THE MONSTER THAT CHALLENGED THE WORLD (1957)

[The Burgomaster]

This is another one of the "Midnight Movies" double feature DVDs that I bought.  The other movie on the disc is IT: THE TERROR FROM BEYOND SPACE.

THE MONSTER THAT CHALLENGED THE WORLD takes place at a naval base (the "base" consists of 1 office, 1 lab, about 8 sailors, and 3 or 4 women . . . I guess the government had cutbacks on military funding or something).

Anyway, radiation in the Salton Sea causes snails to grow to huge proportions.  When they start sucking the fluids out of the locals, the navy becomes concerned.  

The navy captures a huge egg and brings it to scientist Hans Conreid (who provided voices for many 1960s cartoons, including "Fractured Fairytales").  Hans places it in a tank of water in his lab, but keeps the temperature low so that the egg won't hatch.  Of course, neither he nor the navy feel that ANY TYPE OF SECURITY WHATSOEVER IS NECESSARY, so they just leave the door unlocked and let a little girl play in the lab when no one else is there.  There are some cages of rabbits in the lab and the little girl decides that the lab is too cold for her furry friends.  So she turns up the thermostat on the tank with the egg in it, and . . . need I say more?

This is one of many "monsters unleashed by radiation" movies from the 1950s.  But it's fairly entertaining and should please most B-movie fans.

[Scott]

I've been wanting to see this one for a while.

 It will be playing on FLIX Sept. 21 5pm Eastern time.

[trekgeezer]

Tim Holt vs the sea slugs from hell.  Pretty good flick with the  usual holes in the logic of most 50's  monster movies.  At  least this one has a real  mechanical model of the monsters.



Post Edited (08-30-04 11:32)

[Dave Munger]

I think Zontar The Thing From Venus is almost exactly the same movie.

[The Burgomaster]

Dave:

Actually, you're thinking of IT CONQUERED THE WORLD, which is basically the same as ZONTAR.

[Bargle5]

I watched this a few times as a kid. Scared the crap out of me back then.

[Dave Munger]

Man, I've got to start taking better notes!

[Flangepart]

I like this one.
Tim Holt and Hans Conried are good, solid B actors. A nice relaxing monster picture. An insperation for TREMORS, no doubt.
Anyone else think Holt looks scared S*&Tless in the "Steamed worm" finale? I think he was afraid the big bug puppet might fall on him!
"hey, that big bastard almost crushed me dureing rehersal!"
"Don't worry, they fixed it!"
"Yeah? You say!"

[Scott]

I might have to pick this one up. Sounds good.

[trekgeezer]

The laughable part of this movie is that  they keep calling the things mollusks, Hans Conreid  as the scientist shows them a film about snails.  The monster actually  looks like a caterpillar  with huge mandibles, but don't get me wrong it's a pretty good looking monster for the 50's  and not a bad film. Actually spooky in a couple of parts.

It  Conquered the World is about a giant mutated carrot from space  that controls people  by way of ripping off  Heinlein's  The Puppet Masters.  Then Star Trek ripped it off in the  Operation Annihilate!

Yea Scott you need to check it out. I have seen it on AMC before.

[BoyScoutKevin]

Andrew reviewed this film at this site, check out the review, and gave it three slimes.

I have seen it, and liked it. Maybe because it was one of the few films actually filmed at Salton Sea. Near to where I lived at one time.

Tim Holt had an interesting career. Mostly a B-western actor, he made only two more films after this, before dieing in 1973. Hard to believe from this, just nine years earlier, he was in "The Treasure of Sierra Madre" w/ Humphrey Bogart and Walter Huston and directed by John Huston.

And what can one say about Hans Conreid. Perhaps best known as the voice of Snidely Whiplast, he did make a few films. Too few (IMO).

Check out the film. It is probably one of the better sci fi films from the late '50's.