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The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms
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The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms (1953) More at IMDbPro »

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Overview

User Rating:
6.6/10   1,669 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
No change in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Writers:
Contact:
View company contact information for The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
13 June 1953 (USA) more
Genre:
Tagline:
It's alive ! more
Plot:
A ferocious dinosaur awakened by an Arctic atomic test terrorizes the North Atlantic and ultimately New York City. full summary | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
Awards:
1 nomination more
User Reviews:
One of the All-Time Greats more (66 total)

Cast

  (in credits order) (verified as complete)
Paul Hubschmid ... Professor Tom Nesbitt (as Paul Christian)
Paula Raymond ... Lee Hunter
Cecil Kellaway ... Prof. Thurgood Elson
Kenneth Tobey ... Col. Jack Evans
Donald Woods ... Capt. Phil Jackson
Lee Van Cleef ... Cpl. Stone
Steve Brodie ... Sgt. Loomis
Ross Elliott ... George Ritchie
Jack Pennick ... Jacob Bowman
Ray Hyke ... Sgt. Willistead
Paula Hill ... Miss Nelson (as Mary Hill)
Michael Fox ... ER Doctor
Alvin Greenman ... 1st Radar Man
Frank Ferguson ... Dr. Morton
King Donovan ... Dr. Ingersoll
rest of cast listed alphabetically:

Vera Miles ... Announcer in trailer (scenes deleted)
Paul Picerni ... Announcer in trailer (scenes deleted)
Fred Aldrich ... Radio Operator (uncredited)

James Best ... Charlie - Radar man (uncredited)
Edward Clark ... Lighthouse Keeper (uncredited)
Louise Colombet ... Nun / Nurse (uncredited)

Robert Easton ... Deckhand (uncredited)
Roy Engel ... Maj. Evans (uncredited)
Franklyn Farnum ... Ballet-Goer (uncredited)
Bess Flowers ... Ballet-Goer (uncredited)

Joe Gray ... Longshoreman (uncredited)

Merv Griffin ... Radio Announcer (uncredited) (voice)
Kenner G. Kemp ... Cop with Rifle (uncredited)
Vivian Mason ... Miss Ryan - Secretary (uncredited)
Lee Phelps ... Cop (uncredited)
Hugh Prosser ... Doctor (uncredited)
William Woodson ... Radio Announcer (uncredited)
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Directed by
Eugène Lourié 
 
Writing credits
(in alphabetical order)
Ray Bradbury  story "The Fog Horn"
Fred Freiberger  writer
Daniel James  uncredited
Eugène Lourié  writer
Lou Morheim  writer (as Louis Morheim)
Robert Smith  writer

Produced by
Bernard W. Burton .... co-producer
Hal E. Chester .... co-producer
Jack Dietz .... producer
 
Original Music by
David Buttolph 
 
Cinematography by
John L. Russell  (as Jack Russell)
 
Film Editing by
Bernard W. Burton 
 
Production Design by
Eugène Lourié 
 
Set Decoration by
Edward G. Boyle 
 
Makeup Department
Louis Phillipi .... makeup artist
 
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Horace Hough .... assistant director
 
Art Department
Hal Waller .... assistant art director
 
Sound Department
George Groves .... sound
Max M. Hutchinson .... sound
 
Special Effects by
Willis Cook .... special effects
Ray Harryhausen .... animation effects
George Lofgren .... special effects
Eugène Lourié .... special effects
 
Stunts
Gil Perkins .... stunts (uncredited)
 
Music Department
Maurice De Packh .... orchestrator
 
Other crew
Michael Fox .... dialogue director
 

Production CompaniesDistributors
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Additional Details

Also Known As:
Monster from Beneath the Sea (USA) (working title)
more
Runtime:
80 min
Country:
Language:
Color:
Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono (RCA Sound System)
Certification:

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
The "Coney Island Amusement Park" in the film is actually The Long Beach Amusement Park in Long Beach, California. The production was able to film at the park from 10 p.m. to 3 a.m. more
Goofs:
Revealing mistakes: (At 62:15) In the scene in which the scared pedestrians are fleeing down the subway steps with the Beast close behind them, one man, in a dark overcoat and lighter hat with dark band, telescopes the collapse of the subway wall and raining debris by raising his arm head high to protect himself *before* the wall collapses. more
Quotes:
Prof. Thurgood Elson: [in the diving bell, to view the monster] This is such a strange feeling, I feel as though I'm leaving a world of untold tomorrows for a world of countless yesterdays. more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in Godzilla (1998) more

FAQ

Is "Clovervield (2008)" based on this?
more
7 out of 7 people found the following review useful.
One of the All-Time Greats, 3 April 2003
Author: Brian Washington (Sargebri@att.net) from Los Angeles, California

This film is not only a great science fiction film, but it is also one of the most influential as well. Within a few years of its release, giant monster films began to pop up from every major studio. Everything from giant ants, tarantulas, praying mantises and gila monsters began to pop up all over the place. But, perhaps its biggest influence was felt in Japan. This film is often sighted as being the main inspiration for Gojira (Godzilla). This film is defintely a classic.

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