BEHEMOTH THE SEA MONSTER

GB / US
1959
1hr 20mins
Dir: Eugène Lourié
Starring: Gene Evans and André Morell

Marine atomic tests cause changes to the ocean’s ecosystem resulting in radioactive contamination and the resurrection of a dormant dinosaur that threatens London

This Anglo-American sci-fi drama was released first in the US in March 1959 as The Giant Behemoth, then in the UK in the October as Behemoth The Sea Monster. The original 71 minute version as The Giant Behemoth was initially given an X certificate by the British Board of Film Censors on 9th January 1959, before a version cut to 69 minutes as Behemoth, the Sea Monster, was given an A certificate four days later. One wonders what the problem was if only two minutes were lost! Either way, the full feature length movie is 80 minutes and features one of the usual stock-shots from Brief Encounter (1945) used to depict a train journey to Cornwall but nothing else of interest, trains or otherwise.

When David Lean shot Brief Encounter at Carnforth in 1945, little did he release his atmospheric shots of steam expresses would go on to provide years of sterling service for production departments many years later!! Here is one such shot, now very familiar of course, showing a Coronation Pacific at speed.