The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms (1953) & Mighty Joe Young (1949) - October 6, 2015

[Akijama]

Coming separately and as a part of the Special Effects collection (thread here).

The sea's master-beast of the ages - raging up from the bottom of time!

Near the Arctic Circle, an atomic bomb is detonated. This fearsome experiment disturbs the sleep of a giant rhedosaurus encased in ice over 100-million years and sends it southward on a destructive, deadly rampage!

The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms is a film of firsts. It spawned a new era of atomic-age creature features. It was the first screen adaptation of a work by fantasy fiction titan Ray Bradbury. And it marked the first time Ray Harryhausen had total control over special effects. He came up with a fantastic creature (constructed at full scale, all 50 tons of it) that swims down from the north to run amok through New York City before being conquered in a spectacular Coney Island roller coaster finale. Take a classic ride. Unleash The Beast.

The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms - Trailer - YouTube

Lightning struck again when the team behind King Kong reunited to create another towering ape: Mr. Joseph Young. This time the simian is shorter and the jokes tongue-in-cheekier, but the Oscar®-winning Best Special Effects are just as Kong-sized.

A slick nightclub owner (King Kong veteran Robert Armstrong) discovers the giant ape frolicking in Africa as the beloved pet of a young girl (Terry Moore). He brings both to Hollywood as a floor-show sensation, until some no-goods ply Joe with booze and the blitzed behemoth goes bonkers. Highlights such as Armstrong's henchmen trying to lasso Joe cowpoke style, Joe playing tug-of-war with musclemen and plenty of Joe-to-the-rescue action make Mighty Joe Young mighty fine entertainment.

Mighty Joe Young Trailer, 1949 - YouTube

Source: WB Press