The best flying saucer arrival in cinematic history - 1951

The arrival of the space ship from another planet - The Day the Earth stood still - 1951

[@annettelynch4088]

My grandfather is at the 57 second mark looking up at the saucer. He was serving in the Air Force and stationed in DC and the movie production asked him to be in it and they paid him a small stipend! So cool that my gramp is part of sci fi history!!

[@kirnpu]

Cool!

[@PacoOtis]

Wow! Your grandpa is part of history! Go to IMDB and see if you can get him in the credits! That would be great! Best of luck!

[@historicalbiblicalresearch8440]

0:57

[@freelyfarmexploits8854]

That's an excellent story, proud moment for your grandfather to be in such a classic movie. 👍🏻

[@adriancole3165]

When I first saw the clip, thought he was a well known actor. Certainly had the looks and demeanour. And a very well set up shoot of him, placed perfectly against a great background. Nice story! Thanks for sharing.

[@Dreyno]

This is the least weird thing I’ve seen happening in Washington recently.

[@Mike-gt1cs]

Can you imagine the confusion caused by the aliens now asking to 'Take me to your leader'?

[@ILoveCats208]

@@Mike-gt1cs 👽 🤦🏻‍♂️

[@GateKeeperXL]

They're after grifters.

[@Diponty]

@@Mike-gt1cs Not that one the one that will remember we visited.

[@poorthing]

Ha ha ha!

[@bestpossibleworld2091]

The re-make of this proves that you can have tons of CGI special effects and a big budget and fail to create anything near the excellence of the 1951 classic. The original remains a standard in scifi movie making. The concept for the movie was provocative and challenging. The interior of the saucer is still ahead of contemporary scifi. The musical score by Bernard Herrmann is amazing, truly incredible. Even the original Star Wars score could not surpass Herrmann's work. And, of course Gort (the big, intimidating robot) remains the scariest scifi weapon from outer space. Imagine being a kid at the movies seeing Gort come down from the saucer and destroy tanks and howitzers. When that visor goes up, it is terrifying.

[@vincentzito3933]

The Remake was horrible compared to the original...

[@dotythew2535]

I used to watch this movie back in the early 1960's and yes Gort scared 😨the living bejesus out of me. This is also in my humble opinion one of the best movies of all time.

[@nigelft]

@@vincentzito3933 As much as I like Keanu Reeves (not just as an actor, but a genuine humble person ...), that is one of the _very_ few films of his that I won't buy on principle, due to the orginal, abet a wee bit dated, still remains a absolutely classic, along with _'This Island Earth'_ , _'The Day the Earth Caught Fire'_ , _'Forbidden Planet'_ , and the first film adaptation of _'The War of the Worlds'_ (even though the later is almost wholly unlike the orginal H.G. Wells' novel ) ...

[@shawnsmith7375]

Saw it in the 70s on TV and it amazed me. This and forbidden planet are shining examples of amazing sci Fi.

[@slaughterhouse5585]

@JZ's Best Friend Good analogy.

[@digitalbookworm5678]

Almost 70 years later and STILL one of the greatest SF movies ever made! 👍

[@oliviawutam]

If the US had taken Klaatu's advice, there wouldn't have been VietNam and all the following disasters

[@slaughterhouse5585]

@@oliviawutam No, he just said to confine our squabbles to earth. Vietnam War did not happen in outer space.

[@onethreefiveeye]

With Forbidden Planet....which has it's own certain charm...

[@taknothing4896]

@@slaughterhouse5585 Also Viet Nam war started in 1946 when France with US backing & funding tried to squash Vietnamese independence.

[@kurtsnyder4752]

70 years and it'll still be.

[@Dallas_K]

Never a better example of the excellence of simplicity! I still consider this film the Holy Grail of science fiction.

[@OldGeezer55]

Great story, great cast, perfectly executed. Yep...checks all the boxes for me.

[@slaughterhouse5585]

Lynn Rawls Me, too!

[@randolphtolbert3825]

Forbidden Planet?

[@aussiesam01]

@Dallas K Then you can't have seen Dark Star, Red Dwarf or The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (BBC version, not the terrible Hollywood movie).

[@katazack]

@@razorone2299 All excellent. I'd throw in the original "The Thing From Another World".

[@SuperLuminalElf]

Remains one of the finest sci-fi films ever made to this day.

[@caroltenge5147]

dont be fooled. It was REAL!

[@100Jeanluc]

That and forbidden planet.

[@klyvemurray]

@@100Jeanluc Surely you're not serious??

