The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)

"Klaatu barada nikto!"

Around the world, people report seeing a flyer saucer.  The saucer eventually lands in Washington, D.C. and two figures emerge from the ship: humanoid Klaatu (Rennie) and robot Gort (Martin).  Klaatu is shot shortly after arriving, which causes Gort to destroy the guns and tanks that are surrounding them.  Klaatu is rushed to the Walter Reed Hospital, but before he tells Gort to stop.

Klaatu has a message for the world, but no one can agree how to proceed.  He is fed up with their petty squabbles and decides to see what life is like among the humans.  He takes up residence at a boarding house and immediately befriends widow Helen Benson (Neal) and her young son Bobby (Gray).  As the military looks for him and tries to pry open the flying saucer, Klaatu seeks an audience with Professor Jacob Barnhardt (Jaffe).  Can Klaatu complete his mission?


This film is based on the short story "Farewell to the Master" by Harry Bates.  The story was originally published in Astounding Science Fiction in 1940.  The producers of the film wanted to use the story to illustrate the feelings people were having about the Cold War.

This is an iconic science fiction flick.  It was selected for preservation in the Library of Congress' Film Registry.  It has also made several appearances on the American Film Institute's (AFI) top movie lists: 100 Years...100 Thrills, 100 Years...100 Cheers, 10 Top 10, 100 Years...100 Movies (10th Anniversary List), 100 Years...100 Heroes and Villains, 100 Years...100 Movie Quotes, and 100 Years...100 Movie Quotes.  It also appears on countless other "top" films, specifically in science fiction categories.

Since the film is such a big part of popular culture 60+ years later, it is hard to be objective about the film.  It is a fascinating film and is a quintessential science fiction film.  Everyone, especially science fiction film fans, should watch this film.  Director Robert Wise was well-known for making science fiction films (although he made many successful and iconic films in other genres), and he and the rest of the production team made excellent choices with the cast and scenery.

In 2008, the film was remade with Keanu Reeves and Jennifer Connelly.  The remake makes some changes to the story, but it doesn't quite live up to the original.

The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951) 92 minutes
Director: Robert Wise
Starring: Michael Rennie as Klaatu
Patricia Neal as Helen Benson
Billy Gray as Bobby Benson
Hugh Marlowe as Tom Stephens
Sam Jaffe as Professor Jacob Barnhardt
Lock Martin as Gort