Gorgo *** (1961, William Sylvester, Bill Travers, Joseph O’Conor, Bruce Seton, Martin Benson, Maurice Kaufmann, Basil Dignam, Barry Keegan) – Classic Movie Review 2887

Director Eugène Lourié’s endearing 1961 British sci-fi horror thriller Gorgo is quite a lot of fun even if it is fairly low on quality or surprises, but it comes with some complex and costly special effects of the era to appreciate and enjoy. It’s advertised as ‘Like nothing you’ve ever seen before!’ but alas we’ve seen it all before. This monster movie/ creature-feature stars Bill Travers and William Sylvester, and the main creature it features is a 65-foot Godzilla-style giant lizard dinosaur – Gorgo.

Indeed the film was to have been an homage to Godzilla, set in Japan, but, perhaps with copyright in mind, that was changed to France, and then to the British Isles. Hilariously, the producers had considered southern Australia as the location, but decided that audiences ‘wouldn’t care’ if a monster attacked Australia, which lacked recognisable landmarks for Gorgo to destroy!

Bill Travers stars as Captain Joe Ryan, who is salvaging for treasure off the coast of Ireland when a volcano erupts, nearly sinking his ship. He and his First Officer Sam Slade (William Sylvester) steer their ship to Nara Island for repairs. As Ryan’s divers check the harbour for divers who have disappeared, one of them emerges and dies from ‘fear’. That night, fishermen go to check the water and are attacked by a gigantic creature.

An undersea earthquake nearly sinks a salvage vessel off the coast of Ireland. A few nights later, walking sea monster Gorgo enters town rampaging, but is captured by the salvage vessel’s greedy sailors and sold and shipped to London, where it is shown King Kong-style in a circus.

[Spoiler alert] But Gorgo’s 250-foot mother Ogra is upset and comes to the rescue, bringing terror to the streets of the capital, and tramples down Westminster Abbey and Big Ben in the process. The surprise ending sees the monsters survive and prevail.

This cheap and cheerfully derivative horror piece, with a familiar screenplay by John Loring and Daniel Hyatt, and rubber-suit monster effects by Tom Howard, comes from the director of the similar The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms (1953). On the plus side, distinguished cinematographer Freddie Young [F A Young] films in Technicolor.

The complex effects are done by suitmation and miniaturisation, as pioneered in the Godzilla films. The younger Gorgo was smaller so his sets were built on a larger scale. The creatures were shot with costly slow-motion cameras.

An international co-production of the UK, the US and Ireland, it is produced by King Brothers Productions for release by British Lion-Columbia Distributors (UK) and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (US).

All this work and it runs only 78 minutes. All this work and it cost only $650,000.

It was released on 29 March 1961 (US) and 27 October 1961 (UK).

Also in the cast are Vincent Winter, Christopher Rhodes, Joseph O’Conor, Bruce Seton, Maurice Kaufmann, Martin Benson, Basil Dignam, Barry Keegan, Thomas Duggan, Harold Lang and Dervis Ward.

The Irish scenes were filmed at Bulloch Harbour and Coliemore Harbour, both near the County Dublin town of Dalkey. Studio work was done at MGM-British Studios, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire.

Issue number four of Gorgo published by Charlton Comics, art by Steve Ditko.

A novelisation, written by Carson Bingham, was published in paperback by Monarch Books. Charlton Comics published 23 issues of the comic book Gorgo from 1961 to 1965.

The scenes where Gorgo is driven through the quiet and empty streets of London were shot on a Sunday morning. Against Lourié’s objections, the studio insisted that Gorgo fights the military.

This is a manly movie. Only one human speaking role is female, an uncredited woman reporter. Mick Dillon plays both Gorgo and Gorgo’s mother Ogra.

The cast are Bill Travers as Captain Joe Ryan, William Sylvester as First Officer Sam Slade, Vincent Winter as orphaned village boy Sean, Christopher Rhodes as Harbour Master Kevin McCartin, Joseph O’Conor as Professor Leroy Hendricks, Bruce Seton as Professor Marius Flaherty, Martin Benson as circus owner Andrew Dorkin, Basil Dignam as Admiral Hugh Brooks, Barry Keegan as First Mate Harry, Dervis Ward as Bosun Mike, Mick Dillon as Gorgo and as Gorgo’s mother Ogra, Maurice Kaufmann, Thomas Duggan, Harold Lang and Dervis Ward.

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© Derek Winnert 2015 Classic Movie Review 2887

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