[@100Jeanluc]

@@klyvemurray absolutely. Only a putz would disagree. And don't call me shirley.

[@klyvemurray]

@@100Jeanluc The reference went 'Flying High' right over your head :) Putz?!! LOL .

[@ralphjackson8295]

I have to admit, that was real good. They even put in the shadow of the ship as well.

[@billlittlejohn2331]

One of the absolute best films ever made! There is something very magical in this one that most others just don't have.

[@oliviawutam]

Bill, 'realisme'

[@danf321]

Aside from realism, DTEST had a great Director, great screen writers and great actors. Back when this movie was made, they chose actors based on acting, not putting some half-wit person in a role because it was politically correct.

[@slaughterhouse5585]

@@danf321 Oh, so right!

[@michaelschramm1064]

@@danf321 Plus a brilliant music score by the ever capable Bernard Herrmann.

[@hlcepeda]

The power of character-driven films.

[@temp911Luke]

Its incredible how good it still looks even today !

[@rdizzo1313]

Looks like the ones you can see in the skies at night at like 4am in the morning…

[@MrJamberee]

Gimme a break. This is laughable.

[@shaunpenne1840]

For 1951 it's pretty well done, everyone moves their head in time as well for the panning shot!

[@raypurchase801]

A far better movie than the CGI remake.

[@hlcepeda]

Especially in blu-ray, the landing is a very clean shot; no weird or distracting artifacts giving an impression that any particular sfx process was being used.

[@skrat5]

Ah! The Day the Earth Stood Still with Michael Rennie. Loved it!

[@Kevin-mx1vi]

@Pete Jones Gort is iconic. Silent, motionless, unfathomable, and waiting. The moment his(?) visor goes up !

[@douglasdaniel4504]

The first really great science fiction movie, with the possible exceptions of "Things to Come" and "Metropolis" (which is more of a fable, though).

[@patrickperry6945]

Absolutely!

[@mordecaiesther3591]

Where’s this beautiful has all diamond ? Please just leave things alone . Don’t change it !

[@hlcepeda]

In the blu-ray extra section, the comment was made that what really "sold" the landing sfx was the shadow made by the saucer. It certainly did!

[@Primus54]

I remember first seeing this movie on NBC’s Saturday Night Movie when I was six or seven. Gort scared the bejeezus out of me. To this day, whenever I see Gort raising his eye shield and the pulsating light, it takes me all the way back to my childhood. Still my favorite SF movie.

[@oliviawutam]

I agree

[@jamessnee7171]

Me too. It was a big deal movie. I remember waiting for Sat night. I was sitting in front of the TV on the edge of my seat. At some point during the movie my mother said to me "Jimmy... your hands are sweating!" I looked down and my hands were clenched into little fists so hard my hands were all sweaty.

[@gathasofpersia6432]

Do a little research, Gort was played by a tall African. They had to use wires on his arms when he had pick up Pat O'Neal.

[@Primus54]

@@gathasofpersia6432 You should take your own advice about research. Gort was played by Joseph Lockard "Lock" Martin Jr., who was an American performer afflicted with giantism. 🙄

[@craigbradl4139]

The day the earth stood still. Forbiden planet. an Earth vs the flying saucers. ALL 3 GREAT SIFI MOVES .***** EACH

[@jgesselberty]

70 years old and still among the best ever made.

[@BB1951]

I'm as old as this movie and the beginning still gives me goosebumps.

[@SkyKing171717]

The ending gives me even BIGGER goosebumps!

[@skoot2u]

I think it benefits from being in black and white,very atmospheric.One of my favourite ever films ,along with Forbidden Planet.

[@fredrickdouglassmccoy2608]

right remember as a youth this scared me to if happen in real life

[@AlanCanon2222]

I'm just as old as 2001: a Space Odyssey, was ten years old when I stood in line for Close Encounters and Star Wars, and The Day the Earth Stood Still is probably my second favorite science fiction movie of all time. It's just flawless. I'll put it on just so I can watch one scene, and then inevitably "rewind" and watch the whole thing. I know I have watched it more than fifty times. It's finely crafted both in the obvious ways of story, direction, and acting, but it's also a special effects masterpiece. Robert Wise had worked closely with optical printer inventor Linwood Dunn on Citizen Kane, and "Day" is packed with visual effects shots executed just as meticulously, for the time, as George Lucas and John Dysktra worked on Star Wars. "Day" uses every trick in the book from Melies on down, double-exposure with matte, rotoscoping, the aforementioned optical printer, traveling matte rear projection, heavy prosthetics (Gort's suit). The only thing missing is King-Kong-style stop motion and the story has no use for it. Or it's there but too smooth for me to see it, which would not surprise me in the slightest. The effects in The Day the Earth Stood still would have been even more spectacular, I am convinced, if Robert Wise weren't so good at making sure nothing ever distracts the audience from the story. Damn, now I have to watch it again, immediately.

