This big ol‘ octopus really hates your bridges’

I’m rooting for the monster!  The acting is stiff as plywood, and the plot is a straight line from Pearl Harbor to the Golden Gate Bridge, but Ray Harryhausen shows off his amazing stop-motion animation to great effect in this early work of his.  The destruction of San Francisco’s harbor is worth repeated viewings. The love triangle, not so much.

It does make me wonder though… what is scarier:

It Came From Beneath the Sea:

Or…. the real collapse of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge?  I think the producers may have seen this footage as an inspiration for their bridge destruction. Note the absolute lack of panic from anybody in this film footage.  It’s almost like nobody is paying attention!