Gorgo (1961)

User Rating:

5.3/10   

Director:

Eugène Lourié

Writers (WGA):

Robert L. Richards (screen story) (originally as John Loring) and
Daniel James (screen story) (originally as Daniel Hyatt) ...

Release Date:

29 March 1961 (USA)

Genre:

Sci-Fi

Tagline:

Neither Bombs, Bullets, Jets or Rockets Can Stop Gorgo...But This Little Boy Knew His Secret!

Plot:

A salvage vessle is nearly sunk off the Irish coast by an undersea earthquake. A few nights later, a...

Plot Keywords:

London | Monster | Sea Monster | Mythological Reference | Colonel

Cast

Bill Travers	...	Joe Ryan
William Sylvester	...	Sam Slade
Vincent Winter	...	Sean
Christopher Rhodes	...	McCartin
Joseph O'Conor	...	Professor Hendricks
Bruce Seton	...	Professor Flaherty
Martin Benson	...	Dorkin
Maurice Kaufmann	...	Radio Reporter
Basil Dignam	...	Admiral Brooks
Barry Keegan	...	Mate
Tommy Duggan	...	First Naval Officer
Howard Lang	...	First Colonel
Dervis Ward	...	Bosun

Runtime:

78 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Finland:(Banned) (original rating) | Finland:K-12 (re-rating) | Sweden:15 | UK:PG | USA:Unrated | UK:X (original rating)

Filming Locations:

Coliemore Harbour, Dublin, County Dublin, Ireland

Company:

King Brothers Productions

Trivia:

The film had its London Premiere on 27 October 1961 at the London Pavilion, the theater seen in the scene where Gorgo is being driven through Piccadilly Circus, and was double-billed with My World Dies Screaming (1958). It went on its suburban London release on the ABC circuit on 27 November 1961.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: When using the "flame throwers" on the baby monster, you can see the gas line running down the inside guy's pants legs and trailing behind them.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Making of 'Jurassic Park' (1995) (V)

Underrated Monster Classic

For some reason, most non-Godzilla giant monster films are looked down upon by IMDB reviewers. Gorgo, the "English Godzilla", tears apart London in this film that is just as entertaining, and perhaps even more so, than the original Godzilla. Both the infant and adult Gorgo's look fantastic, and the human actors, while somewhat bland, aren't terrible and don't detract much from the movie. Also factor in that it's infinitely more interesting when the monuments destroyed are all recognizable, and it's strange to see why this film, especially among sci-fi/monster film fans, isn't more appreciated. Plus, you gotta dig those crazy prehistoric fish (the only part of the film that doesn't really make sense)!