[@michelleregis6181]

i get goosbumps also...there are other goosbump scenes as well

[@toyman9642]

Better than the remake.

[@LoneBrowncoat]

Way better!

[@nynthworld4152]

Much better indeed.👍

[@dancingvirgil]

The remake was rather pointless

[@Jagdtoq]

The truth will always outshine a lie - over time.

[@Oswald_Anthony]

Remaker is a Bigshittt

[@siegfriedkleinmartins7816]

Showing the shadow of the spaceship on the grass was the touch of genius from the director Robert Wise. Although it looks simple to do, this effect included many trigonometric calculations and studies of perspective to make it look real. Greetings from Brasil

[@circomnia9984]

Sadly they did not take into account the rest of the shadows. If you look for example at the trees all around the circle, none has any shadow, except directly below it, indicating it was shot at or close to noon in summer. The ship's shadow however, is coming in at roughly 45 degrees, which would make it around 15:30 in Washington DC in summer. Having taken so much care to realistically portray the shadow, you would think they would have taken this into consideration. But sadly, nope. Still a cool shot though, considering this was pre-CGI.

[@smadaf]

@@circomnia9984, look again. 1. Look at the shadows in the closer shots of the baseball diamonds, before the shot that has the shadow of the saucer. 2. In the shot that you say shows the shadows of the trees only directly below them, look more closely at the trees and their shadows: look at where the shadows of their canopies fall, where the shadows of their trunks fall, where the highlights on their trunks are, and where the highlights on their canopies are. In the same shot, look at the shadow cast by the portico on the western half of the south façade of the White House. 3. The shadow of the saucer appears to the left of the saucer, meaning that the sun is to the east (this shot is looking roughly north). That's not consistent with your suggestion of more than three hours past noon, even with Daylight Saving Time. 4. What you call "the circle" is The Ellipse. 5. This is a three-dimensional environment, which makes shadow interpretation more complicated than you seem to think it is.

[@johnfrancis2215]

I remember watching it as a young kid, when I watched it years later I found it very emotional and the message it sent is still as powerful today

[@butchs6099]

Amen on the message! Same here.👍

[@stevedandy973]

Klaatu and Gort ARRIVE. Klaatu's warning still holds true today.

[@gringo4x4do]

And Mankind still hasn't listened, nor gets it !

[@cheezruff]

@Wagner PD trumff is a loser- he can't speak in 2 syllable words

[@nealro1471]

@@cheezruff No thats joe biden. Doesn't even no what day it is. Like joe said! Democrats we believe in the truth, not facts. Now what the hell does that mean?

[@simplywonderful449]

@@cheezruff Trump speaks in single-syllable words so the Democrats have a chance of understanding spoken language too!

[@boggstucson5415]

Gort: klatu, barrada, nictu!

[@PHOTOGRAPHYBYDEREK1]

Damn, they sure knew how to make sci-fi flics back in the '50's, eh?

[@mitchellrose2940]

Derek Hansin they sure scared me..thank god my mom would not let me watch forbidden planet. Patricia Neal was beautiful.

[@roadwarr]

Never more so than when Gort was right in her face. Something about fear...

[@slaughterhouse5585]

Another great movie was Destination Moon. They tried to make it scientifically accurate based on what they knew about the possibility of space travel back then around 1951. The great sci-fi author Robert Heinlein wrote the screenplay. Another pretty good movie from that era was Rocketship XM.

[@Eyes-of-Horus]

Yes, there was a lot of good sci-fi back then. I saw them all. Then there was "Plan 9 From Outer Space." Oy!

[@spacecat7247]

@@Eyes-of-Horus lol have it on vhs... its so terrible , its good.

[@rjmcallister1888]

1951: Robert Wise created a masterwork, using real media people, regular folks and locations around Washington, DC, and mixing them seamlessly with interiors and effects from the LA studios. It moves at a furious pace and Michael Rennie and Patricia Neal are pitch-perfect. Then there's Bernard Herrmann's score and the unforgettable theme. This is on my short list of favorites.

