Top 250 Challenge: 136

The Day The Earth Stood Still (1951)

Number 238 on IMDb's Top 250
Nominated by Anonymous Ken

A flying saucer orbits the 1950s Earth. It lands in Washington, D.C. on the Mall. The lone occupant steps out and is shot by a jumpy soldier. Gort, a large and very powerful robot appears to save him. He is able to melt tanks with the slightest bit of his power. The wounded alien orders Gort to stop and is taken to a hospital from which he escapes in order to learn more about this planet, even moving in as a boarder with an Earth family. When they begin to suspect him, he reveals himself, along with his mission, to warn Earth's leaders not to take their conflicts into space, or they will face lethal consequences. Hilarity ensues.

Trivia: Patricia Neal has admitted in interviews that she was completely unaware during the filming that the film would turn out so well and become one of the great science-fiction classics of all time. She assumed it would be just another one of the then-current and rather trashy flying saucer films that were popular at the time, and she found it difficult to keep a straight face while saying her lines.

Classic, classic science fiction at it's best, with a simple straight forward story and a simple message. The story was really an allagory of the political situation at the time. Very good movie. Thanks Ken.