Sunday, January 4, 2009

THE MONSTER THAT CHALLENGED THE WORLD / United Artists - 1957 / Music by Heinz Roemheld

We've put this one off long enough... So, tonight's treat is a little classic from 1957, a very good year!!

Music conductor Heinz Roemheld did a lot of uncredited composing for older movie serials that were later edited down, some released as theatrical features in the '50s and '60s, and, of course, they ended up on TV. Here's some of those titles: SATAN'S SATELLITES, MISSILE MONSTERS, PURPLE DEATH FROM OUTER SPACE, PERILS FROM THE PLANET MONGO and DEADLY RAY FROM MARS!

But, for now, here's THAT MONSTER THAT CHALLENGED THAT WORLD!!!

Here's how things worked in the Navy in the fifties... A horrible creature comes out of the sea and bites your head off!!.. So, you scream real loud.

The slacker in the radio room (with an awesome calendar!) hears you loud and clear!

He calls the commander's office and the hot secretary answers the phone...

The commander, played by Tim Holt, finally takes the call and asks... "What do you want me to do about it?!.. He sounded dead, right?!"

WHAT THE?!!..

WHAT THE?!!..

There's Sarah Selby playing Barbara Darrow's mom, one of the most noticible faces on TV at the time!

Both teens end up in the briny deep, a clear warning about being young and stupid!

A diver checks out a monster shell while handsome, there, checks the diver out!!

I think the main message here, is... Just don't get so damn close! Sheesh, they're not that fast!!

One of my favorite stills.

Hans Conried shows the brass some movies of slugs and snails, and puppy dog tails! We love Hans because he was involved with Jay Ward!!!

Believe it, or not, the kid is allowed to play in the room that houses the thing in the tank, and, she actually turns the heat up and that's what allows it to transform and attack!!!

So, when you hear her scream in the sound clip, you can say... "Well, she diserves it!!"

A moment from now, guys come in with rifles to shoot the monster dead, and its... GAME OVER!!

1 comment:

  1. One of the few times a full size monster (as opposed to a miniature or man in a suit) came across half-decently in one of these movies. Not a good movie, but the monster scenes are pretty cool.

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