THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL [1951 /2014] [Limited Edition SteelBook] [Blu-ray] [UK Release] From Out of Space . . . A Warning and An Ultimatum!
A hallmark of the science fiction genre as well as a wry commentary on the political climate of the 1950s, ‘THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL’ is a sci-fi film less concerned with special effects than with a social parable. A spacecraft lands in Washington, D.C., carrying a humanoid messenger from another world Klaatu [Michael Rennie] imparting a warning to the people of Earth to cease their violent behaviour. But panic ensues as the messenger lands and is shot by a nervous soldier. His large robot companion destroys the Capitol as the messenger escapes the confines of the hospital. He moves in with a family as a boarder and blends into society to observe the full range of the human experience. Director Robert Wise [‘West Side Story’] not only provides one of the most recognisable icons of the science fiction world in his depiction of the massive robot loyal to his master, but he avoids the obvious camp elements of the story to create a quiet and observant story highlighting both the good and the bad in human nature.
FILM FACT No.1: Awards and Nominations: 1952 Golden Globes: Win: Best Film Promoting International Understanding. Nominated: Best Original Score for Bernard Herrmann. 1995 Win: National Film Registry for the film ‘THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL.’ 2010 Online Film & Television Association: Win: OFTA Film Hall of Fame for the film ‘THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL.’
FILM FACT No.2: Well-known broadcast journalists of their time, H.V. Kaltenborn, Elmer Davis, Drew Pearson, and Gabriel Heatter, appeared and/or were heard as themselves in cameo roles. Patricia Neal, who played Helen Benson, was only 12 years older than Billy Gray, who played her son. Spencer Tracy and Claude Rains were originally considered for the part of Klaatu. Edmund H. North, who wrote “The Day the Earth Stood Still,” also created the alien language used in the film, including the iconic phrase "Klaatu Barada Nikto." The set was designed by Thomas Little and Claude Carpenter. They collaborated with the 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. Paul Laffoley quotes Frank Lloyd 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."
Cast: Michael Rennie, Patricia Neal, Hugh Marlowe, Sam Jaffe, Billy Gray, Frances Bavier, Lock Martin [Gort], Patrick Aherne (uncredited), Walter Bacon (uncredited), Rama Bai (uncredited), Oscar Blank (uncredited), Marshall Bradford (uncredited), Chet Brandenburg (uncredited), John Brown (uncredited), John Burton (uncredited), Michael Capanna (uncredited), Wheaton Chambers (uncredited), Spencer Chan (uncredited), Jean Charney (uncredited), Beulah Christian (uncredited), John Close (uncredited), Louise Colombet (uncredited), James Conaty (uncredited), Frank Conroy (uncredited), Eric Corrie (uncredited), John Costello (uncredited), James Craven (uncredited), Marjorie Crossland (uncredited), Jack Daly (uncredited), Elmer Davis (uncredited), Lawrence Dobkin (uncredited), Jim Doyle (uncredited), Roy Engel (uncredited), Charles Evans (uncredited), Edith Evanson (uncredited), Franklyn Farnum (uncredited), Michael Ferris (uncredited), Elizabeth Flournoy (uncredited), Curt Furberg (uncredited), Grady Galloway (uncredited), Bill Gentry (uncredited), Paul Gerrits (uncredited), James Gonzalez (uncredited), Robert Haines (uncredited), Glenn Hardy (uncredited), Sam Harris (uncredited), Harry Harvey (uncredited), Al Haskell (uncredited), Gabriel Heatter (uncredited), Gil Herman (uncredited), Louis Jean Heydt (uncredited), John Hiestand (uncredited), Michael Jeffers (uncredited), H.V. Kaltenborn (uncredited), Hassan Khayyam (uncredited), Richard LaMarr (uncredited), Harry Lauter (uncredited), Freeman Lusk (uncredited), George Lynn (uncredited), Herbert Lytton (uncredited), Bert Madrid (uncredited), Mike Mahoney (uncredited), Sandee Marriott (uncredited), David