The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951 film)
| The Day the Earth Stood Still | |
|---|---|
 Colorized reprint of the 1951 poster |
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| Directed by | Robert Wise |
| Produced by | Julian Blaustein |
| Written by | Edmund H. North Harry Bates (story) |
| Starring | Michael Rennie Patricia Neal Billy Gray Hugh Marlowe Sam Jaffe Frances Bavier |
| Music by | Bernard Herrmann |
| Cinematography | Leo Tover |
| Editing by | William H. Reynolds |
| Distributed by | 20th Century Fox |
| Release date(s) | September 28, 1951 |
| Running time | 92 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | about $1.2 million |
| Gross revenue | about $1.85 million |
The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951) is an American science-fiction film that tells the story of a humanoid alien visitor who comes to visit the Earth with a warning, accompanied by his powerful robot, "Gort". Robert Wise directed this film, and its primary actors and actresses were Michael Rennie, Patricia Neal, Sam Jaffe, and Hugh Marlowe. "Gort" is also a primary character in this motion picture, but he is portrayed as a completely mechanical man. The writer of The Day the Earth Stood Still, Edmund H. North, based his screenplay on Harry Bates's short story "Farewell to the Master" (1940).
Julian Blaustein produced this film for 20th Century Fox, and its cinematography was executed by Leo Tover. Nearly all of the action takes place in Washington, D.C., where the alien spacecraft lands, and then remains without moving for almost the entire motion picture.
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Plot
An extraterrestrial flying saucer lands on the Ellipse in President's Park in Washington, D.C.. When the spacecraft's commander, named simply Klaatu (Michael Rennie) emerges, he announces that he has come from outer space on a goodwill mission. Then, when Klaatu opens a small, suspicious-looking device, he gets shot and wounded by a nervous soldier. In response, a large humanoid robot called Gort steps out of the ship and disintegrates all weapons present without harming the soldiers. Klaatu orders him to stop and remarks that the device he carried was a gift for the President. Klaatu is taken to an army hospital, where he recovers. The military attempts to enter Klaatu's ship, but finds it impregnable, while Gort stands motionless outside.
Klaatu meets the President's secretary, Harley (Frank Conroy), and reveals he has a message he wants the whole world to hear, to which Harley replies that the divided world leaders would not even be able to agree on a meeting place. When Klaatu suggests he live among ordinary people to get to know them better, Harley informs him that he is in protective custody.
Klaatu escapes to a boarding house, assuming the alias "Mr. Carpenter". Among the residents are Helen Benson (Patricia Neal), a widow whose husband was killed in World War II, and her son Bobby (Billy Gray). At breakfast the next morning, Klaatu listens to a paranoid radio commentator and to the boarders' speculations about his flying saucer.
While Helen and her boyfriend, Tom Stephens (Hugh Marlowe), go on a day trip, Bobby takes Klaatu on a tour of the city, including a visit to his father's grave in Arlington National Cemetery, where Klaatu is dismayed to learn that most of those buried there were killed in wars.
The two then visit the Lincoln Memorial and the heavily guarded spaceship. Klaatu, impressed by the inscription of Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, is hopeful that Earth may harbor people wise enough to understand his message. When he asks Bobby to name the greatest person living in the world, Bobby suggests a leading American scientist, Professor Jacob Barnhardt (Sam Jaffe), who lives nearby.
Bobby takes Klaatu to Barnhardt's home. The professor is absent, but Klaatu leaves his address with the housekeeper, and he writes the solution to an advanced mathematical problem on a blackboard as a means of introducing himself to the professor.
Later, government agents escort Klaatu to see Barnhardt. Klaatu introduces himself and warns the professor that the people of the other planets are concerned for their own safety because human beings have developed atomic power.
As the meeting with Barnhardt progresses, Klaatu declares that, if his message is rejected, "Planet Earth will be eliminated." Barnhardt agrees to arrange a meeting of scientists at Klatuu's ship. Barnhardt then asks Klaatu to provide a demonstration of his power as a warning; something that everyone will notice, but not cause harm to anyone. Klaatu returns to his spaceship the next evening to implement the demonstration, unaware that Bobby has followed him.
