The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms, like all giant monster films, owes much to the immortal King Kong. In 1952, RKO re-released Kong to phenomenal success, and a trio of independent producers took notice.

Godzilla's inspiration, The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms, shares key elements with the first Godzilla movie, including a nuclear ...

Godzilla was inspired by a 1953 film, The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms, directed by Eugene Lourie, in which a giant monster is awakened by an atomic bomb detonation.

The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms was made for the Saturday matinee crowd – for kids and teenagers. It isn't sad or tragic. But the extended scenes of suffering in Godzilla are heartrending." ...

In 1953, The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms, a blockbuster adaptation of a Ray Bradbury short story, told of an Arctic dinosaur awakened by nuclear testing, and its subsequent reign of havoc in New York.