McMahon (uncredited), Tyler McVey (uncredited), Harold Miller (uncredited), Millard Mitchell (uncredited), Ralph Montgomery (uncredited), Bruce Morgan (uncredited), Joseph C. Narcisse (uncredited), Bill Neff (uncredited), Howard Negley (uncredited), Dorothy Neumann (uncredited), Sammy Ogg (uncredited), Robert Osterloh (uncredited), Gayle Pace (uncredited), Drew Pearson (uncredited), Ted Pearson (uncredited), House Peters Jr. (uncredited), 'Snub' Pollard (uncredited), Mike Ragan (uncredited), Anthony Redondo (uncredited), John M. Reed (uncredited), Bob Reeves (uncredited), Barry Regan (uncredited), John Rice (uncredited), Fay Roope (uncredited), Pola Russ (uncredited), James Seay (uncredited), Bernard Sell (uncredited), Charles Sherlock (uncredited), Peter Similuk (uncredited), Bob Simpson (uncredited), Joseph P. Sinda (uncredited), Reginald Lal Singh (uncredited), Marc Snow (uncredited), Olan Soule (uncredited), Kim Spalding (uncredited), Murray Steckler (uncredited), Harmon Stevens (uncredited), Charles Tannen (uncredited), Glen Walters (uncredited), Harlan Warde (uncredited), Gil Warren (uncredited), Bill Welsh (Radio Newscaster voice) (uncredited), Stuart Whitman (uncredited), Rush Williams (uncredited), Wilson Wood (uncredited) and Carleton Young (uncredited)
Director: Robert Wise
Producer: Julian Blaustein
Screenplay: Edmund H. North (screenplay) and Harry Bates (based on a story)
Composer: Bernard Herrmann
Cinematography: Leo Tover, A.S.C. (Director of Photography)
Image Resolution: 1080p (Black-and-White)
Aspect Ratio: 1.37:1
Audio: English: 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio
French: 5.1 DTS-HD Audio
Italian: 5.1 DTS-HD Audio
Spanish [Castilian]: 5.1 DTS-HD Audio
Isolated Score Track: 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio
English: 2.0 Dolby Digital Stereo Audio
Subtitles: English SDH, French, French SDH, Italian, Italian SDH, Spanish [Castilian], Spanish [Castilian] SDH, Danish, Finnish, Norwegian, Swedish and Dutch
Running Time: 92 minutes
Region: All Regions
Number of discs: 1
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Andrew’s Blu-ray Review: ‘THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL’ [1951] was one of the first films out of the gate in the long cycle of 1950s American science fiction films, and perhaps along with ‘Forbidden Planet’ [1956] and ‘Invasion of the Body Snatchers’ [1956], it remains the one against which all of the others are measured.
A flying saucer lands in Washington, D.C., and out of it emerges Klaatu [Michael Rennie], a humanoid extra-terrestrial. Klaatu declares that he's come to earth in peace and with good will, but when he reaches into his silvery spacesuit for something, a nervous soldier shoots him in the shoulder, wounding him. In response out of the spaceship steps Gort [Lock Martin], a large, metallic anthropomorphic robot that zaps all the guns, tanks and other military hardware with a powerful laser beam shooting out of its "eye," melting everything into pools of molten metal.
Klaatu is taken to Walter Reed Hospital, where the President's secretary, Mr. Harley [Frank Conroy], apologises for the misunderstanding. Klaatu informs Harley that he wants to meet with the entire world's leaders simultaneously, to deliver an urgent message from the stars concerning the future of the planet Earth. This being the height of the Cold War and among other things, Harley insists such a meeting is impossible, that the leaders of the world "wouldn't sit at the same table together." Frustrated, Klaatu escapes into the night, hoping to better understand the situation by living among ordinary human beings.
Assuming the alias "Mr. Carpenter," Klaatu rents a room at a boarding house, where its residents, Mrs. Barley [Francis Bavier], are following the story of the alien's flight with intense fear and suspicion. Francis Bavier's character is convinced it's all a Soviet plot. Only Helen Benson [Patricia Neal], a war widow, and her son Bobby Benson [Billy Gray] think perhaps the alien is benign and that his mission might be peaceful.
