Cast, Crew, and Other Info

Michael Rennie as Klaatu
Patricia Neal as Helen Benson
Hugh Marlowe as Tom Stevens
Sam Jaffe as Prof. Bernhardt
Billy Gray as Bobby Benson
Frances Bavier as Mrs. Barley
Lock Martin as Gort

Screenplay by Edmund H. North, based on a story by Harry Bates
Directed by Robert Wise

Complete information is available from the IMDB.

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Past movie reviews can be found here.

Premise

A spacecraft arrives on Earth, and human paranoia makes it difficult for its passenger to deliver a simple message.

High Point

Klaatu visits Arlington. It's a different perspective on that location than we normally see on film, and one that really drives the message home.

Low Point

The disturbing plausibility of the human reaction. This is the most depressing and unenjoyable aspect of watching the film. Unlike most low points in our reviews, it's not hard to watch because the filmmakers exercised poor judgement, but because the film got it right.

The Scores

There were a glut of "Earth is doomed!" movies from this era. This was one of the first, and certainly the best of those I've seen, though. It feels original, by telling a story with a powerful message without actually getting preachy. (Well, the last couple of minutes feel preachy, but it was time to be blunt, so that's acceptable given the way the story played out.) I give it 4 out of 6.

The effects were pretty good for the era. The spaceship has transparency issues, mostly likely due to double exposure film techniques, but otherwise it works well. The only other issue was the obvious presence of the wires when Mrs. Benson is being carried. (These aren't piano wires, these are thick cables, likely scrounged on set that day when they realized the actor wasn't as strong as they'd thought.) Those problems are blatant, though, especially the latter. I give it 4 out of 6.

The story was obviously regarded by the filmmakers as the most important piece of the film. It's imperative that the audience understands Klaatu's nature, and we do. We see the world through his eyes, which gives us a different perspective on things than we normally have. The plausibility of the reactions of the characters in the film drive the message home better than any speech Klaatu could have made. I give it 6 out of 6.

The acting was very well done, only overplayed slightly in the "scream queen" scene. These people played their parts naturally, and brought the film together. Even the child actor did a good job. I give it 5 out of 6.

The emotional response is excellent, even upon repeated viewings. We genuinely like the likeable characters, and have a distaste for those that make choices the filmmakers didn't approve of. There's tension in the chase sequences, and an appropriate sense of forboding afterwards. Very well made. I give it 6 out of 6.

The production drove the emotional response. Wise filmed the characters we shouldn't identify with from different angles than the stars. For example, when Helen and Tom are arguing about Klaatu before they know his true nature, the angle puts Helen's face on film, while we can see only the back of Tom's head. Without eye contact, we don't trust or identify with the character, and naturally take Helen's side. This kind of attention to detail pervades the film, right down to care in the lighting and editing process. (The editing should be no surprise; the director of this film served as editor on Citizen Kane.) I give it 6 out of 6.

Overall, this movie is a great film, whether you're a genre fan or not. See it. I give it 6 out of 6.

In total, The Day The Earth Stood Still receives 37 out of 42.

Next Week

Join us next week for a review of E.T.. With a week of vacation, I should have time to compare the original and rerelease versions.