“It Came from Beneath the Sea” (1955) is a classic science fiction film that exemplifies the 1950s fascination with giant monster movies. Directed by Robert Gordon and produced by Charles H. Schneer, the film is notable for its innovative special effects by Ray Harryhausen, whose work in stop-motion animation became legendary in the genre. The film’s plot revolves around a giant octopus, awakened and mutated by radiation from hydrogen bomb tests in the Pacific Ocean.
The creature begins to attack ships and coastal cities, feeding on the marine life it encounters. As the attacks escalate, a naval submarine, commanded by Commander Pete Mathews (played by Kenneth Tobey), is dispatched to investigate. The submarine’s crew, along with marine biologist Dr. John Carter (Donald Curtis) and marine biologist Professor Lesley Joyce (Faith Domergue), discover that the creature is a giant, radiation-mutated octopus.
As they work to develop a plan to destroy the beast, the octopus launches a devastating attack on San Francisco, culminating in a dramatic showdown near the Golden Gate Bridge.
Cast
- Tobey, Kenneth – (March 23, 1917 – December 22, 2002) Commander Pete Mathews: A determined and courageous submarine commander who leads the investigation into the mysterious attacks on ships. Mathews becomes central in the efforts to stop the giant octopus – Dangerous Venture, Beyond Glory, The Stratton Story, Free for All, My Friend Irma Goes West, The Flying Missile, The Thing from Another World, The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms, Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier, It Came from Beneath the Sea, The Great Locomotive Chase, Gunfight at the O.K. Corral, The Vampire, Seven Ways from Sundown, X-15, Marlowe, Billy Jack, Ben, Walking Tall, Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry, The Missiles of October, Gus, MacArthur, Airplane!, The Howling, Strange Invaders, Gremlins, Innerspace, Big Top Pee-wee, Gremlins 2: The New Batch, Honey, I Blew Up the Kid, Single White Female, Hellraiser: Bloodline, The Naked Monster, TV episodes of Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Bat Masterson, Perry Mason, Sea Hunt
- Domergue, Faith – (June 16, 1924 – April 4, 1999) Professor Lesley Joyce: A brilliant and independent marine biologist who assists in researching the creature. She provides scientific insights and plays a key role in developing a plan to defeat the monster – Young Widow, Vendetta, Cult of the Cobra, This Island Earth, It Came from Beneath the Sea, Timeslip, Voyage to the Prehistoric Planet, Blood Legacy, The House of Seven Corpses, TV episodes of Fireside Theatre, Schlitz Playhouse of Stars, The Count of Monte Cristo, State Trooper, Cheyenne, Hawaiian Eye, Colt .45, Bronco, 77 Sunset Strip, Perry Mason, Bonanza, Have Gun – Will Travel, Combat!, Garrison’s Gorillas
- Curtis, Donald – (February 27, 1915 – May 22, 1997) Dr. John Carter: A marine biologist and colleague of Professor Joyce. He works closely with Commander Mathews and Joyce to study the giant octopus and strategize its destruction – Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe, Take Me Back to Oklahoma, The Son of Davy Crockett, The Royal Mounted Patrol, Tombstone, the Town Too Tough to Die, Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo, Son of Lassie, Courage of Lassie, The Amazing Mr. X, It Came from Beneath the Sea, Earth vs. the Flying Saucers, The Ten Commandments
- Keith, Ian – (February 27, 1899 – March 26, 1960) Adm. Burns: A high-ranking naval officer who oversees the military response to the octopus threat. He coordinates efforts between the Navy and the scientific team – Manhandled, The Tower of Lies, Convoy, Prisoners, Abraham Lincoln, Cleopatra, The Three Musketeers, Remember Pearl Harbor, The Man from Thunder River, Fog Island, Valley of the Zombies, Dick Tracy vs. Cueball, Dick Tracy’s Dilemma, The Three Musketeers, It Came from Beneath the Sea, The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin, The Ten Commandments
- Lauter, Harry – (June 19, 1914 – October 30, 1990) as Deputy Bill Nash – The Gay Intruders, Jungle Patrol, Frontier Investigator, The Day the Earth Stood Still, Flying Leathernecks, Canadian Mounties vs. Atomic Invaders, Captain Kidd and the Slave Girl, Dragnet, It Came from Beneath the Sea, Creature with the Atom Brain, The Werewolf, Earth vs. the Flying Saucers, Tarzan’s Fight for Life, It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, Paint Your Wagon, Escape from the Planet of the Apes, Superbeast, TV episodes of Death Valley Days, Rawhide, Sea Hunt, Have Gun – Will Travel, Gunsmoke