[@michaelshultz2540]

All the perfect storm of artest. I love all of Barnard's work with Alfred Hitchcock. He brought the perfect feeling and emotions to the material he worked on. And to this day serves as the consummate and prime guide for artists writing background scoring. If I were teaching in that field he would be the first paramount example to study.

[@leonardodalongisland]

Patricia Neal has (actually) been in every film ever made!. Love her!

[@5DNRG]

Wise also directed The Sound of Music movie classic.

[@rjmcallister1888]

@@5DNRG Wise's first major credit was as film editor on "Citizen Kane" in 1941. Bernard Herrmann handled the music on that film as well.

[@brianvincent4165]

Even by today's standards, the opening and closing of the craft, and the movement of the foot ramp, are most impressive!

[@hebneh]

At the time this sequence was even more powerful because of the appearance of an actual famous radio announcer describing the situation, just as he would have done in real life.

[@AlanCanon2222]

Multiple announcers: at least three respected electronic journalists of the time (Gabriel Heatter, Drew Pearson, and one other I think) played themselves, eager to lend their weight to an important "message movie".

[@michaelmakes4883]

What kind of dialect is that? Sounds like Charlie Ruggles with a broomstick up his butt

[@JeffDeWitt]

@@AlanCanon2222 The third one was, of course, H. V. Kaltenborn, the gentleman we saw in this clip.

[@k.b.tidwell]

@@michaelmakes4883 that's an official newscaster dialect from that era. It leant an air of authority and weight to what they were telling people so when you heard it you knew things were on the level. Or at least it was supposed to psychologically affect you that way lol. Different day, different time and all that. In addition, it was engineered to be understandable by all English speaking people, with supposedly no regional dialect sounds in there to draw the attention from The News. For another pretty good example, find a video of the Hindenburg explosion. "Oh, the huMANity!!!"" I just wish the news outlets today...ANY of them...left me feeling like I just learned any kind of truth whatsoever.

[@RicheeRich101]

@@AlanCanon2222 H.V. Kaltenborn

[@tubedude54]

This movie along with Forbidden Planet are classics! The design of this ship with its seamless saucer skin after closing was brilliant! I read some time ago that this ship was designed after one of the early UFO pics that were circulating at the time. Don't know if that is true or not but I have seen the picture and they look very much alike.

[@babaregi5934]

The famous architect, Frank Lloyd Wright, helped on the design of the ship. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Day_the_Earth_Stood_Still

[@dalethelander3781]

If you look closely on the DVD, you can see how the ramp mechanics worked. The "seamless" opening to the cockpit becomes apparent, but, nonetheless, effective.

[@slaughterhouse5585]

Babaregi That's pretty interesting to hear. Also, the 50's were a time of a lot of interest in UFO's.

[@oliviawutam]

you must remember 'art bell' ?

[@laszlozoltan5021]

@@oliviawutam hawker of endless quack "dietary supplements"? I think those he infected became QAnon zombies

[@TenMinuteDrumSolo]

From arguably the BEST sci-fi film in cinematic history!

[@TiddyTwyster]

That's EXTREMELY well done for the 50's It looks so smooth and it doesn't really feel out of place like a lot of other VFX, practical or CG

[@nickvandergraaf1053]

This film still holds up! There's nothing amateurish or juvenile about it.

[@dalethelander3781]

Robert Wise even coaxed a great performance out of Billy Gray.

[@rjwh67220]

A number of the actors, especially Patricia Neal, said they could barely get their lines out with straight faces, because they thought the whole idea was so dumb.

[@porflepopnecker4376]

@@rjwh67220 I hope they wised up after seeing the finished film.

[@Unclemoparman]

How's your generator?

[@royalanania3306]

This movie is still today is a American Sci-fi Icon. Watched possibly 50 Times

[@KindCountsDeb3773]

think of all the future directors and writers of Sci Fi who got inspiration from this. And Forbidden Planet.

[@lilybond6485]

I’ve watched it so many times throughout my life and will continue to do so.

[@AlanCanon2222]

I like the shadow cast on the ground as the saucer lands, nice touch.

[@matthewanderson3750]

Inspired by actual events!! I love how they landed the saucer near a baseball diamond, giving a clear idea of the ship's size. Brilliant.

[@mylesrahill1948]

The best part of the special effect is that there is no such baseball field.

[@johnheinrich1718]

Why would it land in D.C.? Certainly no intelligent life there! Back in 1951 or 2021…

[@joegiammarinaro7059]

Even the shadow of the ship as it was landing.

[@roderickreilly9666]

That's the Ellipse behind the White House. There are no baseball diamonds there now, but were there back then?