Bobby tells Helen and Tom what he has seen. At first, they do not believe him, but Tom finds a diamond on the floor of Klaatu's room, and the following day, a jeweler tells him it is unique.
Klaatu finds Helen at her workplace. She leads him to an unoccupied elevator which stops suddenly. Klaatu admits he is responsible, tells Helen his true identity, and asks for her help. A montage sequence shows that Klaatu has executed his demonstration: He has neutralized electric power everywhere, with exceptions for human safety, making the world "stand still" for half an hour.
After the blackout ends, the manhunt for Klaatu intensifies and Tom tells the authorities of his suspicions. Helen and Klaatu take a taxi to Barnhardt's home; en route, Klaatu tells Helen that if anything should happen to him, she must go to Gort and say, "Klaatu barada nikto". When they are spotted, Klaatu is shot dead.
Helen goes to the spaceship and approaches Gort, who awakens and kills two guards before Helen can give him Klaatu's message. Gort gently carries her into the spaceship, leaves and returns with Klaatu's corpse, and revives him.
Klaatu steps out of the spaceship and addresses the assembled scientists, explaining that humanity's penchant for violence and first steps into space have caused concern among other spacefaring worlds, who have created a race of robot enforcers including Gort to stifle aggression. He warns that if the people of Earth threaten to extend their violence into space, then the robots will destroy Earth, adding that "The decision rests with you." He enters the spaceship and departs.
Cast
- Michael Rennie as Klaatu. Spencer Tracy and Claude Rains were originally considered for the part.[1]
- Patricia Neal as Helen Benson
- Billy Gray as Bobby Benson
- Hugh Marlowe as Tom Stevens
- Sam Jaffe as Professor Jacob Barnhardt
- Frances Bavier as Mrs. Barley
- Lock Martin as Gort
- Frank Conroy as Mr. Harley
- Tyler McVey as Brady (uncredited)
H. V. Kaltenborn, Elmer Davis, Drew Pearson and Gabriel Heatter, well-known broadcast journalists of that time, appeared and/or were heard as themselves.
Production
Filming
Producer Julian Blaustein set out to make a film that illustrated the fear and suspicion that characterized the early Cold War and Atomic Age. He reviewed over 200 science fiction short stories and novels in search of a storyline that could be used, as the genre was well suited for a metaphorical discussion of such grave issues. Studio head Darryl F. Zanuck green-lighted the project, and Blaustein contracted Edmund North to draft a screenplay based on elements from the Harry Bates' short story Farewell to the Master.[2]
Principal outdoor photography for The Day the Earth Stood Still was shot on 20th Century Fox sound stages and its studio back lot (now Century City), with a second unit shooting background plates and other scenes in Washington, D.C. The film's stars never traveled to Washington for the making of the film.[2]
In a DVD commentary track, interviewed by fellow director Nicholas Meyer, director Robert Wise stated that he wanted the film to appear as realistic and believable as possible, in order to drive home the work's core message against armed conflict in the real world. Also mentioned in the DVD's documentary interview was the original title for the movie, "The Day the World Stops."
Wise and Blaustein were both liberal, and Blaustein said his aim with the film was to promote a "strong United Nations."[3]
The film score was composed by Bernard Herrmann and used two theremin electronic instruments.
Set design
The set was designed by Thomas Little and Claude Carpenter. They collaborated with the noted architect Frank Lloyd Wright for the design of the spacecraft. Paul Laffoley has suggested that the futuristic interior was inspired by Wright's Johnson Wax Headquarters, completed in 1936. Laffoley quotes Wright and his attempt in designing the exterior: "... to imitate an experimental substance that I have heard about which acts like living tissue. If cut, the rift would appear to heal like a wound, leaving a continuous surface with no scar."[4]
Themes
In a 1995 interview,[2] producer Julian Blaustein explained that Joseph Breen, the film censor installed by the Motion Picture Association of America at the Twentieth Century Fox studios, balked at the portrayal of Klaatu's resurrection and limitless power. At the behest of the MPAA, a line was inserted into the film; when Helen asks Klaatu whether Gort has unlimited power over life and death, Klaatu explains that he has only been revived temporarily and that the power of resurrection is "reserved to the Almighty Spirit."[2][5] Of the elements that he added to Klaatu's character, screenwriter Edmund North said, "It was my private little joke. I never discussed this angle with Blaustein or Wise because I didn't want it expressed. I had originally hoped that the Christ comparison would be subliminal."[6] The fact that the question even came up in an interview is proof enough that such comparisons did not remain subliminal, but they are subtle enough that it is not immediately obvious to all viewers which elements were intended to compare Klaatu to Christ.[7][8] For example, when Klaatu escapes from the hospital, he steals the clothing of a "Maj. Carpenter," carpentry being the profession of Christ.