Klaatu/Mr. Carpenter takes a liking to Bobby Benson, and together they visit the home of scientific genius Professor Jacob Barnhardt [Sam Jaffe], who is a total delight here, obviously Albert Einstein in all but name. Klaatu later reveals himself to Professor Jacob Barnhardt, and together they come up with a plan to bring all the great minds of the world together so that Klaatu can at last deliver his message.
Unlike the majority of 1950s sci-fi films, ‘THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL’ was a Class-A, Big Studio production. It cost about $960,000 to produce, slightly less than average for an "A" release in 1951, but an "A" nonetheless and clearly made for an adult audience. It's handsomely produced and at times very imaginative, though it does have several major flaws.
Produced at the height of Cold War hysteria and McCarthyism, ‘THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL’ suggests maybe we ought to solve our planet's "petty squabbles" and halt the proliferation of nuclear weapons. Though that seems entirely reasonable, even obvious today, back then in some circles the very suggestion was tantamount to high treason. Reviews for ‘THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL’’ generally were very positive, but the film was not popular with the "My Country – Right or Wrong" crowd.
The film remains timely and indeed more so in the wake of 9/11 and in the way Klaatu and Gort's appearance evokes fear and paranoia among the populace, and how it's exploited and exacerbated by sensational media coverage. This may be the first Hollywood movie to extensively incorporate real newsmen into a wholly fictional story. In one interesting scene, a CNN-type on-scene reporter plays up the fear factor, but when Klaatu-as-Mr. Carpenter is coincidentally interviewed and speaks intelligently, the reporter rudely cuts him off.
Surprisingly, Klaatu's superficially sensible pacifist message plays much less so in recent years. His technologically superior society claims the same rights as the United States under the ignorant Bush Doctrine, the right to pre-emptive strike a perceived threat to its security. Certainly in 1951 and for that matter, in 2008 the threat to intelligent life elsewhere in the universe by mankind is non-existent: we simply don't yet have the technology to even reach other star systems, let alone spread like a virus our violent nature.
And yet here's Klaatu ordering us to shape up – or he'll ship us out, reducing our earth "to a burnt-out cinder." Forget "regime change" and his solution is a police state of all-powerful robots like Gort, Blackwater-like Robocops with "absolute power over us." I've not seen the Keanu Reeves film, but it seems like exploring the idea of Earth finding itself in the same position as countries like Iraq and Afghanistan now have with the United States would be a valid and potentially interesting approach to the material.
The film is excellent on many levels. 20th Century Fox originally wanted Claude Rains to play Klaatu, but Michael Rennie, then unknown in America, was a far superior choice. Lanky, articulate and almost ageless, projecting unusual intelligence and thoughtfulness, Michael Rennie was and is immediately acceptable as a visitor from another planet. His flat accent, somewhat more Mid-Atlantic than British, avoids tying him to a specific geographical place. Indeed, he was virtually the template for such characters, and continued playing intelligent aliens on-and-off for the rest of his life. To cite one such example of Michael Rennie's influence?
The production is handsome, with exceptionally good second unit work filmed in Washington, D.C., that director and former editor Robert Wise successfully integrates with footage shot on the 20th Century-Fox back lot and elsewhere. Wise slightly overplays the script's paralleling of Klaatu to Christ and his "dying for our sins," resurrection, etc., but for the most part his direction serves the film well. Correction: As stated in the documentary and as genre historian Bill Keep Watching the Skies! Warren points out, "Not Wise, Edmond H. North. Robert Wise had no idea the film had Christ parallels until he was told about this in the early 1980s. He was stunned." Thanks, Bill! The special effects are simple but just about flawless, and Bernard Herrmann's score, one of the very best ever written for a science fiction film, was monumentally influential.
