IMDb > The Monster That Challenged the World (1957)
The Monster That Challenged the World
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The Monster That Challenged the World (1957) More at IMDbPro »

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Overview

User Rating:
5.6/10   1,005 votes »
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Director:
Arnold Laven
Writers:
David Duncan (story)
Pat Fielder
Contact:
View company contact information for The Monster That Challenged the World on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
June 1957 (USA) See more »
Genre:
Horror | Sci-Fi See more »
Tagline:
Crawling up from the depths... to terrify and torture! See more »
Plot:
Giant mollusk monsters attack California. Full summary » | Add synopsis »
Plot Keywords:
See more »
NewsDesk:
(5 articles)
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User Reviews:
The Monster That Challenged the World (1957) *** See more (63 total) »

Cast

  (in credits order) (verified as complete)
Tim Holt ... Lt. Cmdr. John 'Twill' Twillinger
Audrey Dalton ... Gail MacKenzie
Hans Conried ... Dr. Jess Rogers
Harlan Warde ... Lt. Robert 'Clem' Clemens
Max Showalter ... Dr. Tad Johns (as Casey Adams)
Mimi Gibson ... Sandy MacKenzie
Gordon Jones ... Sheriff Josh Peters
Marjorie Stapp ... Connie Blake
Dennis McCarthy ... George Blake (lab assistant)
Barbara Darrow ... Jody Simms
Robert Benevides ... Seaman Morty Beatty (as Bob Beneveds)
Michael Dugan ... Clarke
Mack Williams ... Capt. Masters
Wallace Earl ... Sally (as Eileen Harley)
Jody McCrea ... Seaman Fred Johnson
William Swan ... Seaman Howard Sanders
Charles Tannen ... Seaman Wyatt (radioman)
Byron Kane ... Coroner Nate Brown
Hal Taggart ... Davis, the resort owner
Gil Frye ... Deputy Scotty
Dan Gachman ... Deputy Brewer
Milton Parsons ... Lewis Clark Dobbs
Ralph Moody ... Watchman at Lock 57
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
John Carlyle ... Monster Victim (uncredited)
John Close ... Deputy Larry (uncredited)
William Forrest ... Admiral Greenhouse (uncredited)
Joseph Hamilton ... The Other Lock Watchman (uncredited)
Charles Herbert ... Boy with Morty's Cap (uncredited)
Ralph Littlefield ... Gatekeeper (uncredited)

David McMahon ... Patterson (uncredited)
Sarah Selby ... Mrs. Simms, Jody's mother (uncredited)
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Directed by
Arnold Laven 
 
Writing credits
David Duncan (story)

Pat Fielder 

Produced by
Arthur Gardner .... producer
Jules V. Levy .... producer
 
Original Music by
Heinz Roemheld 
 
Cinematography by
Lester White 
 
Film Editing by
John Faure  (as John D. Faure)
 
Casting by
Kerwin Coughlin 
 
Art Direction by
James Dowell Vance  (as James Vance)
 
Set Decoration by
Rudy Butler 
 
Makeup Department
Abe Haberman .... makeup artist
Olga Collings .... hair stylist (uncredited)
 
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Paul Stader .... underwater unit director
Maurice Vaccarino .... assistant director
 
Sound Department
Charles Althouse .... sound recordist
Joel Moss .... sound recordist
B.F. Remmington .... sound recordist (uncredited)
 
Special Effects by
Robert H. Crandall .... special effects photographer
Ted Haworth .... special effects design (as Edward S. Haworth)
Augie Lohman .... special effects (as August Lohman)
 
Camera and Electrical Department
Scotty Welbourne .... photographer: underwater unit (as Charles S. Welborn)
Paul Eagler .... process photographer (uncredited)
 
Costume and Wardrobe Department
Allan Sloane .... wardrobe supervisor (uncredited)
 
Music Department
Heinz Roemheld .... conductor (uncredited)
 
Other crew
Norman Bishop .... underwater technical advisor
Virginia Mazzuca .... production assistant
Harlan Warde .... dialogue director
Pat Fielder .... production assistant (uncredited)
 
Crew verified as complete


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Additional Details

Also Known As:
See more »
Parents Guide:
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Runtime:
83 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Color:
Black and White
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 See more »
Sound Mix:
Mono (Western Electric Recording)
Certification:
West Germany:12 (nf) | USA:Approved (PCA #18376) | USA:G (re-rating) (1970) | Finland:K-12 | Sweden:15
Filming Locations:
Barstow, California, USASee more »
Company:
Gramercy Pictures (II)See more »

Did You Know?

Trivia:
The majority of the underwater scenes were shot at Catalina Island off the coast of Los Angeles. The close-ups were later filmed in a tank filled with water and plastic sea-weed.See more »
Goofs:
Errors in geography: The shoreline scenes show breaking surf. The Salton Sea is a lake where the waves never get more than a few inches high, even in a high wind.See more »
Quotes:
Dr. Jess Rogers:From the instant they're born, they're hungry.See more »
Movie Connections:
Featured in Monsterama Sci-Fi Late Night Creature Feature Show Vol. 1 (1996) (V)See more »

FAQ

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User Reviews

   (Review this title)
25 out of 27 people found the following review useful.
The Monster That Challenged the World (1957) ***, 9 January 2005
Author: JoeKarlosi from U.S.A.

This rates up there as one of the better "giant monsters wreak havoc on mankind" movies that came out of the 1950s. The predators this time are overgrown snails/mollusks/caterpillar-like creatures that awaken from the pits of the Salton Sea after an earthquake shakes things up and charges them full of radiation. These monsters may appear of the dime store variety to those who aren't used to these "big bug" pictures, but actually they're pretty believable for a movie like this.

Some of the assets setting this feature apart from its relatives would be the serious treatment of the story, some good acting and characters (it's fun watching Hans Conried as the knowledgeable scientist), and a few impressive pre-JAWS ocean scenes (one of the female victims meets a fateful watery demise, for example). Also adding to the effectiveness are some creepy ravaged corpses, the likes of which weren't usually this prominent back in the day.

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