The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms (1953)

Directed by Eugène Lourié. Starring Paul Christian, Cecil Kellaway, Paula Raymond, Kenneth Tobey, Donald Woods, Ross Elliott, Lee Van Cleef.

A nuclear bomb test melts ice in the Arctic Circle, freeing an ancient, massive dinosaur that makes its way down the coast toward its old stamping grounds, which is now New York City. Expanded from a Ray Bradbury short story (“The Fog Horn”), the movie kicked off the atomic monster craze of the 1950s, predating even Them! and Godzilla. As one would expect, dialogue and performances generate little beyond the occasional chuckle (Christian’s Swiss accent modulates in intensity throughout); opportunity for suspense is blown by revealing the monster far too quickly. Of course, the reason to watch is for Ray Harryhausen’s stop-motion effects, which still look terrific even today and make the film worthwhile, even if the viewer is better served skipping through the banal human interaction scenes.

56/100