Cultural influence
Since the release of the movie, the phrase Klaatu barada nikto has appeared repeatedly in fiction and in popular culture.
No translation of the phrase was stated in the film. Philosophy professor Aeon J. Skoble speculates the famous phrase is a "safe-word" that is part of a fail-safe feature used during the diplomatic missions such as the one Klaatu and Gort make to Earth. With the use of the safe-word, Gort's deadly force can be deactivated in the event the robot is mistakenly triggered into a defensive posture. Skoble observes that the theme has evolved into a "staple of science fiction that the machines charged with protecting us from ourselves will misuse or abuse their power."[9] In this interpretation, the phrase apparently tells Gort that Klaatu considers escalation unnecessary.
The Robot Hall of Fame describes the phrase as "one of the most famous commands in science fiction"[10] and Frederick S. Clarke of Cinefantastique called it "the most famous phrase ever spoken by an extraterrestrial."[11]
Legacy
In 1995, The Day the Earth Stood Still was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry as "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".[12][13] The film also received recognition from the American Film Institute. In 2001, it was ranked number 82 on 100 Years…100 Thrills, a list of America's most heart-pounding films.[14] It placed number 67 on a similar list 100 Years…100 Cheers, a list of America's most inspiring films.[15] In June 2008, the American Film Institute revealed its "Ten top Ten" — the best ten films in ten "classic" American film genres — after polling over 1,500 people from the creative community. The Day the Earth Stood Still was acknowledged as the fifth best film in the science fiction genre.[16] The film was also on the ballot for AFI's other lists including 100 Years…100 Movies,[17] 100 Years…100 Heroes and Villains for Klaatu in the heroes category,[18] 100 Years…100 Movie Quotes for the infamous line "Gort! Klaatu barada nikto!",[19] and AFI's 100 Years of Film Scores.[20] In 2004, the film was selected by The New York Times as one of The Best 1000 Movies Ever Made.[21]
Lou Cannon and Colin Powell believed the film inspired Ronald Reagan to discuss uniting against an alien invasion when meeting Mikhail Gorbachev in 1985. Two years later, Reagan told the United Nations, "I occasionally think how quickly our differences worldwide would vanish if we were facing an alien threat from outside this world".[3]
Music and soundtrack
| The Day the Earth Stood Still | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Film score by Bernard Herrmann | |
| Released | 1993 |
| Recorded | August, 1951 |
| Genre | Soundtracks, Film music |
| Length | 63:41 |
| Label | 20th Century Fox |
| Producer | Nick Redman |
| Professional reviews | |
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The soundtrack was composed in August 1951 and was Bernard Herrmann's first soundtrack after he moved to Hollywood. Herrmann chose unusual instrumentation for the film including violin, cello, and bass (all three electric), two theremin electronic instruments (played by Dr. Samuel Hoffman and Paul Shure), two Hammond organs, a large studio electric organ, three vibraphones, two glockenspiels, two pianos, two harps, three trumpets, three trombones, and four tubas.[22] Unusual overdubbing and tape-reversal techniques were used, as well. 20th Century Fox later reused the Herrmann title theme in the original pilot episode for Irwin Allen's 1965 TV series Lost in Space. Danny Elfman noted The Day the Earth Stood Still's score inspired his interest in film composing, and made him a fan of Herrmann.[23]
- "Twentieth Century Fox Fanfare" – 0:12
- "Prelude/Outer Space/Radar" – 3:45
- "Danger" – 0:24
- "Klaatu" – 2:15
- "Gort/The Visor/The Telescope" – 2:23
- "Escape" – 0:55
- "Solar Diamonds" – 1:04
- "Arlington" – 1:08
