Monster from the Ocean Floor

Monster from the Ocean Floor is a 1954 science fiction film about a sea monster that terrorizes a Mexican cove. The film was directed by Wyott Ordung and starred Anne Kimbell and Stuart Wade.

Monster from the Ocean Floor
Theatrical release poster
Directed byWyott Ordung
Produced byRoger Corman
Written byBill Danch
StarringAnne Kimbell
Stuart Wade
Dick Pinner
David Garcia
Music byAndre Brummer
CinematographyFloyd Crosby
Edited byEdward Sampson
Production
company
Palo Alto
Distributed byLippert Pictures
Release date
  • May 21, 1954 (1954-05-21)
Running time
64 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$30,000 or $15,000[1]
Box office$850,000 or $185,000[1]

It was the first film produced by Roger Corman (although he had previously written Highway Dragnet).

Plot

Julie Blair (Kimbell) is an American vacationing at a seaside village in Mexico. She hears stories about a man-eating creature dwelling in the cove. She meets Dr. Baldwin (Dick Pinner), a marine biologist, and they fall for one another. The mysterious death of a diver inspires Julie to investigate, but Baldwin is very skeptical. She sees a giant amoeba rising from the ocean.

Cast

Production

It was the first film produced by Roger Corman. One of his first decisions was to allow Wyatt Ordung to direct. Ordung agreed to divert part of his pay for the experience of directing. [2] Corman was also able to defer payment against future profits to make the final print.

Alan Frank listed Monster from the Ocean Floor's budget as $30,000.[3] However, Corman stated that the film was made for $12,000 in cash over six days.[4] According to Corman, $4,000 of the film's budget came from Ordung, $3,500 from Corman (from the sale of the Highway Dragnet story to Allied Artists), $5,000 in deferment from Consolidated Labs, and money raised privately by selling $500 and $1,000 shares.[5] Ordung later claimed that he hocked his life insurance and sold his apartment to raise $15,000 to pay for the film.[6] Corman's brother, Gene Corman, estimated the budget at $35,000.[7] Variety said the film cost $15,000.[1]

Roger Corman had seen an article on a new electric-powered one-man submarine, and was able to use it in the picture for free in exchange for the publicity and an on-screen credit ("Submarine built by Aerojet General").

Corman said when he made the film, "I was surprisingly confident. I think if I were to do it now, I would be very worried that I couldn't do it. But at the age of twenty-five or whatever, I had ambition and confidence. You do things that, when you're older and smarter, you wouldn't do. "[8]

The film's original title was It Stalked the Ocean Floor, but was changed by the distributor for being too artsy.[9]

Distributor

Corman's brother Gene, an agent, negotiated the sale of the film to a distributor. Although Herbert Yates of Republic Pictures had an interest in the film, Corman says the only person willing to put up an advance against income was Robert Lippert. Monster from the Ocean Floor was sold to Lippert Pictures for $110,000. Gene Corman later said that Lippert renegotiated his deal on the film once he found out that Roger Corman had not spent $100,000 on making it, but considerably less.[7]

Roger Corman says he ultimately received a $60,000 advance for Monster, which enabled him to make his next film.[4]

Reception

Box office

The film grossed $850,000.[5][6] Variety put this figure at $185,000.[1]

Critical

TV Guide found the movie lacking and criticized the directing; however, it found the movie interesting historically as the "beginning of something big and cheap".[10] Variety was kinder, calling the movie a well made quickie. [11] [12]

Creature Feature by John Stanley gave the movie two out of five stars citing minimal mood, the films dubbing and a cast of unknowns. [13]

Producer Alex Gordon later recalled meeting Corman at a screening of the movie. "I thought, for the money he brought it in for, was absolutely remarkable," said Gordon. I thought it was very, very good and that he was a very nice, young, polite guy. And very nice-looking, properly dressed — he looked like a young executive, not some guy who was just lolling around like some of the other guys who were around in those days, coming around to try and get jobs." The men would later work together on Apache Woman and Day the World Ended.[14]

References
  1. "$65,000 'Day' may hit $1,000,000". Variety. 22 February 1956. p. 16.
  2. Corman, R. (1990) How I Made a Hundred Movies in Hollywood and Never lost a Dime. Random House
  3. Alan Frank, The Films of Alan Frank: Shooting My Way Out of Trouble, Bath Press, 1998 p 15
  4. Beverly Gray, Roger Corman: Blood Sucking Vampires, Flesh Eating Cockroaches and Driller Killers, AZ Ferris 2014 p 30-31
  5. Mark McGee, Faster and Furiouser: The Revised and Fattened Fable of American International Pictures, McFarland, 1996 p15-20
  6. Mark Thomas McGee, Talk's Cheap, Action's Expensive: The Films of Robert L. Lippert, Bear Manor Media, 2014 p 156-159
  7. Weaver, Tom (2006). Interviews with B Science Fiction and Horror Movie Makers: Writers, Producers, Directors, Actors, Moguls and Makeup. McFarland. p. 94-95. ISBN 9780786428588.
  8. Emery, Robert J. (2003). The Directors Take Three. Allworth Press. p. 120.
  9. Frank, Alan (1998) The Films of Roger Corman. Batsford
  10. http://www.tvguide.com/movies/the-monster-from-the-ocean-floor/review/106617/
  11. Frank, Alan (1998) The Films of Roger Corman. Batsford
  12. Review of film at Variety
  13. Stanley, John (2000) Creature Feature: Third Edition
  14. Weaver, Tom (January 2004). "The Day His World Began". Fangoria. p. 68.
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