The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951) DVD COLORIZED Shown in original aspect ratio Approx. 92 min. Playable in North America (the US, Canada, Mexico, etc.)
Starring: Michael Rennie, Patricia Neal, Frank Conroy, Hugh Marlowe, Sam Jaffe, Billy Gray, Frances Bavier and Lock Martin. Written by Edmund H. North, based on "Farewell to the Master", a 1940 story in Astounding Science-Fiction Magazine by Harry Bates. Directed by Robert Wise.
One morning, in July 1951, people around the world are astonished by the appearance of an unidentified, fast-moving object circling the globe. The object, a large, metallic saucer, lands on the Mall in Washington, D.C., where a crowd quickly gathers. Soldiers surround the saucer, and tension grows until a helmeted man (Michael Rennie) emerges, telling the crowd that he has come in peace. A nervous soldier shoots the man when he brandishes a small object, and people run in terror as an enormous robot lumbers out of the saucer. The robot, Gort (Lock Martin), emits a mysterious ray that melts the soldiers' weapons until the wounded alien, Klaatu, orders him to desist and informs the soldiers that the object was a gift for their president. Klaatu is then rushed to Walter Reed Hospital, where presidential secretary Harley (Frank Conroy) learns that he has traveled over 250,000,000 miles in five months. Klaatu reveals that he must talk to all of Earth's leaders, but Harley explains that due to the unstable political climate, not all of the leaders will consent to meet with one another. Klaatu insists that his mission is too important to be derailed by petty squabbles and warns Harley that the future of the planet is at stake and he must assemble the world's greatest minds to hear his merciful warning and a definitive ultimatum. Is Klaatu the messenger of humanity's doom?
*** This colorized version is rare and wonderful. Very few prints of the colorized version of THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL exist. After an extensive search we found what we believe to be the best one. We are pleased to make this available here on DVD. The quality is not a state-of-the-art re-mastered version - but it is very good and a treasure for those who truly wish to see this wonderful film that Harrison's Reports wrote: "Very good! It is by far the best of the science-fiction pictures yet produced. It holds one's interest undiminished from start to finish and, although the theme is admittedly fantastic, one is made to feel as if he is seeing a real-life occurrence because of the expert handling of the subject matter and the extremely fine special effects work."