Behemoth the Sea Monster

Willis H. O'Brien and Pete Peterson completed a significant portion of the stop-motion animation at a table in Peterson's garage.

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The original stop-motion puppet of Behemoth belongs to Dennis Muren.

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In the US version of the film, during a conference with the British government on how to destroy Behemoth, Steve Karnes (Gene Evans) says that the creature is deteriorating and dying because of the intense radiation in its own body. In the UK version this detail is corrected to imply that the radiation has become part of Behemoth's own natural genetic makeup.

DEEPER MEANING · SOURCED

Phil Tippett and Dennis Muren's audio commentary for the film's DVD and Blu-ray release caused some anger among Willis H. O'Brien enthusiasts. Many found Tippett and Muren's commentary dismissive and misinformed, as the pair criticize the film and many of their remarks end with "I don't know" and offer little information.

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Most of the sound effects, including Fay Wray's scream, were taken from King Kong (1933).

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Despite the elongated puppet neck and head having been introduced earlier, O'Brien's animated monster does not appear until about sixty minutes in.

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To save money from the already small budget, the attacks on London and on the ferry were filmed silent. Many people appear to be speaking but there is no dialogue. The sound effects were added afterwards. The ministry reporter is shown in close-up but his mouth movements and dialogue do not match. He also has a distinct American accent.

PRODUCTION STORY · SOURCED

In the original story treatment Behemoth was initially to be a shapeless radioactive blob, but the producers wanted a dinosaur creature similar to the Rhedosaurus in The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms (1953). That film's director, Eugène Lourié, directed this film and helped with the script.

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Behemoth rears up on its hind legs, falls onto its front legs and, crashing into London Bridge, escapes into the River Thames. Willis O'Brien's brontosaurus in The Lost World did the same in the 1925 film.

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During the exciting chase between the submarine X2 and Behemoth, the monster strikes its nose against the submarine (causing minor damage to the vessel). In this close-up Behemoth's head is noticeably different. The head was in fact taken from Behemoth's prototype model (the same body, but a different, less menacing head), before the final design was decided on.

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Unlike its contemporaries the Rhedosaurus (The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms (1953)) and the monster of the same name in Godzilla (1954), both of which walk along the ocean floor, Behemoth is seen swimming underwater in the River Thames, but to save on animation only its hind legs move while its front legs remain still.

EASTER EGGS & REFERENCES · SOURCED

US prints do not include Douglas Hickox sharing the directing credit with Eugène Lourié, and Leonard Sachs is not listed among the cast. The UK version's credits, on the other hand, leave out the entire special effects team.

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Several clips from the film were used in Giganticus II: The Revenge (1989), Dial M for Modem (1989) and That's What Friends Are For (1989) to represent the fictional Japanese kaiju film "Giganticus".

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The helicopters in the film are a Westland-licensed Sikorsky (US) H-5 Dragonfly and an RAF-marked H-19 (Whirlwind).

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The film has Beatles connections. Jessie Robins (credited as Jessie Robbins), who played Aunt Jessie in Magical Mystery Tour (1967), drinks tea in a scene while radio news is broadcast. Finally, in the scenes showing a deserted London, one of the streets contains the apartment block where The Beatles lived at the beginning of Help! (1965).

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This is Georgina Ward's debut.

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