[@UFOBobTV]

I've seen this film multiple times over the last 50 plus years; it still gives me chills to watch this scene. Beats the heck out of the remake.

[@slaughterhouse5585]

UFO Bob You got that right! 👍👍👍

[@oliviawutam]

same here but I'm disappointed that the US is still 'trigger-happy as then

[@slaughterhouse5585]

@@oliviawutam No, it isn’t.

[@madaknevarski6478]

thee remake should be burned.

[@walterwhite6158]

One of the best alien contact movies period

[@Chilly_Billy]

Of the hundreds of science-fiction films I have enjoyed over 45+ years, Day the Earth Stood Still remains my favorite. IMO it is THE perfect example of the genre.

[@slaughterhouse5585]

Agreed.

[@williamemling3270]

What I loved about this movie was the message it conveyed . If we're one day to travel to the stars we better get our house in order here !!!

[@oliviawutam]

They will not allow us close, we are worthy, Re: no moonlanding yet

[@allanegleston4931]

showed this to my late dad one time and it made him pause and think.

[@theonlybuzz1969]

It’s one of my most favourite sci-fi films ever!. “Klaatu barada nikto" was probably the most well known sentence that was remembered throughout the years. Hint. Never put it in a pub quiz as everyone else would know it.....LoL. Great films great show

[@dalethelander3781]

Right up there with "Excuse me...what does God need with a starship?".

[@leslauner5062]

Just don't ask Ash Williams to repeat it before picking up the Necronomicon......

[@edwardf6229]

Phil they interviewed Patricia Neil years later and she had much difficulty saying that phrase without cracking up. She said it was so hard to keep a straight face. She thought it was so corny of a line.

[@jimmeasel1712]

1:33 Infield fly rule has been called for the flying saucer landing behind second base. The batter is out and all Aliens can advance at their own risk.

[@jimmeasel1712]

@Jay Ce :-) But he can't block the plate!!

[@loddude5706]

That kind of thing, I mean - it's just not cricket, what?

[@slaughterhouse5585]

I think the saucer landed on top of some lady’s purse.

[@vlaekershner7305]

Greetings, Earthlings! We heard Washington's baseball team needed assistance to beat the Yankees.

[@jimmeasel1712]

@@vlaekershner7305 Bring us Joe Hardy!! Yoooooou gotta have heart...miles and miles and miles of heart....

[@corsairman1956]

Got my own copy on DVD. Just watched it last week for the umpteenth time. A true classic!

[@tomedmond8278]

Along with Forbidden Planet and the original War of the Worlds, this film can t be beaten. Ive always said this is the best flying saucer landing in cinematic history, especially since it was made in 1951.

[@dobld1105]

my favorite sci-fi movie of all time and I'm a trekkie from way back

[@STho205]

Then your favorite should be "Forbidden Planet" Oh have you ever read a Philip Nowlan novella or watched an episode of "Rocky Jones Space Ranger"? Trust me.

[@JckSwan]

What a great name you have. 😊

[@oliviawutam]

Peggy, me too, not the followers

[@slaughterhouse5585]

@@JckSwan My other name is Jackson Bad.

[@pilot3016]

Absolutely dead on with the selection. Perfect!

[@calvinburr1248]

This has been my favorite movie for over 50 years. I have to watch it again every year or two.

[@oliviawutam]

I have tons of tapes - useless today, think I have a DVD

[@larrysfarris]

STILL the best version of 'The Day the Earth Stood Still'! 👍✊

[@vindicari]

a classic movie cinematic milestone, the remake was pathetic.

[@wendyhardin5259]

vindicari the worst.

[@dodgeman4360]

No, the remake wasn't pathetic. It was downright shameful.

[@life107familyfitnessboxing8]

No! The remake was awesome! But the original is unbeatable

[@MrTitan225]

You are so right ! The original was so much better.... I hate remakes of classic movies....they are so lame ! Bobby

[@luthermcgee7586]

Tell me about it.

[@lorenzomaximo1818]

The Day the Earth Stood Still and The Thing From Another World are the two best sci-fi flicks ever made. Both made in 1951.

[@mister-v-3086]

I still like Forbidden Planet as one of the best...but there were many.

[@mikeyc7204]

May I also add Invasion of the Body Snatchers

[@oldschoolsinger]

You've obviously never seen the original War Of The Worlds.

