It Came From Beneath the Sea

A US nuclear submarine on patrol is attacked by an unknown object, but just manages to escape. Tissue remains from the attacker indicate a giant squid: It has been driven out of its habitat in the Philippine Trench by nuclear tests and is radioactively contaminated. While traces of the monster are still being searched for, it is already attacking San Francisco. Ray Harryhausen, the king of stop-motion animation, had caused a sensation in 1953 with the Godzilla prequel The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms, and producer Charles H. Schneer brought him to Columbia, where they enjoyed success together. The foundation was laid with It Came From Beneath the Sea, another monster film that became an influential genre model precisely because of its artlessly presented framework story in cheap B-picture style: For Harryhausen's fantastic animation technique stands out particularly impressively, especially in the furious finale where the gigantic octopus begins to dismantle the big city including the Golden Gate Bridge. (Christoph Huber)


Photo: Österreichisches Filmmuseum