Warner Bros released The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms on 13 June 1953.
Ray Harryhausen was, for the first time, in charge of the special effects. He worked on earlier films, But he was in charge of the special effects here. It was also the first film to use Dynamation. He invented the technique. It combines stop-motion animation live action footage. Not surprisingly, this is the only part of the film that doesn’t really hold up. Harryhausen improved the technique in later films.
Godzilla (released the following year) could almost be called a remake of the film. Sadly, Harryhausen spent the next six decades bitching about this. But when I say it, I mean that the stories are very similar. He meant the monster effects. And it’s sad because they are totally different. Beast uses stop-motion animation. Godzilla uses a man in a monster suit. And today, everyone knows who Ray Harryhausen is and no one knows the names of anyone on the team that created Godzilla.
Interestingly, my favorite bit in The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms isn’t animated at all. There is actual footage of a shark and an octopus fighting. It’s horrible. But it’s impressive. I’m just glad that Harryhausen isn’t around to hear me say it!
I prefer the story of Beast to either of the original Godzilla films. I’m very fond of 1950s science fiction that makes scientists the heroes. And this one includes a lady scientist. (Sadly, in the last act, she just stands around looking pretty in a beret.) The film is also most interested in the main character convincing everyone that he really did see a monster. After he does, everything is okay. That was in the days when people solved problems rather than pretending they didn’t exist.
If you haven’t seen The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms, I highly recommend it. Here is a great print!
Other 13 June Anniversaries
Filmmakers
- Basil Rathbone (1892-1967): Actor known especially for the iconic Sherlock Holmes film series.
- Paul Lynde (1926-1982): Comedian known mostly for game shows but also Uncle Arthur on Bewitched.
- Malcolm McDowell (1943-): Actor known for many things but especially A Clockwork Orange.
- Stellan Skarsgård (1951-): Actor in The Hunt for Red October.
- Richard Thomas (1951-): Actor in Battle Beyond the Stars and It.
- Ally Sheedy (1962-): Brat Pack actor in WarGames and The Breakfast Club.
Films
- Forbidden Planet (1956): The Tempest in space!
- Jack the Giant Killer (1962): A knight protects a princess against an evil magician.
- Jason and the Argonauts (1963): Jason looks for the Golden Fleece.
- The Children (1980): Children turn into zombies.
- Maniac Cop 2 (1991): Now he’s working for the criminals.
- A Tale of Two Sisters (2003): South Korean folk horror about two sisters.
- The Happening (2008): Something in the wind causes people to become suicidal.
The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms (1953) poster via Wikipedia under Fair Use.