[@glynnjacobs9602]

Great minds think alike! I am right there with you! My favorites collection on disk are, in no particular order are; The Day The Earth Stood Still, Them!, War of The Worlds and The Thing From Another Planet. You can't go wrong with these Classics! If you want something to scare you concerning A.I., check out "Colossus, the Forbin Project". I believe it might be more plausible possibility than "The Treminator" as to becoming a reality.

[@jimconaty6218]

@@glynnjacobs9602 totally agree with you. Those are probably the best sci fi movies out there. But, have you ever read the book that it's based on ( The Day the Earth Stood Still ), Farewell to the Master by Harry Bates. It was a short story (87 pages) published in 1940 I believe . Great story but far removed from the movie.

[@PointyTailofSatan]

That heterodyning sound effect is just amazing. Whoever did the sound effects did a fantastic job.

[@michaelschramm1064]

The music effects for key moments in the film are very avant-garde as well. For example the shots of frozen machinery when global power is stalled…and the effect when Gort is de-materializing its translucent encasement. Bernard Herrmann was a genius. For the former scene he arranged for his music cue to be run in reverse (!)

[@b.goodfellow465]

Brilliant film, in fact, I knocks spots off some science fiction of today! 🙏🙏🙏

[@katazack]

Sci-Fi movies today are glorified cartoons.

[@bradleylogue6415]

Totally agree on the quality and cinematic vision of this scene for 1951. The craft was the total classic UFO shape of the day but more amazing is the way the craft pulsated in brightness as it approached landing. This being a representation of the advanced propulsion systems that are reported today. The final of course is how the craft became totally silent upon touching ground. Very cool visonary stuff for the time.

[@aaaht3810]

I always thought the opening up of the saucer and the extension of the ramp was very good special effects for the time.

[@roblamb8327]

@aaaht: the saucer opening and ramp extending is pretty much SFX at its best - simple, uncomplicated and free of unnecessary clutter - just demonstrating a superior technology without making a brash song and dance of the whole affair. That understatement is probably the reason this version stands the test of time - it's not trying to show how clever-clever the film-makers are at the expense (financially and credibility) of the story.

[@aaaht3810]

@@roblamb8327 Agree. Whenever I see the film I always look to see if I can see any gimmicks to see how it was done and I can't.

[@richardheizmann2756]

"I like you Mister Carpenter. You're a real screwball."

[@freelyfarmexploits8854]

Classic film! One of the best, superb special effects and editing for that period.

[@vernalc2449]

That was a CLASSIC.

[@cirilooscar7148]

Excellent movie, more realistic effects, incredible! Nothing to do with the profanity of the new version, with spheres full of unreal fantasy. Movies from before were better, even when technology was lacking. It has improved but the brains of the filmmakers have declined

[@michelleregis6181]

one of the many exciting scenes from TDTESS and done without any cgi.... incrediblle.

[@slaughterhouse5585]

You are SO right!

[@bultacowally]

U R so right. CG generated movies/effects are so fake looking. Very cartoonish. I suppose someday they will get it right but like you say the movie makers just can't think of anything of their own any good or original any more. The proof is SOOOOO many RE-RE-RE makes of old movies rather than new never before seen or heard of movie creations. How many times has Superman....Batman...Spiderman...King Kong...to name a few, been rehashed over and over and over. And not sequels either i am talking the original first edition versions. It'll be interesting in 20 years...if the human race is still around...to see what some young movie making "genius" does to Star Wars when they start rebooting those movies.

[@markcharlton5660]

Very good comment.

[@nephetula]

Yes, the modern version was terrible, even worse than the remakes of King Kong. (It's probably the worst thing Keanu Reeves has done.) The overuse of CGI has just about ruined the simplicity and believability of today's movies.

[@johnstreet1812]

Still one of the absolute best sci-fi movies. Gort is the definitive 'droid.

[@kennethhess4067]

This Movie was made the year I was born and I’ve seen it over a dozen times and I have the DVD. It’s one of the great SiFi Films of the 50’s.

[@christhornley1664]

A cracking sequence from a classic movie, absolutely brilliant!

[@schallrd1]

One of the best classic science fiction movies. It still holds up today. See this if you never have.

[@xyzyyz]

Awesome movie. Still one of my favourites.

[@rayhill5767]

Robert Wise was a terrific director and the editing is first class

[@Davy.J.Y]

I would certainly agree with that. I love this movie so much, its a 100% classic Sci FI ..

[@lewisner]

I'm still out there watching all of you.

[@mikedondero9931]

“Klaatu barada nikto." Still a favorite!

[@cgrable8342]

This movie transfixed me 50+ years ago and still does every time I watch it. Just seems to have a lingering message.......