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Blu-ray Image Quality – ‘THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL’ presents us with a wonderful black-and-white imagery has never looked better, presented here in 1080p high definition and in its original 1.34:1 aspect ratio. The film isn't razor sharp in every shot, but it still looks fantastic nonetheless, with an appreciable sense of depth, particularly during the film's opening, long-distance shots of Washington. Detail is particularly high; close-ups of articles of clothing, for example, reveal intricate textures. Blacks are deep and dark, looking particularly good at every turn. The print exhibits some spots in a few places, but the image never greatly suffers as a result. The high quality of the transfer even reveals some obvious wires at a most inopportune time that might be seen as a distraction to one of the film's most crucial sequences. Still, the film has never looked better, cleaner, more defined than and certainly never as good on large screens at home as it does here. This is no doubt the definitive home video presentation of ‘‘THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL’
Blu-ray Audio Quality – 20th Century Fox brings us the film ‘THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL’ with the 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio experience, in addition to the original monaural sound presentation. The stunning track makes for a vast improvement of the original mono offering, sounding fuller and more precise, noticed immediately during the film's opening credit sequence that is accompanied by the haunting notes of the Theremin. The score plays loudly and pleasantly across the front throughout the entire film. As the craft lands in Washington, the reverberations of its power can be felt permeating the entire listening area. The soundtrack produces some excellent lows within the confines of its original mix. Nothing ever sounds trumped up or phony. There is little in the way of appreciable rear channel activity, but the track does feature a few doses of low frequency effects in accompaniment of several crucial sequences. Dialogue reproduction is fabulous throughout. Much like the video presentation, listeners and long-time fans of the film will appreciate the high quality of this soundtrack.
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Blu-ray Special Features and Extras:
Special Feature: Isolated Score Track 5.1 DTS-HD: This allows us to listen to Bernard Herrmann’s composed music in a 5.1 Dolby Digital rendition. It adds a nice bonus for the many Bernard Herrmann film score fans out there.
Audio Commentary by Director Robert Wise and Nicholas Meyer [Director of ‘Star Trek II: Wrath of Khan’]: We start with two audio commentaries. For the most part, Nicholas Meyer acts as interviewer, especially during the film’s first half. Robert Wise discusses some specifics aspects of the film ‘THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL’ such as casting, story issues, and other topics, but he often talks about his general filmmaking thoughts. Robert Wise tells us how he likes to work, and while this often touches upon the film ‘THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL’ and Robert Wise frequently digresses into other films, especially those he has directed. All in all, this is a very interesting and engrossing audio commentary and well worth listening to.
Audio Commentary by Film & Music Historians John Morgan, Steve Smith, William Stromberg and Nick Redman: For this second audio commentary, we hear from film and music historians Josh Morgan, Steven Smith, William Stromberg, and Nick Redman. All four sit together for this running, screen-specific chat. They tell us a little about cast and crew such as Robert Wise and actor Michael Rennie, but the audio track usually focuses on the composer Bernard Herrmann and his work. That heavy emphasis surprised me, but it succeeds. The concentration on Bernard Herrmann allows the participants to dig into his film music score and a lot about his career. So we get a more detailed conversation than usual. Things tended to run out of steam a little during the film’s third act, as the participants often do little more than grumble about the current state of movie music. Nonetheless, the discussion usually informs and entertains. It is still worth listening to.
Special Feature: The World Of The Theremin: Here you get to view three special features and they are as follows:
The Mysterious, Melodious Theremin [2008] [1080p] [1.37:1 / 1.78:1] [5:40] With this first feature, we hear from musician Peter Pringle who is very engaging and gives us a quick history of the Theremin instrument as well as a demonstration of how it works. This turns into a cool glimpse of how the quirky Theremin instrument works and how popular it was at the time and how the Theremin was used in other sci-fi films and when people heard it, they got really scared in thinking aliens were invading Earth. This was a Trailer Park production.
‘THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL’ Main Title Live Performance by Peter Pringle [2008] [1080p] [1.37:1 / 1.78:1] [2:17] With this second feature, we again get to see Peter Pringle who does a live performance with the quirky Theremin instrument and at the same time we get clips from the film ‘THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL’ and plus we also get to hear some of the background music by the brilliant Composer Bernard Herrmann. This was a Trailer Park production.
