the Film With Commentary by Robert Wise and Nicholas Meyer: Off
Movie Tone News 1951
Theatrical Trailer
Side #2 -- Side B
Making the Earth Stand Still
Scene Selections
Play Commentary
Restoration Comparison
Play
Still Galleries
Production
Scene and Set Photos
Shooting Script
Construction Blue Prints for the Ship
American and British Pressbooks
Posters, Lobby Cards, Spaceship Model and Gort
Trailers
One Million Years BC
Journey to the Center of the Earth

Editorial Reviews

At a time when science fiction on film had yet to work itself out of its bug-eyed monsters period, The Day the Earth Stood Still was a dramatic step forward for the genre. Intelligently written and directed, well-crafted, and boasting a top-notch cast in good form, it was a class act all the way, as well as one of the first Hollywood films to take the idea of extraterrestrial visitors seriously (if not as a practical reality, at least as an interesting metaphor). Klaatu, as played by Michael Rennie, was that rare alien invader who wanted to save us from ourselves, and Rennie gives the character an intelligence, compassion, and strength that make him seem a lot more human than many of the earthlings he encounters, while Sam Jaffe, Patricia Neal, and Billy Gray manage to prove that not all the Earth people are violent, brain-dead slobs. Director Robert Wise and his crew create an admirable sense of tension and awestruck wonder in the wake of Klaatu's arrival (many later films with higher budgets failed to capture the magic of the spaceship landing in Washington, D.C., or the towering mystery of Klaatu's robot assistant Gort), and, at a time when Cold War paranoia was at its height, The Day the Earth Stood Still carried a strong pro-disarmament message that was quite brave for its day. The film's message remains pertinent today, and, as entertainment, its intelligence, warmth, and solid filmcraft make it an enduring classic of its kind.