Beast from 20,000 Fathoms

 

 

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This was Ray Harryhausen's first major film work and to me his Rhedosaurus,aka The Beast,is arguably his most finest work.It is a simple and straight forward stop motion presentation that works perfectly,and actually serves to elevate a rather tepid story.
It involves a group of scientists who venture to the North Pole to observe and take measurements of an atomic bomb test.As they check their their device stations post-blast,one of the group hears and spies a huge dinosaur wandering the area.Injured he calls for help and is rescued by a Prof.Nesbit(Paul Hubscmhid/Christian) who also briefly spots the beast.Colonel Evans(Keith Tobey well known from The Thing)does not believe the story as well as Dr Elson(well known character actor Cecil Kellaway),back in New York.
When stories of boat sinkings start popping up along the Atlantic coast Prof.Nesbitts' story finally gets credibility.In fact Dr Elson takes a bathysphere down into the Hudson River Trench off of NYC to see if the creature has returned to that area(skeletons of a dinosaur matching the beasts description were found there).The beast has indeed returned there and Dr.Elson becomes a mid morning snack for the creature.Eventually the beast checks out the environs of the Big Apple spilling its' blood as it meets with stiff resistance from the local police and armed forces.They soon learn the beasts' blood carries a virulent strain of bacteria that along with the beast himself,is dropping people like flies.
When the beast arrives at Coney Island to check out the roller coaster there,the professor gets the idea to shoot a radioactive dart into the creature at the top of the ride,which they do.Amidst an engulfing fire the creature writhes and finally dies in agony.The world is saved.
On paper the story is a good one but in execution(direction and acting) it is generally wooden.The best parts of the film are the creature's appearances throughout,and they are spectacular.Its' various journeys through the city are excellently done and worked in seamlessly with the background.This is due to Harryhausen's great and meticulous work.
I would normally give a B-film like this around a three star rating but what bumps this DVD up is first and foremost,the wonderful print they have used.It is generally crisp and clear and a joy to watch.I have never seen it in better condition;a nod to Warner Brothers for such a great job.Second are the nice extras.Along with the usual trailer are two wonderful vignettes.The first one is a nice retrospective on the making of The Beast.The second is a nice interview with the two Ray's,Harryhausen and Bradbury.As you will learn,if you didn't know before,it was their love of dinosaurs(The Lost World,1925,specifically and Willis O'Brien's groundbreaking work),that brought them together those many,many years ago.The interview is in front of a studio audience and took place in 2003.
In conclusion despite The Beast's definite B-movie status,the titles' object of our affection steals every scene that it is in;a case of the special effects being better than the movie they inhabit.In other words because of the quality of Harryhausen's work the film is more memorable than it has a right to be.The print used here is magnificent and the two nice vignettes included definitely elevate this DVD release from a three star to a four.
For the current price this release is a definite steal and I recommend you get your copy today!

It may come as a surprise to many, but Godzilla was not the first ancient "monster" reawakened by the testing of nuclear weapons; in fact, there is reason to believe that Godzilla was influenced to a significant extent by this 1953 classic. Produced on a miniscule budget of some two hundred thousand dollars, The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms features high quality all across the board: an intelligent script, some pretty good acting, and wonderful direction (by first-time director Eugene Lourie) - the film even showcases a rare example of beneficial stock footage. What make it particularly special and memorable, however, are the special effects by Ray Harryhausen, the veritable king of stop-motion animation. Remember the incredible animation of King Kong in the original 1933 film? Well, Harryhausen took those same animation techniques to a whole new level, using actual footage as the backdrops for scenes featuring the beast wreaking havoc in New York City. I actually prefer great stop-motion animation like this to today's CGI, as a Harryhausen beast such as this one seems more real to me.

The story opens in the Arctic Circle, where scientists are conducting nuclear weapons tests. Two scientists go out to check readings, but only one comes back. The survivor is rushed to a hospital in the States, and as soon as he is awake he starts telling people about the gigantic dinosaur he saw before he collapsed in the snow. Not surprisingly, no one believes his story. As a scientist, though, Tom Nesbitt (Paul Hubschmid) knows that what he saw was real. After hearing the account of a fishing boat up north being attacked by a "sea serpent," he goes to see Professor Thurgood Elson (Cecil Kellaway), one of the most renowned paleontologists in the world, but the professor refuses to believe the impossible. The same goes for all of Nesbitt's superiors, who dismiss his "hallucination" as a mere product of shock. Dr. Elson's assistant, Lee Hunter (Paula Raymond), is a little more sympathetic to Nesbitt's account (and not only because she's obviously attracted to him), though, and the two of them work to gather the proof needed to convince others of the prehistoric creature's existence.