Interactive Theremin: Create Your Own Score: With this feature, you can create your own Theremin composition to accompany an iconic scene from the film. Choose from eight one-second notes and one rest (one second silence) on the right of your screen, to create your own thirty-second piece of music. Your selections will be displayed in the note queue at the bottom of the screen. Once the first 15-note queue has been filled, you will be taken to your second 15-not queue. The “Preview” button allows you to listen to your composition before applying it to the film. The “Delete Note” button allows you to remove the last note entered. The “Apply To Film” button will place your finalized composition into a scene from the film! So when you are ready to proceed, you press the ENTER button on your remote control, will activate the word “Continue” and good luck with your endeavour.
Special Feature: Gort Command! Interactive Game: Here you enter into the Gort Command Instructions and it informs to use the ARROW KEYS on your remote control to aim Gort’s laser beam at the targets that appear at random intervals. Quickly lock on an enemy target, and then press ENTER on your remote control to Fire! Aim and fire quickly or Gort’s energy source will be extinguished. This requires you to move the arrows very quickly on your remote to attempt to shoot Gort’s enemies. In about three minutes and I gave up, as it offered no enjoyment at all, and especially only total frustration.
Special Feature: The Making of ‘THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL’ [2008] [1080p] [1.78:1 / 1.37:1] [23:53] This is a very interesting and fascinating documentary about the making of the Robert Wise’s classic film ‘THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL.’ Many of the contributors all share their thoughts on the film that many consider the greatest science-fiction film ever made. The most interesting one is how the screenplay was given a greenlight and how Robert Wise ended up getting involved. It's interesting to note that originally Spencer Tracy was longing to play the part of Klaatu and came very close to getting to. We also hear about the now legendary film music score from Bernard Herrmann and how each of the actors were eventually cast. The Making of ‘THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL’ looks at the cinema’s roots and development, how Robert Wise came onto the project and his involvement, cast and performances, sets and locations, visual effects, music and the film’s impact. In “The Making of,” we get a good nuts and bolts look at the film. Sadly it is too brief to provide a full examination of the brilliant and iconic sci-fi film, but then again, with the two audio commentaries and many other documentaries available here, it doesn’t need to include every element of the production. “The Making of” offers an engaging overview. Fans of the film are certainly going to enjoy hearing these interviews, although some might be disappointed that the running time is just over 23-minutes. Contributors include: Steven Jay Rubin [Film Historian], Florence Blaustein [Widow of Julian Blaustein], Julian Blaustein [Producer] (voice) (Archival sound), Robert Wise [Director] (voice) (Archival sound), Richard Keenan [Author of “The Films of Robert Wise”], Pamela Conrad Rosenberg [Daughter of Robert Wise], Millicent Wise [Widow of Robert Wise], Billy Gray [Bobby Benson], Lewis Gilbert [Film Director], Curtis Peebles [Aerospace Historian], Patricia Neal [Helen Benson], Guy V. Beckwith [Associate Professor of History at Auburn University] and Steven C. Smith [Author of “A Heart at Fire’s Center: The Life and Music of Bernard Herrman”].
Special Feature: Decoding “Klautu, Barada, Nikto”: Science Fiction as Metaphor [2008] [1080p] [1.78:1 / 1.37:1] [16:14] The Decoding “Klautu, Barada, Nikto” examines the geopolitical climate in the early 1950s and how the film ‘THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL’ reflects this along with some other interpretive elements. It does this in a somewhat scattershot manner, but it still provides a generally thought-provoking look at the film’s subtext. Contributors include: Richard Keenan [Author of “The Films of Robert Wise”], Arnold H. Orgolini [Producer of ‘Meteor’], Curtis Peebles [Aerospace Historian], Guy V. Beckwith [Associate Professor of History at Auburn University], Julian Blaustein [Producer] (voice) (Archival footage), Florence Blaustein [Widow of Julian Blaustein], Arne Westad [Professor of International History at the London School of Economics], Susie North [Daughter of Edmund North], Vivian Sobchack [Author of “Screening Space: The American Science Fiction Film”], Steven Jay Rubin [Film Historian], Robert Wise [Director] (voice) (Archival footage) and Billy Gray [Bobby Benson].
