The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms [Blu-ray]

Director: Eugene Lourie Eugene Lourie

Overview

A longtime "dream" project of production designer-turned-director Eugene Lourie, The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms sees the titular beast unleashed on the world via nuclear testing. Making its way from the Arctic Circle, the monster-a carnivorous "rhedosaurus"-begins advancing towards New York. It stomps its way around Wall Street, pausing to have a policeman for lunch. By the time it has reached Coney Island, the rhedosaurus is more of a danger than ever because of the deadly bacteria it carries within its system. It's up to researcher Paul Christian and sharpshooter Lee Van Cleef to try to liquidate the beast with a grenade chock full of radioactive isotopes. Beast From 20,000 Fathoms represented effects artist Ray Harryhausen's first solo effort, after assisting Willis O'Brien on Mighty Joe Young (1949).

Product Details

Release Date:	10/27/2015
UPC:	0883929458714
Original Release:	1953
Rating:	NR
Source:	Warner Home Video
Presentation:	[B&W]
Sound:	[Dolby Digital Mono]
Language:	English
Time:	1:20:00
Sales rank:	4,991

Special Features

Two documentaries: ; The rhedosaurus and the rollercoaster: making the beast; Harryhausen & Bradbury: an unfathomable friendship; Armatures; Theatrical trailer

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Paul Christian	Prof. Tom Nesbitt
Kenneth Tobey	Col. Jack Evans,Actor
Cecil Kellaway	Elsen
Paula Raymond	Lee
Donald Woods	Jackson
Paul Hubschmid	Tom Nesbitt
Jack Pennick	Jacob
Lee Van Cleef	Cpl. Stone
Steve Brodie	Sgt. Loomis
Ross Elliott	George Ritchie
Ray Hyke	Sgt. Willistead
Mary Hill	Nesbitt's Secretary
Michael Fox	Doctor
Alvin Greenman	Radar Man
Frank Ferguson	Dr. Morton
King Donovan	Dr. Ingersoll
James Best	Radar Man
David Buttolph	Composer

Technical Credits

Eugene Lourie

Lou Morheim

Fred Freiberger

Robert Smith

Eugene Lourie	Director,Screenwriter
Lou Morheim	Screenwriter
Fred Freiberger	Screenwriter
Hal E. Chester	Producer
Jack Dietz	Producer
Bernard W. Burton	Producer
Ray Harryhausen	Special Effects
Willis Cook	Special Effects
Robert Smith	Screenwriter

Editorial Reviews

The first of the "atomic monster" flicks (which reached their apex of popularity with the globally successful Godzilla), The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms lays the groundwork for many of the films that followed in its wake. There's the hero with an incredible story that finds few takers, the atomic explosion that causes a gigantic mutation, the wanton destruction of a significant portion of a city and, of course, the female laboratory assistant that ends up as the hero's true love. It's been done countless times, and so Beast isn't as fresh as it was in 1953; but the film still has an air of simplicity and innocence about its plotting that is rather beguiling. It's all nonsense, of course, but it good clean fun nonsense, and it still is quite engaging. The legendary Ray Harryhausen cut his solo teeth on Beast and while audience used to computer-generated special effects will find them a bit less than realistic, they still make an impact. They also are surprisingly dramatic, one of Harryhausen's strong points: his monsters may lumber, but they lumber in individual ways, with twitches or pauses or small twists that give them a sense of genuine behavior and character. As the hero, Paul Christian is fine, if unspectacular, and the same can be said of Paula Raymond as his paramour. But Kenneth Tobey is solid, and Lee Van Cleef and, especially, Cecil Kellaway, quite good.

All Movie Guide - Craig Butler