Review of The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951) by Danny R — 11 Dec 2011

One of the most beloved science fiction films of all-time that is fabulously directed by Robert Wise with an intelligent and gripping screenplay by Edmund H. North. On a beautiful spring day in the year 1951 an extraterrestrial spacecraft lands in Washington D.

C., a handsome alien emissary named Klaatu, played brilliantly by Michael Rennie who must be the most distinguished and dignified extraterrestrial in cinematic history, he is on an interplanetary mission and has comes to Earth along with his bodyguard Gort, a gigantic indestructible 8 foot tall robotic automaton played by Lock Martin who was a towering 7'7 foot to deliver a message of the gravest importance concerning the survival of the Earth and all humankind.

Klaatu is shot and wounded by a nervous soldier which makes Gort go into action he disintegrates a tank the soldiers rifles and artillery with a destructive ray that shoots out from his face visor, Klaatu is taken to a hospital were he is ordered to stay but he escapes taking refuse in a boarding house where poses as "Mr.

Carpenter" a name he got off a label on a suit he stole from the hospital, he befriends a lovely window named Helen Benson, wonderfully played by Patricia Neal and her young son Bobby, played superbly by Billy Gray.

Bobby takes Klaatu around the city and they try visit Professor Barnhardt, played nicely by Sam Jaffe who is the smartest man in the world, one night Bobby trails Mr. Carpenter at night to his spaceship and sees him enter it while Gort stands guard outside, Boddy tells his mother what him witness but she thinks he was dreaming and does not believe him, the next day Klaatu concerned about Bobby's discovery the night before he shows up at Helen's work and informs her that what Bobby said he saw was true and reveals his true identity and details of his mission in hope that Helen will understand and keep his secret, he also informs her that at precisely at 12 o'clock he has arranges to neutralize all the electrical power in all the world, with the exceptions of hospitals and planes in flight as a non-destructive demonstration of power.

Klaatu has ask Helen if anything happens to him to go to Gort and say these words; "Klaatu barada nikto," he tells her that there is no limit to what Gort can do, he could destroy the Earth.

Excellent production values with superlative black & white cinematography by Leo Tover and moody original score by Bernard Herrmann. A timeless potent classic. Highly Recommended.