Special Feature: A Brief History of Flying Saucers [2008] [1080p] [1.78:1 / 1.37:1] [34:02] Here we have a very excellent and highly entertaining documentary about, as the title says, the history of UFOs. With this wonderful and informative featurette on ‘THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL’ release, we get in-depth interviews from various UFO experts and naysayers are interviewed as they discuss the history of people seeing flying saucers and how a lot of people who believe and go back to visit Roswell. We hear about some of the earliest sightings including one in 1897 and then flash-forward up to around the 1947-50 period. The documentary discusses that the year after ‘THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL’ was one of the busiest for UFO sightings. They also discuss some incidents that happened after the Robert Wise picture and we get several photos and some videos of what many believe are flying saucers. Of course, other subjects including abductions are discussed as well as what really happened in Roswell. Fans of UFOs are really going to enjoy this documentary as there are some very fun interviews to be had here but the best thing are the various stories of stuff that happened long before Roswell or shortly afterwards. We also get to view high-definition of rare original 16mm and 8mm film by George Adamski. I doubt this documentary will change whatever your opinion you have on the subject matter, but it's still a lot of fun. Contributors include: Glenn Steckling [Director of George Adamski Foundation], Curtis Peebles [Aerospace Historian], Gregory L. Reece [Author of “UFO Religion”], Dr. David Clarke [Journalist/Author of “Out of the Shadows”], Dennis Balthaser [UFO Researcher], Dusty Huckabee [Director of Roswell Convention & Civic Center], Julie Shuster [Executive Director of the International UFO Museum & Research Center], Thomas J. Carey [Co-Author of “Witness to Roswell”], James W. Moseley [Editor of Saucer Smear Newsletter], Major Donald E. Keyhoe [Author of “Flying Saucers Are Real”] (Archival footage), Robert Gardenghi [Retired Radar Engineer], Major General John Samford [U.S. Air Force Director of Intelligence] (Archival footage), Glenn Van Blaricum Ph.D. [Radar Systems Analyst], Susan Clancy Ph.D. [Author of “Abducted: How People Come to Believe They Were Kidnapped by Aliens”], Brian Dunning [Skeptical Author and Podcaster], Dr. Michael Shermer [Author of “Why People Believe Weird Things”] and Renee Roach [Marketing Director of the City of Roswell].
Special Feature: The Astounding Harry Bates [2008] [1080p] [1.78:1 / 1.37:1] [11:03] This special documentary is a good introduction to author Harry Bates. The programme gives us some biographical notes about Harry Bates as well as thoughts about “Farewell to the Master” and its cinematic adaptation. Apparently history hasn’t left much documentation of Harry Bates’ life, so don’t expect a ton of concise details here. Nonetheless, we do get enough interesting material to make the piece worthwhile. Various genre historians discuss exactly who Harry Bates was, how he got his start in writing and why he claimed that he hated writing science-fiction even though he was so good at it. If you're like me and didn't know too much about Harry Bates then you're really going to enjoy this small featurette because it gives you some pretty good details about his career. If you're already overly familiar with his work then it's doubtful you're going to learn anything new here but there's no question that all of the interviews are good and makes for some nice entertainment. As we view this special feature on Harry Bates, we get as usual a plethora of clips from the film ‘THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL’ in conjunction with Harry Bates and his work in sci-fi writing. At the end of this documentary, we are informed that Harry Bates never republished his stories. His rewritten versions are now believed to be forever lost. The 1981 audio interview with Harry Bates were courtesy of Lawrence Davidson. Contributors include: Vivian Sobchack [Author of “Screening Space: The American Science Fiction Film”], David G. Hartwell [Senior Editor of Tor Books], Bob Gay [Writer and Researcher], Harry Bates (voice) (Archival recording), Charles N. Brown [Publisher and Editor of Locus Magazine], Lawrence Davidson [Co-Author of “Pulp Culture”], Steven Jay Rubin [Film Historian] and Richard Wolinsky [Radio Interviewer].
