The Monster That Challenged the World (1957)

User Rating:

5.4/10   

Director:

Arnold Laven

Writers:

David Duncan (story)
Pat Fielder (writer)

Release Date:

June 1957 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

Crawling up from the depths... to terrify and torture!

Plot:

An earthquake in the Salton Sea unleashes a horde of prehistoric mollusk monsters. Discovering the creatures...

Plot Keywords:

Monster | Scientist | Salton Sea | California | Naval Officer

Cast

Tim Holt	...	Lt. Cmdr. John 'Twill' Twillinger
Audrey Dalton	...	Gail MacKenzie
Hans Conried	...	Dr. Jess Rogers
Harlan Warde	...	Lt. Robert 'Clem' Clemens
Max Showalter	...	Dr. Tad Johns (as Casey Adams)
Mimi Gibson	...	Sandy MacKenzie
Gordon Jones	...	Sheriff Josh Peters
Marjorie Stapp	...	Connie Blake
Dennis McCarthy	...	George Blake (lab assistant)
Barbara Darrow	...	Jody Simms
Robert Benevides	...	Seaman Morty Beatty (as Bob Beneveds)
Michael Dugan	...	Clarke
Mack Williams	...	Capt. Masters
Wallace Earl	...	Sally (as Eileen Harley)
Jody McCrea	...	Seaman Fred Johnson

Runtime:

83 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

West Germany:12 (nf) | USA:Approved (PCA #18376) | USA:G (re-rating) (1970) | Finland:K-12 | Sweden:15

Filming Locations:

Brawley, California, USA

Company:

Gramercy Pictures (I)

Trivia:

The majority of the underwater scenes were shot at Catalina Island off the coast of Los Angeles. The close-ups were later filmed in a tank filled with water and plastic sea-weed.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: Just prior to being attacked the lock keeper's shirt is obviously wet from a previous take.

Quotes:

Dr. Jess Rogers: We must remember that these creatures can travel over land, too.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Bees (1998)

A quality little film

Fairly standard atomic monster fare bolstered considerably by a cool looking monster and a pretty good cast. Also, the script is a bit funnier than usual, without in any way being a parody or farce. It includes more characterization and human interest (in a genuine sort of way) than most such films. In this case, the military must hunt giant mollusks that supposedly can walk on land or swim in water, but we only see it in the water and sticking its head out of the water. Amusing, but dry, fun. Holt holds up well in the lead role, although the years were not kind to his midsection.