- "Lincoln Memorial" – 1:27
- "Nocturne/The Flashlight/The Robot/Space Control" – 5:58
- "The Elevator/Magnetic Pull/The Study/The Conference/The Jewelry Store" – 4:32
- "Panic" – 0:42
- "The Glowing/Alone/Gort's Rage/Nikto/The Captive/Terror" – 5:11
- "The Prison" – 1:42
- "Rebirth" – 1:38
- "Departure" – 0:52
- "Farewell" – 0:32
- "Finale" – 0:30
Reception
Critical response
The Day the Earth Stood Still was well received by critics and is widely regarded as one of the best films of 1951.[24][25][26][27] It holds a 94% "Certified Fresh" rating on the review aggregate website Rotten Tomatoes.[28] The film was moderately successful when released, grossing $1.85 million. Variety praised the film's documentary style and the Los Angeles Times praised its seriousness, though it also found "certain subversive elements."[3] Bosley Crowther of The New York Times called it "tepid entertainment."[29] The Daily Worker's reviewer was unimpressed and felt it was not inspirational. The film earned more plaudits overseas: the Hollywood Foreign Press Association gave the filmmakers a special Golden Globe Award for "promoting international understanding." Bernard Herrmann's score also received a nomination at the Golden Globes.[30] The French magazine Cahiers du cinéma was also impressed, with Pierre Kast calling it "almost literally stunning" and praising its "moral relativism".[3]
The film was attacked from some quarters, due to actor Sam Jaffe's politics.[2] Jaffe, a liberal, was listed on the Red Channels pamphlet, a self-described listing of performers sympathetic to communism. The film's explicit message of peace, in combination with its dark outlook regarding human society, struck a chord with audiences, earning it lasting acclaim. The movie is ranked seventh in Arthur C. Clarke's list of the best Science-Fiction films of all time, just above Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey, for which Clarke himself wrote the screenplay.
Adaptations to other media
The Day the Earth Stood Still was dramatized as a radio play on the January 4, 1954 broadcast of Lux Radio Theater with Michael Rennie reprising his role alongside Jean Peters.
Remake
A 2008 remake, also titled The Day the Earth Stood Still, starred Keanu Reeves.
References
- ↑ "Cult Movies Showcase The Day the Earth Stood Still". Turner Classic Movies. http://www.tcm.com/thismonth/article.jsp?cid=145423&mainArticleId=145416.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Julian Blaustein, Robert Wise, Patricia Neal, Billy Gray. (1995). Making the Earth Stand Still. [LaserDisc; DVD]. Fox Video; 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0345616/. Retrieved 2007-07-22.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 J. Hoberman (2008-10-31). "The Cold War Sci-Fi Parable That Fell to Earth". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/02/movies/moviesspecial/02hobe.html. Retrieved 2008-11-01.
- ↑ Paul Laffoley, "Disco Volante (the Flying Saucer)", 1998 essay (web site)
- ↑ Shermer, Michael (2001). The Borderlands of Science: Where Sense Meets Nonsense. Oxford University Press. pp. 74–75. ISBN 0195143264.
- ↑ Matthews, Melvin E. (2007). Hostile Aliens, Hollywood and Today's News: 1950s Science Fiction Films and 9/11. Algora Publishing. p. 54. ISBN 087586497X.
- ↑ Holloway, David; John Beck (2005). American Visual Cultures. Continuum International Publishing Group. p. 135. ISBN 0826464858.
- ↑ Gianos, Phillip L. (1998). Politics and Politicians in American Film. Greenwood Publishing Group. ISBN 0275960714.
- ↑ Skoble, Aeon J. (2007). "Technology and Ethics in The Day the Earth Stood Still". In Steven M. Sanders. The Philosophy of Science Fiction Film. University Press of Kentucky. ISBN 0813124727.
- ↑ "The Robot Hall of Fame: Gort". 2006 Inductees: Gort. Carnegie Mellon University. 2006. http://www.robothalloffame.org/06inductees/gort.html. Retrieved 2008-04-18.