Special Feature: Edmund H. North: The Man Who Made the Earth Stand Still [2008] [1080p] [1.78:1 / 1.37:1 / 2.40:1] [14:43] This is an exceptionally well-made and informative featurette about writer and Oscar-winner Edmund H. North who is mostly remember for his screenplay for the film ‘THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL,’ and also the films ‘Sink The Bismark’ and ‘PATTON.’ This special feature provides in-depth informative information overview of the writers life and career including how he ended up in Hollywood, his WWII service and how when he returned to Hollywood his views on war had changed, which led to the Robert Wise classic sci-fi film as well as the writer taking on other subjects including the blacklisted writers from one of the darkest eras in Hollywood's history. As expected, the documentary gives us a quick biography of the film’s screenwriter Edmund H. North. If you are a fan of ‘THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL’ you are going to enjoy this documentary and if you are a fan of Edmund H. North then you are going to enjoy the very informative interviews as well. If you're unfamiliar with Edmund H. North work then obviously you're going to get some good details here on the type of man he was and why his writing was so popular throughout Hollywood. This documentary proves a very satisfying experience. Contributors include: Lewis Gilbert [Director], Bobbie North [Daughter of Edmund North], Susie North [Daughter of Edmund North], Arnold H. Orgolini [Producer of ‘Meteor’], John Cork [Film Historian] and Florence Blaustein [Widow of Julian Blaustein].
Special Feature: Race To Oblivion [1982] [480i] [1.37:1] [26:42] Edmund H. North, screenwriter of ‘THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL’ was passionate about the cause of nuclear disbarment. In 1982, Edmund H. North produced this public service announcement for Physical For Social Responsibility-Los Angeles [PSR-LA]. It reflects Edmund H. North views and philosophy which informed so many of his films he wrote. PSR-LA believes the issue addressed in this program, and in ‘THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL,’ and remains as relevant today as they were when Edmund H. North initially presented them. This is an archival piece and is in conjunction with the release of 1951 film ‘THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL,’ and comes hosted by Burt Lancaster. The documentary’s message is against nuclear proliferation; and we get comments from Hiroshima survivor Shigeko Sasamori and thoughts about the medical consequences of a nuclear war. “Oblivion” cuts between those two elements to cover its subject. The documentary is clearly a product of its time, as fears of a nuclear battle between the U.S.A. and U.S.S.R. was high in the early 1980s. The possibility of nuclear war hasn’t vanished, of course, but it seems less relevant today, as we have other terrors to fear. This documentary is presented by Burt Lancaster and was Written and Produced by Edmund North and Directed by Robert B. Churchill. Contributors include: Burt Lancaster [Host and Narrator], Shigeko Sasamori [Hiroshima survivor], Retired General R. LaRocque Rear Admiral of the U.S.N. (Archival footage), Kosta Tsipis Ph.D. (Archival footage), Victor W. Sidel M.D. (Archival footage), John Kenneth Galbraith Ph.D. (Archival footage), Richard G. Saxon M.D. (Archival footage), Judd Marmor M.D. (Archival footage), H. Jack Geiger M.D. (Archival footage), Helen M. Caldicott M.B., B.S. (Archival footage) and Dwight D. Eisenhower – President of the United States (Archival footage).
Special Feature: Farewell To The Master: A Reading by Jamieson K. Price of the original Harry Bates Short Story [Audio only] [2008] [1080p] [1.78:1] [96:53] Here we get a reading by Jamieson K. Price of the original Harry Bates short story and it is split into three separate chapters and here is basically what you will hear. When a mysterious ship instantaneously appears on the grounds of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, freelance picture reporter Cliff Sutherland is there to see it. Two days later, two passengers from the ship emerge: a godlike being in human form and an eight-foot robot made of green metal. Are the alien and his robot here to help or hinder humankind? Find out the surprising answer in the original story that inspired the classic 1951 science fiction film, ‘THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL.’ This is a must-hear for any science fiction lover, for, as The Encyclopaedia of Science Fiction says, "the film lost the story's ironic ending." Now listeners can discover first-hand what Hollywood left out in this best-known novella by the legendary 1930s idea man Harry Bates. Long-time science fiction fans rank “Farewell to the Master” and its creator among the greatest writer of his time.
