Monster from the Ocean Floor (1954) by/#WyottOrdung
produced by #RogerCorman
w/#AnneKimbell #StuartWade
A woman sees a giant one-eyed amoeba rising from the ocean.
“Up from the forbidden depths comes a Tidal Wave Of Terror!”
#Horror #SciFi
#NotQuiteClassicCinema
#FridayNightAtTheHomeDriveIn
Anyone who knows me, knows that I am a big fan of Roger Corman. And that means that even though he didn’t direct Monster from the Ocean Floor (1954) – and only produced it – I am obligated to give it an automatic two-and-a-half star minimum. I am, of course, being a little silly. I don’t normally even assign star values to movies. But whenever I see Corman’s name on a film, I know I’m going to be having at least two-and-a-half stars worth of fun. And Monster from the Ocean Floor was no exception…
So Roger Corman produced this thing?
Not only did Roger produce Monster from the Ocean Floor, it was the very first movie he produced. Prior to that, he had helped The Gunfighter (1950) get made – even suggesting ideas for it, but Corman received no credit. This inspired Corman to leave 20th Century Fox, where he was employed as a reader, and start working for himself.
He wrote a script and sold it to Allied Artists for $2000.00. It became a movie called Highway Dragnet (1954). Corman used the proceeds, and some other money he managed to raise, to produce Monster from the Ocean Floor.
What’s it all about?
Monster from the Ocean Floor is about an American woman named Julie Blair who goes to Mexico and hears stories about a strange creature living under the sea. When a local diver disappears, she takes it upon herself to investigate. She tries to involve a marine biologist named Steve, who just happens to be doing research in the area He, oddly enough, doesn’t want to get too involved – even though he obviously likes Julie. Eventually he figures out that the creature is real, and rushes to rescue Julie, who might be heading for her death.
Who’s the star of Monster from the Ocean Floor?
Anne Kimbell plays the the lead, and she really is the main character. She drives all of the action. Her male romantic interest winds up disappearing for large portions of the film, because he doesn’t get involved in her search for the creature (what was he thinking?!).
Kimbell is actually best known for Monster from the Ocean Floor. She appeared in a number of other films – and on TV shows – mostly in the 1950s. After she got married, she retired to travel the world with her husband, who was a United States Foreign Service officer.
So, is Monster from the Ocean Floor a worthy Roger Corman movie?
Being his first movie as a producer, Monster from the Ocean Floor would be a must see for any Roger Corman fan – even if it were a pile of crap. Fortunately, it’s a fun, breezy little movie that can easily keep fans of #NotQuiteClassicCinema entertained for 64 minutes. The monster alone is worth the price of admission. I will undoubtedly be watching it again, on some future #FridayNightAtTheHomeDriveIn.
#FridayNightAtTheHomeDriveIn
Monster from the Ocean Floor (1954) d/#WyottOrdung
p/#RogerCorman w/#AnneKimbell #StuartWade
A woman sees a giant one-eyed amoeba rising from the ocean.
“Up from the forbidden depths comes a Tidal Wave Of Terror!”#Horror #SciFi#NotQuiteClassicCinema pic.twitter.com/BzQAAFWNSt— Angus Kohm (@AngusKohm) February 17, 2024
