20 Million Miles to Earth (1957)

The first U.S. spaceship to Venus crash-lands off the coast of Sicily on its return trip. A dangerous, lizard-like creature comes with it and quickly grows gigantic.

Director:

Nathan Juran

Writers:

Robert Creighton Williams (screenplay), Christopher Knopf (screenplay),

Stars:

William Hopper, Joan Taylor, Frank Puglia

Cast

Complete credited cast:
William Hopper	...	Col. Robert Calder
Joan Taylor	...	Marisa Leonardo
Frank Puglia	...	Dr. Leonardo
John Zaremba	...	Dr. Judson Uhl
Thomas Browne Henry	...	Maj. Gen. A.D. McIntosh (as Thomas B. Henry)
Tito Vuolo	...	Commissario Charra
Jan Arvan	...	Signore Contino - Government Official
Arthur Space	...	Dr. Sharman
Bart Braverman	...	Pepe (as Bart Bradley)

Storyline

The first spaceship to visit Venus crash lands in the sea, freeing a small native Venusian creature called the Ymir. Eventually growing to enormous size, it threatens the city of Rome.

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Plot Keywords:

venusian | military | alien | sicily | astronaut | 

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Taglines:

Space nightmares!

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Genres:

Fantasy | Horror | Sci-Fi

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

June 1957 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Giant Ymir

Filming Locations:

Hyperion Water Treatment Facility - 12000 Vista Del Mar, Playa del Rey, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures Corporation, Morningside Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

82 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Ray Harryhausen's original design for the monster was a giant cyclops, similar to the one he later used in The 7th Voyage of Sinbad. He discarded the idea after making a clay model of it, and eventually settled on the reptilian Ymir.

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Goofs

During the fight between the Ymir and the elephant, there is a tight shot of three men hiding behind a pillar of the viaduct. When the two animals get close, the turn and flee, one of them falling backwards, and another tripping over him. In a wider shot scene a few seconds later we see the same pillar, the same men run up to it, hide and watch the fight as before then turn and run, as before, tripping over each other. It's then same shot used two times closer/farther perspectives.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Mondello: Pepe! Is it your desire that the fishes, they swim away? Come on! Pull up on the net, here.

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Connections

Featured in The Charmings: Incredible Shrinking Prince (1987)

User Reviews

More excellent work from Ray Harryhausen

Ray Harryhausen always wanted to film a monster movie in Europe and he got his chance with 20 Million Miles to Earth.

A spacecraft returning from a trip to Venus crashes into the sea just off the coast of Italy. Local fishermen rescue two of the occupants who are still alive just before it sinks. One of them dies just after and the other is taken to a local hospital. Then, a small boy finds a canister containing a strange jelly substance and takes it to a visiting circus to see what it is. The owner of the circus takes charge of the jelly and a strange creature, the Ymir emerges from it. The following day, the Ymir has grown into a giant and it escapes and goes on the rampage, eventually ending up in Rome. The Military are called to try and capture it, but fail. While in Rome, the Ymir is put in the zoo as a tourist attraction, but it escapes from there, fights and kills an elephant and climbs the Colosseum, where he gets shot down and killed.

This is Harryhausen's personal favourite movie and he has a cameo appearance in the zoo sequence. As well as the Ymir, the elephant is also done in stop-motion.

The movie stars 50's sci fi regulars William Hopper (The Deadly Mantis) and Joan Taylor (Earth vs. the Flying Saucers).

This movie is one the better monster movies of the 50's and one of my favourites.

Rating: 4 stars out of 5.