[@KindCountsDeb3773]

well written in that respect. Michael Rennie played it well, which was so needed to be effective.

[@josephdrach2276]

The message of peace being possible by turning everything concerning a full planet and interplanetary peace agreements enforcement over to robots who will tolerate no war is an amazing one. The idea of letting go of the right to kill each other with armies and sophisticated weapons, as the people on his planet and many others have done is a big challenge for the people of earth. Contrast this with a man with amazing powers arriving to tell people that the earths ecological balance is at the tipping point and he and his huge robot make have to kill the human race to save the planet. Who can believe that they lack the ability to help the people here to improve the endangered planet? The message just doesn't have the same power as the message in the original day the Earth stood still. It is not that Keanu Reeves isn't a good actor, he's very good,but the story isn't good and all the special effects can't save it. The 1951 version is still the best and one of the best movies of it's kind.

[@douglasdaniel4504]

Brought to you by the man who gave us The Sand Pebbles, The Andromeda Strain, Star Trek: The Motion Picture, and The Desert Rats. Oh, yeah, and some little picture called The Sound of Music.

[@dalethelander3781]

You forgot West Side Story and The Hindenberg.

[@theherrdark4834]

The Day the Earth Stood Still, Forbidden Planet, It Came from Outer Space, The 27th Day are some of the best sci-fi where there are no evil aliens, but the story all about the human being and looking at both their strengthsand their flaws as a species.

[@billlittlejohn2331]

Man ! I couldn't agree with you more! There is something so magical about The Day The Earth Stood Still!

[@jarniwoop]

Excellent sound effects with the 'engine'. Gives a feeling of great power controlled precisely.

[@slaughterhouse5585]

Yes, exactly.

[@kimba381]

A seriously good movie particularly when you consider it was made more than 70 years ago. FAR better than that Keanu Reeves rubbish.

[@debbieseverson5130]

Just 70 years not more than. It was made the year I was born. 1951. All of a sudden I feel old.

[@deniro800]

"YOURE planet?

[@yuugenr7549]

Its not the actors fault. Its directors fault.

[@justoldog]

The new version missed the whole point of the first one- a warning given to the whole world. wtf?

[@paulstrecher6194]

@@justoldog - It was a different movie. A warning about trashing our planet, as opposed to being a danger to other races in the galaxy. The original is definitely better, but the re-make hits closer to home as far as what we probably have to really be concerned with.

[@queenbunnyfoofoo6112]

One of the best sci-fi movies of all time. Still holds up after all these years!

[@gathasofpersia6432]

Can you imagine if Disney remade the movie today? UGH. I just threw up on my keyboard.

[@graemekeable8461]

What a superb film this is. It's withstood the test of time and remains relevant today

[@kkampy4052]

Loved all of those flying saucers movies, Earth vs the Flying Saucers for example.

[@billreyna1355]

Classic in every sense of the word.

[@Nacho-Mamma]

The simplicity of the entire scene is what makes it memorable. What puts it at the top of the list of sci-fi/ufo movies of this era is THE SHADOW! Most would focus on making the craft land, and overlook the little touches to make it more believable. But, not here. As the ship passed over, descends and lands, the shadow is in constant motion until it is directly underneath the craft at touchdown. So, it is the little touches that actually makes this version outshine the Keanu Reeves remake of 2007. And, it's the sci-fi classic that so many others failed to even simulate. This is one movie that will never ware out it's welcome in home theaters worldwide.

[@jamesphalen7154]

My second favorite film of all time. So creative.

[@Tirana44]

This is definitely one of the best saucer sounds there is, right up there with the Jupiter 2.

[@sandramorey2529]

Saw this in school when I was 12. Loved it then and love it now. Beautiful anti war message, which resonated with a lot of us because we were in Korea then and it was the beginning of the Nuclear Arms Race. Klaatu barada nictu.

[@oliviawutam]

sandra, do you remember Why you were there? I wonder protecting the US at a 15,000 miles away?

[@slaughterhouse5585]

@@oliviawutam Ask a South Korean about that.

[@clevlandblock]

1951 was a good year for movies...A Christmas Carol (best version), Strangers On A Train, Decision Before Dawn, The Enforcer (Bogart crime drama) and this. The saucer sound effects, I believe, are from a hydroelectric dam turbine generator.

[@jy9291]

I like how at the precise moment the saucer lands, it instantly becomes perfectly silent. That is "other-worldly".

[@michaelschramm1064]

Silence says so much more than a “roar”.