- Avery, Tol (August 28, 1915 – August 27, 1973) as Navy Intern – Bunco Squad, Naked Alibi, It Came from Beneath the Sea, Back from Eternity, North by Northwest, Twist Around the Clock,TV episodes of Maverick, Colt .45, The Andy Griffith Show, The Virginian, Gomer Pyle USMC, Death Valley Days, Batman, mannix, Kojak, Rango, Dragnet
Other Cast
- Dean Maddox Jr. as Admiral Norman
- Chuck Griffiths as Lieutenant Griff
- Richard W. Peterson as Captain Stacy
- William Bryant as Helicopter Pilot
- Del Courtney as Naval Asst. Sec. Robert David Chase
- Roy Engel as Control Room Officer Ordering Drop Nets
- Eddie Fisher as McLeod
- Duke Fishman as Merchant Seaman
- Herschel Graham as Restaurant Patron
- Sam Hayes as Radio Newscaster
- Jules Irving as King
- S. John Launer as Naval Doctor With Stethoscope
- Jack Littlefield as Aston
- Mike Morelli as Crew Member
- Sol Murgi as Pilot
- Monty O’Grady as Restaurant Patron
- Rudy Puteska as Seaman Hall
- William Woodson as Opening Narrator
Robert Gordon was an American film and television director known for his work in the science fiction and adventure genres during the 1950s. Gordon also directed other films such as Black Hills Ambush (1952), a Western featuring Johnny Mack Brown, and The Joe Louis Story (1953), a biographical film about the famed boxer Joe Louis. Besides his work in films, Gordon directed episodes of several television series, including The Addams Family, Zane Grey Theater, The Texan, The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis, and My Friend Flicka.
His career spanned several decades, during which he contributed to both cinematic and television storytelling. The film was produced by Charles H. Schneer for Columbia Pictures, with a screenplay written by George Worthing Yates and Hal Smith. It was the first of many collaborations between Schneer and Ray Harryhausen, who was responsible for the groundbreaking special effects.
To keep shooting costs low, director Robert Gordon shot inside an actual submarine, both above and under water, using handheld cameras.
Together, they produced several iconic films, including Earth vs. the Flying Saucers (1956), 20 Million Miles to Earth (1957), The 7th Voyage of Sinbad (1958), Jason and the Argonauts (1963), The Golden Voyage of Sinbad (1973), and Clash of the Titans (1981). Harryhausen’s stop-motion animation techniques brought the terrifying giant octopus to life,
making it a memorable creature in monster movie history. Filming took place on location in San Francisco, California, which is prominently featured in the film’s climax. The use of real locations, such as the Golden Gate Bridge, and the San Francisco Naval Shipyard, added to the film’s sense of realism and suspense. Additional scenes were shot in and around Los Angeles,
using various studio sets and soundstages. Ray Harryhausen’s work on “It Came from Beneath the Sea” is a key highlight of the film. Known for his meticulous stop-motion animation, Harryhausen created a detailed model of the giant octopus,
which had only six tentacles instead of the usual eight. This decision was made due to budget constraints and the difficulty of animating eight limbs. Despite these limitations, the effects were highly effective in conveying the menace of the creature, particularly in scenes where the octopus attacks the Golden Gate Bridge and the streets of San Francisco.
The four-issue comic book miniseries It Came from Beneath the Sea… Again (2007), released by TidalWave Productions as part of their Ray Harryhausen Signature Series, continued the story. A preview of the first issue was included on the 50th Anniversary DVD release of the film. A clip from the film was used in the second episode of the TV series Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, which also features a giant man-eating octopus.
I thought the movie was fun, maybe a little much on the love triangle. I’ll give it 3 out of 5 stars.
Further Reading
Sources
- Wikipedia “It Came from Beneath the Sea” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/It_Came_from_Beneath_the_Sea
- IMDB “It Came from Beneath the Sea” https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0048215/
- Rotten Tomatoes “It Came from Beneath the Sea” https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/it_came_from_beneath_the_sea
- Ray Harryhausen’s Creatures Wiki “It Came from Beneath the Sea” https://gwangipedia.fandom.com/wiki/It_Came_from_Beneath_the_Sea
- TCM “It Came from Beneath the Sea” https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/20074/it-came-from-beneath-the-sea#overview
- Internet Archive “It Came From Beneath the Sea” https://archive.org/details/it-came-from-beneath-the-sea
- TMDB “Robert Gordon” https://www.themoviedb.org/person/9643-robert-gordon
