The Monster That Challenged the World (1957)
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Physical Media
It had one of the grandest titles in science fiction history. Its monster turned out to be a giant snail.
THE MONSTER THAT CHALLENGED THE WORLD (1957) sends a swarm of prehistoric mollusks crawling out of California's Salton Sea after an earthquake splits the seabed. The creatures drain their human victims dry. The title comes from the fear that they will reach the canals and spread across the planet.
The snail - actually one of the best monsters of the decade - was a life-size machine, twelve feet tall, built over hydraulics that several men had to operate. The man who made it had just built the white whale for John Huston's Moby Dick. Because it was full-size and not a miniature, the actors could touch it, lending the film an unnerving tangibility.
The hero is played by Tim Holt. Orson Welles had cast him as the doomed heir in The Magnificent Ambersons and called him one of the most interesting actors ever to work in American movies. Holt had also hunted for gold beside Humphrey Bogart in The Treasure of the Sierra Madre before leaving the screen for five years.
A giant snail is what brought him back.
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THE MONSTER THAT CHALLENGED THE WORLD (1957) was produced by Gramercy Pictures, Inc., an independent production company completely unrelated to the 1990s arthouse studio of the same name.
About the Film
A new kind of terror to numb the nerves!
- Directed By
- Arnold Laven
- Runtime
- 84 minutes
- Released
- June 14, 1957
- Certification
- NR
- Country
- United States of America
- Starring
- Tim Holt, Audrey Dalton, Hans Conried, Barbara Darrow, Max Showalter
More Credits
- Genres
- Horror, Science Fiction
- Language
- English
- Origin
- US
- Studios
- Gramercy Pictures, Inc., United Artists
- Written By
- David Duncan, Pat Fielder
- Produced By
- Arthur Gardner, Jules V. Levy
- Cinematography
- Lester White
- Music
- Heinz Roemheld
- Also Starring
- Harlan Warde, Gordon Jones, Mimi Gibson, Marjorie Stapp, Jody McCrea
- Budget
- $200,000
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Has nothing on “The Cockroach that Ate Cincinnati.”
Sushi for everybody!
An early victim of the monster, who bobs to the surface, desiccated and bug eyed, looked like an influence for Tim Burton.
I saw a trailer for this film while I was on holidays as a kid…but never got to see the movie!! It became one of those movies joining the list of movies I never got to see as I kid, along with GORGO, VILLAGE OF THE DAMMED until over 50 years later.!!! Not even on tv, or revivals. Now have the Blu-Ray. For its time a well done monster and very effective. Such is childhood, in Australia anyway.
Alan Bond Similar – to me it was always one of those mysterious movies available on Super 8 in the back of Famous Monsters magazine. And I too now have the Blu-ray. 🙂
Frightening looking creature.
This movie is so much better than it has any right to be. It’s a pretty cool, looking monster, and the Salton Sea is a nice, unique setting. A favorite from the chiller theater days.
Tom Ciorciari Agreed. I was kinda shocked that I actually (unironically) enjoyed it.
Tom Ciorciari I’ve often said the same thing – some of these movies were much better than they needed to be.
The secret of the success of the mechanical mollusk in this movie is the film-makers don’t require it to do anything it can’t – the appearances of the monster in the story are designed to use it to its maximum effect. It’s really an underrated picture in many ways – the use of a real location – Hans Conried as a scientist – suspense from the David Duncan screenplay with interesting historical references on how the monsters are able to spread – the shock scare at the locks with the old man – the beautiful girl going for a swim (Jaws ripped this off) – if you’ve never seen it – you’re in for a treat…
Cute l’il fella.
I love this movie!!
This one scared the crap out of me when I was a little kid!
thanks for reminding me of this gem. It streams free on You Tube. I’m watching it now.
This was the first film to completely scare the crap out of me when I saw it as a child in the early 70s. I still love it!
And this one Moses Bañuelos John Piampiano
Ryan Jones YES!!!