The Monster That Challenged the World

A classic of its genre, this well-paced and tightly-scripted movie actually gave me a few shocks, which is not common with 50s monster cinema when viewed nowadays. It has good production values and above-average acting. Recommended for any fan of the genre. 7/10

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. *** out of ****

Fairly standard atomic monster fare bolstered considerably by a cool looking monster and a pretty good cast. Also, the script is a bit funnier than usual, without in any way being a parody or farce. It includes more characterization and human interest (in a genuine sort of way) than most such films. In this case, the military must hunt giant mollusks that supposedly can walk on land or swim in water, but we only see it in the water and sticking its head out of the water. Amusing, but dry, fun. Holt holds up well in the lead role, although the years were not kind to his midsection.

The Monster That Challenged the World is about some prehistoric molluscs who were in some dormant eggs that got themselves hatched. They are spreading death and destruction through their abilities to come out on land and feed, usually on unsuspecting humans.

The special effects are a might better than some of the science fiction cult classics from the Fifties. The story does bog down a bit in the personal part. Tim Holt's character is introduced to us as a by the book navy commander who softens with no real reason why.

When he did this film Tim Holt had been off the screen for five years after the B picture western disappeared from the big screen and on to television. Why Holt didn't go the way of television in his career is a mystery.

Tim Holt had one of the strangest careers in Hollywood history. He was a very good actor, gave good performances in both western and non-western films like The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, Stella Dallas, Stagecoach, My Darling Clementine, and The Magnificent Ambersons. Yet he consistently went back to doing B westerns for RKO. His westerns were above average in the B film market, but they did nothing to advance his career. Another guy who replaced Holt in B westerns at RKO went on to a mega career, that being Robert Mitchum.

So in 1957 while Mitchum is doing critically acclaimed stuff like Heaven Knows Mr. Allison, Tim's doing The Monster That Challenged the World. Insisting on being a B picture cowboy finished him for anything else. So sad.

Holt did do two subsequent films that I've not seen, but the description makes them sound worse than this one.

You can watch The Monster That Challenged the World and still enjoy it. But if you liked Tim Holt and his screen performances and persona you will have a twinge of regret.

Of course The Monster That Challenged the World is slowly paced. With a budget of about twenty dollars there's a lot of filler. But what little budget there is, is well used in creating a great animatronic monster.

The story is basic but well-structured and it works. I can watch this one over and over without wanting to throw things at the screen or yell at the characters for doing stupid things. My intelligence is more seriously insulted by modern horror films and their idiot protagonists than it ever is by The Monster That Challenged the World.

Among low-budget sci-fi flicks of the 1950s, The Monster That Challenged the World ranks near the top!

Jan Strnad (aka J. Knight)