- ↑ Clarke, Frederick S. (1970). Cinefantastique: 2.
- ↑ "Films Selected to The National Film Registry, Library of Congress 1989-2009". loc.gov. http://www.loc.gov/film/nfrchron.html. Retrieved June 19, 2010.
- ↑ "The Day the Earth Stood Still: Award Wins and Nominations". IMDb.com. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0043456/awards. Retrieved June 19, 2010.
- ↑ "AFI's 100 Years... 100 Thrills". AFI.com. http://www.afi.com/Docs/tvevents/pdf/thrills100.pdf. Retrieved June 19, 2010.
- ↑ "AFI's 100 Years... 100 Cheers". AFI.com. http://connect.afi.com/site/DocServer/cheers100.pdf?docID=202. Retrieved June 19, 2010.
- ↑ "AFI's 10 Top 10". AFI.com. http://www.afi.com/10top10/scifi.html. Retrieved May 23, 2010.
- ↑ "AFI's 100 Years... 100 Movies: Official Ballot". AFI.com. http://connect.afi.com/site/DocServer/movies400.pdf?docID=263. Retrieved July 18, 2010.
- ↑ "AFI's 100 Years... 100 Heroes and Villains: The 400 Nominated Characters". AFI.com. http://connect.afi.com/site/DocServer/handv400.pdf?docID=245. Retrieved July 18, 2010.
- ↑ "AFI's 100 Years... 100 Movie Quotes: Official Ballot". AFI.com. http://www.afi.com/Docs/tvevents/pdf/quotes400.pdf. Retrieved July 18, 2010.
- ↑ "AFI's 100 Years of Film Scores: Official Ballot". AFI.com. http://connect.afi.com/site/DocServer/scores250.pdf?docID=221. Retrieved July 18, 2010.
- ↑ Film, The. "The Best 1,000 Movies Ever Made". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/ref/movies/1000best.html. Retrieved May 23, 2010.
- ↑ Score analysis by Bill Wrobel, on www.filmscorerundowns.net
- ↑ "Oscar Roundtable: The composers". The Hollywood Reporter. 2008-12-15. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3i728e28adf80ba3aae5c37a6bd621de8e. Retrieved 2008-12-23.
- ↑ "The Greatest Films of 1951". AMC Filmsite.org. http://www.filmsite.org/1951.html. Retrieved May 23, 2010.
- ↑ "The Best Movies of 1951 by Rank". Films101.com. http://www.films101.com/y1951r.htm. Retrieved May 23, 2010.
- ↑ "The Best Films of 1951: A Definitive List". Amazon.com. http://www.amazon.com/Best-Films-1951-Definitive-List/lm/32Q1ROR4MIDL6. Retrieved May 23, 2010.
- ↑ "Most Popular Feature Films Released in 1951". IMDb.com. http://www.imdb.com/year/1951. Retrieved May 23, 2010.
- ↑ "The Day the Earth Stood Still Movie Reviews, Pictures". Rotten Tomatoes. http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1005371-day_the_earth_stood_still/. Retrieved May 23, 2010.
- ↑ Crowther, Bosley (September 19, 1951). "THE SCREEN IN REVIEW; Emissary From Planet Visits Mayfair Theatre in 'Day the Earth Stood Still'". The New York Times. http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?_r=1&res=9A07EED61031E23BBC4152DFBF66838A649EDE&partner=Rotten%20Tomatoes. Retrieved December 11, 2008.
- ↑ "The Day the Earth Stood Still: Award Wins and Nominations". IMDb.com. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0043456/awards. Retrieved May 23, 2010.
External links
- The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951 film) at the Internet Movie Database
- The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951 film) at the TCM Movie Database
- The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951 film) at Allmovie
- The Day the Earth Stood Still at Box Office Mojo
- The Day the Earth Stood Still at Rotten Tomatoes
- Bates, Harry (October 1940). "Farewell to the Master (full text)". Astounding Stories, The Nostalgia League. http://thenostalgialeague.com/olmag/bates-farewell-to-the-master.html. Retrieved 2007-08-11.
- The Evening of the Second Day Ray Bradbury's 1981 sequel outline
- The Day the Earth Stood Still clips at Hulu
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