Special Feature: Fox Movietone News [1951] [480i] [1.37:1] [6:21] It provides a clip from the 1951 Fox Movietone News. In addition to a little coverage of the film, we get snippets about other news events like “49 Free Nations Sign Japanese Peace Treaty.” It also promotes “Science Fiction Honors Movie” and “America Hails 1952 Queens of Beauty.” It’s a brief but neat look at contemporary history from the time of the release of the film ‘THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL.’ n.
Teaser Trailer [1951] [480i] [1.37:1] [1:04] This is the Original Teaser Trailer for the film ‘THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL.’
Theatrical Trailer [1951] [1080i] [1.37:1] [2:09] This is the Original Theatrical Trailer for the film ‘THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL.’ This is a totally brilliant trailer and is of top quality and is more like a short documentary.
Special Feature: Galleries: Here we get to view the following caatagories: Interactive Pressbook [19 images]; Advertising Gallery [11 images]; Behind-the-Scenes Gallery [55 images]; Portrait Gallery [17 images]; Production Gallery [59 images]; Spaceship Construction Blueprints [21 images] and Shooting Script [412 images]. All offer some interesting elements, but like the “Pressbook” which allows close-ups of some pages and the Shooting Script. Don’t expect big differences between the film and the screenplay, though; the final film follows the script pretty closely.
Finally, ‘THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL’ is a brilliant bona-fide classic both in its genre and in the annals of cinema history as a whole. The film epitomises Science Fiction like few others, creating in the viewer a sense of wonder but also conveying a socially aware message that even today remains one of utmost urgency. Robert Wise's film endures, playing both as timely and entertaining as ever. While the remake of this film is currently enjoying a high-dollar run at the box office despite its mostly negative critical reception, one must wonder for the future of what is arguably the most important and influential cinematic genre yet, one that offers viewers both what is often the peak of movie magic, witnessing first-hand the incredible, the unbelievable, the impossible, but also, perhaps, through that awe-inspiring storytelling better understanding the world as it is or once was. No doubt, like many other genres, Science Fiction seems to have taken something of a wayward turn, though films like Danny Boyle's Sunshine are able to recall the classic feel of the genre with the updated visual effects of the modern era. Thankfully, no matter what direction Sci-Fi may take next, modern technology allows for the preservation and presentation of these classics like never before, and 20th Century Fox's Blu-ray release of ‘THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL’ is certainly a benefactor of its high definition release. Audiences may enjoy this picture at the current zenith of home presentation, with a beautifully presented picture quality and several audio options, including the film's original monaural presentation, which makes enjoying this classic sci-fi film easier and better than ever before. To top it off, 20th Century Fox has seen fit to load the disc with supplemental materials that alone are worth the price of admission. That is why I am so happy to add this Special Limited Edition SteelBook, as it is a vast improvement over the previous Blu-ray releases of this film. But the only thing that lets it down big time is the design of the SteelBook cover, and it is absolutely abysmal design and I could have done a much better job myself. I just wish they had repeated the awesome excellent Cinema Reserve Region 2 Limited Edition SteelBook DVD design and also slightly disappointed they could not have included a booklet like the Region 2 Limited Edition SteelBook DVD. Despite this slight negative comment, it is still an amazing purchase and so proud to add this Special Limited Edition SteelBook of ‘THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL’ to my extensive Blu-ray Limited Edition SteelBook Collection and easily earns my highest praise. Very Highly Recommended!
Andrew C. Miller – Your Ultimate No.1 Film Aficionado
Le Cinema Paradiso
United Kingdom