Don't ask me how a cold-blooded reptile, no matter how large he is, can possibly survive the freezing temperatures of the Arctic for very long or how he can stay under water for as long as he wants without breathing. Just know that this beast, identified as a Rhedosaurus (not a real dinosaur, so don't bother looking it up), does these things - and he comes ashore in New York City about the same time that Nesbitt finally manages to get anyone important to believe his story. New York's finest quickly learn that standard guns and ammo just aren't going to work, and things only get worse when scientists discover that the creature's newly-shed blood is potentially even more dangerous than the physical destruction the beast leaves in his wake. The final showdown, which takes place at Coney Island, is actually rather sad and tragic, especially for those of us who sympathize with the beast.

The only thing I don't like about this film is the fact that it identifies Ray Bradbury as one of the writers. It just so happened that one scene in the film ended up sounding a lot like a scene from one of Bradbury's stories ("The Foghorn"), and so the studio bought the rights to it - to avoid a possible lawsuit, one must assume. It's also no secret that Bradbury and Harryhausen were good friends. My point, though, is that any reference to this film being written by Bradbury is a vast overstatement. In practical terms, he did little more than read over the script and remark that one scene sounded like a scene in one of his stories.

The bottom line is that The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms is one of the best - and certainly one of the most influential - monster movies ever made, and I find it regrettable that it gets far less attention than the monsters and monster movies that came after it. Despite (and in many ways because of) its comparatively small budget, The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms more than deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as Godzilla.

This film has all the 50's Sci-Fi standards except the flame thrower. We start off with a narrative that shows an atomic test taking place in the frozen north. Two people go out to take readings after the test. One does not come back and the other is delusional, talking of a monster. Naturally he needs curing and is almost well with a female paleontologist starts to believe him and offers to let him eat her sandwiches and look at mug shots of mobsters past. Can the authorities be convinced before it is too late?

Yes I know most people watched this movie because it has Lee Van Cleef playing a pivotal role. Yet we should not forget the many other familiar character actors that make this a true 50's monster picture. First there is that cute little monster himself curtseys of Ray Harryhausen; when he pushes over a lighthouse I can only think of one of my cats. He had the same mischievous look. Then there is Paula Raymond who has been in every TV play from "77 Sunset Strip" to several "Perry Mason's." Not to mention Cecil Kellaway, Dr. Chumley in Harvey (1950). Kenneth Tobey as Captain Patrick Hendry in "The Thing From Another World" (1951). There are way too many to mention here; so you will just have to watch for yourself.

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3.0 out of 5 stars Middling sci-fi adventure
This film is an okay horror entry that packed a wallop in 1953 but is rather tame by today's standards. Read more

Published on Jun 5 2004

5.0 out of 5 stars A Note about the reviews...
The film's great; no two ways; a classic of the genre for sure. But folks, just as an FYI: To "review" a film means to give your opinion about it and to touch on a scene... Read more

Published on April 30 2004 by nom-de-nick

5.0 out of 5 stars The Beast RULES!
When I was a kid growing up in New Hampshire the only TV station we could get was WCAX from Burlington VT. Read more

Published on April 25 2004 by Terence M. Hines

5.0 out of 5 stars terrific stop-animation from genius Ray Harryhausen
Featuring the remarkable animation of Ray Harryhausen and based on a short story by Ray Bradbury, this 1953 film has been re-released and should bring pleasure to Harryhausen fans... Read more

Published on April 14 2004 by audrey

5.0 out of 5 stars 50-Ton Lizard Hits NYC! Details At 11...
Ray Harryhausen's masterpiece is a fun-filled monster fiesta! The beast arises after one of our top secret A-bomb tests wakes it from cryogenic slumber, under tons of ice at the... Read more

Published on Mar 26 2004 by Bindy Sue Frønkünschtein

4.0 out of 5 stars Prehistoric sea-giant rages against city!
Based on a story by Ray Bradbury, The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms (1953) was directed by Eugène Lourié and serves nicely as the first real showcase of technical... Read more

Published on Feb 25 2004 by cookieman108

5.0 out of 5 stars A Beastly Classic in Glorious Black and White
I seen this movie as a kid on late afternoon TV many years ago. That giant dinosaur scared the crap out of me way back then, but for some reason, every time "Beast" was... Read more

Published on Feb 23 2004 by Melvin Ah Ching

5.0 out of 5 stars The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms
What can I say about this movie that hasn't already been said? It's stop-motion animation and Ray Harryhausen at his best. Read more

Published on Feb 14 2004 by Richard Hinson

5.0 out of 5 stars Godzilla's Anceaster
This movie is not a very famous movie. The thing is it should be. The story's about a group of scientists that head to the artic to explore the poler icecaps. Read more

Published on Jan 16 2004

4.0 out of 5 stars Groundbreaking Fantasy
The first giant rampaging monster of all time is probably the brontosaurus from "Lost World" (1925). Read more

Published on Jan 14 2004 by John Gentile

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