[@frankmoyer5822]

It was magical watching SciFi movies on black and white TV on a snowy winter day in the sixties

[@kt9166]

Brilliant direction by Robert Wise, classic score by Bernard Herrmann. Gort! Baringa!

[@williamjc7195]

this movie, forbidden planet, and 2001. my favs.

[@dekelittle6004]

Definitely the Best. I’m 70 now and l still love this movie today. I bought it!!!!z

[@rneedham667]

I'm 68 saw this movie many times when i was a kid. I always loved scifi and still do.

[@MattMcIrvin]

Baseball diamonds on the Ellipse! For DC folk, there's another flying-saucer moment that I've always thought was truly spectacular--the saucer crashing into Union Station in Earth vs. the Flying Saucers (1956).

[@robertballuumm730]

Still one of my all time favourite films.

[@davidschmidt9339]

I like the way they showed the shadow of the saucer as it touched down. Excellent

[@michaelfink64]

I love this film. Many of the lessons are still relevant today.

[@topcats78]

A brilliant opening for the best sci fi film of the fifties. The ominous sound of the saucers power getting louder and louder as it gets closer to Washington is really impressive. Its a great sound effect. Then we have the actual visual of the craft as it passes over the city. Glowing brightly with energy. The sound and the visual combined makes the viewer believe they are witnessing a huge craft of enormous power and energy - the like never seen or heard before. If I heard that sound I think I would be finding somewhere to hide.

[@gringo4x4do]

I like the shadow from the ship as it lands , much detail in this movie

[@slaughterhouse5585]

Ringo Clark Good eye for details!

[@jasondaniel918]

A day and time when TV news reporters were real journalists, not editorializers or propagandists.

[@jeffbogue5022]

Totally true

[@stooge81]

You advertised "The best flying saucer arrival in cinematic history" and you delivered "The best flying saucer arrival in cinematic history". Thank you.

[@PositivelyNegativeOfficial]

The best thing about this film is how it so perfectly showcases humanity’s inability to see past the immediate reaction of fear. It’s that fear which drives us to make irrational decisions, go to war, sow violence, and is the very reason we will doom ourselves. The film makes this abundantly clear and the fact that there’s no sequel is the icing on the cake. Because “the choice is yours”.

[@toyman9642]

This great movie was on TCM last week. I watched it yet again. The film is "top notch" and still "holds up." When the re-make was released I watched about 15 minutes. That was enough. Absolutely terrible when compared to this 1951 Michael Rennie version.

[@KindCountsDeb3773]

I agree, but I think when a lot of us saw it as kids, it was new, amazing. By the time the new remake came out, we had seen too much and it was not amazing.

[@slaughterhouse5585]

@@KindCountsDeb3773 I think the remake sucked simply because it sucked.

[@michelleregis6181]

great scene... from a great film !

[@gilwood7530]

This movie was so well done , its a pure classic

[@andyhowlett2231]

One of the best 'flying saucer' movies of the period, perhaps of any period. It's well made and shows a mature attitude to the issues raised.

[@jaycee3718]

1951: people ran and panicked 2021: people taking selfies with their smartphones

[@rickhobson3211]

One of the two smartest SF films from the 50s, the other being Forbidden Planet.

[@jamesalexander5623]

Yes! .... Of Course Forbidden Planet had a good inspiration .... Shakespeare's The Tempest!

[@billyjack4772]

When The Earth Stood Still. Still a classic and one of the best beginnings of a scifi movie.

[@juliofernandez862]

Yes, is the greatest science fiction movie ever made to this day. The new remake movie 2008 with all the technology does not hold even come close. The 1951 version is still the champion.

[@wesleycook7687]

Much better movie than the sorry Keanu Reeves remake. At least this one has a great story and actors.

[@shermankelly9062]

@Wesley Cook Not to mention a cinema classic Wes.

[@lorensims4846]

Aw, and here I thought it might be "Earth vs. the Flying Saucers." Well, this one certainly is a better movie.

[@dalethelander3781]

Harryhausen still gets an "A" for effort.

[@MattMcIrvin]

That DC Union Station shot though....

[@katazack]

One of my favorites as a kid, but not very good, unfortunately.

[@Big73Bang]

This was mind-blowing to show something like this happening even for 1951!

[@pmajudge]

LOVE THAT HUMMING OF THE U.F.O. GREAT MUSIC & SUSPENSE !!! " THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL " MUST BE THE VERY BEST SCI-FI EVER !!!!! FROM (2021).