The Monster That Challenged the World (1957) 5.6
Giant mollusk monsters attack California. Director:Arnold Laven |
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The Monster That Challenged the World (1957) 5.6
Giant mollusk monsters attack California. Director:Arnold Laven |
|
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| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Tim Holt | ... |
Lt. Cmdr. John 'Twill' Twillinger
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| Audrey Dalton | ... |
Gail MacKenzie
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| Hans Conried | ... |
Dr. Jess Rogers
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Harlan Warde | ... |
Lt. Robert 'Clem' Clemens
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| Max Showalter | ... |
Dr. Tad Johns
(as Casey Adams)
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Mimi Gibson | ... |
Sandy MacKenzie
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Gordon Jones | ... |
Sheriff Josh Peters
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Marjorie Stapp | ... |
Connie Blake
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Dennis McCarthy | ... |
George Blake (lab assistant)
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Barbara Darrow | ... |
Jody Simms
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Robert Benevides | ... |
Seaman Morty Beatty
(as Bob Beneveds)
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Michael Dugan | ... |
Clarke
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Mack Williams | ... |
Capt. Masters
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Wallace Earl | ... |
Sally
(as Eileen Harley)
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Jody McCrea | ... |
Seaman Fred Johnson
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An earthquake in the Salton Sea unleashes a horde of prehistoric mollusk monsters. Discovering the creatures, a Naval officer and several scientists attempt to stop the monsters, but they escape into the canal system of the California's Imperial Valley and terrorize the populace. Written by Jeremy Lunt <durlinlunt@acadia.net>
I found this film about giant snails on the loose in the Salton sea area slightly better than most programmer monster films of the late 1950's. The giant snails are a believable menace in that they are presented as no more dangerous than any other large aquatic predator such a shark or crocodile. They put a fight but can be killed with several well aimed shots from a pistol or a heavy axe. The real danger as pointed in the film, is that snails are extremely fecund, and if they were to enter the ocean , they could reproduce in enormous numbers thus creating ecological havoc. Anyone who has ever had a fish tank knows once you introduce one tiny snail, in a matter of couple of weeks you have hundreds. One odd aspect everyone seems to comment on is that snails look like caterpillars in snail shells. There is a type of aquatic insect larva that uses a discarded snail shell as armour, much like a hermit crab does. Perhaps someone involved with the film had seen these insect larvae and mistook them for snails.