THE BEAST FROM 20,000 FATHOMS (1953) in '50s Horror and Sci-Fi Forum

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THE BEAST FROM 20,000 FATHOMS (1953)

Author	Comment
TomWeaver999		#441	[-]
Jun 12 12 4:51 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	<< you come off too gruff at times << Maybe I've gotten so gruff that I no longer recognize gruff, but I don't think I was gruff at all: >> Welllllll ... no disrespect to Bradbury, but he really had nnnnnothing to do with BEAST FROM 20,000 FATHOMS, other than perhaps maybe possibly a short story of his possibly maybe perhaps inspired the 90-second scene of the dinosaur knocking over the lighthouse. That "iffy" possibility is all the Bradbury contribution there was. << But I will take your admonishment under advisement the next time I start to type something along similar lines. << it undercuts your awesome stature. << awe shucks -- thank you!
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Monsterpal		#442	[-]
Jun 13 12 12:17 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	I don't see what's so bad about what Tom says. What's gruff about pointing out that the film has little in common with the story? It's the simple truth. I've never been sure if they added the lighthouse scene to the script after Bradbury came aboard, which was a direct result of Harryhausen's influence. In any case, Ray was already famous enough in 1953 that they used his name in their advertising. So everybody ended up benefitting from the situation.
TomWeaver999		#443	[-]
Jun 13 12 5:42 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Bradbury says he was brought in to read and comment on the script, before the movie was shot, and after he read it, he gave the producer the impression the whole thing was kinda-sorta based on a short story of his. If he hadn't just passed away, I'd call that a lie, but he did just pass away, so ... he exaggerated. And according to Bradbury, the producer's face turned a series of different colors and the next thing he (Bradbury) knew, he was getting some money and a screen credit. All because of a two-page scene (the lighthouse) which may not have been inspired by his story at all.
Gojira		#444	[-]
Jun 13 12 5:45 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	The producers got lucky - imagine if they'd asked Harlan Ellison...
kcor.tylerandjacksmo...		#445	[-]
Jun 13 12 7:52 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Gojira wrote: The producers got lucky - imagine if they'd asked Harlan Ellison... Yeah. Years later, he'd claim he'd punched 'em.
horrorfilmx		#446	[-]
Jun 13 12 2:29 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	TomWeaver999 wrote: Bradbury says he was brought in to read and comment on the script, before the movie was shot, and after he read it, he gave the producer the impression the whole thing was kinda-sorta based on a short story of his. If he hadn't just passed away, I'd call that a lie, but he did just pass away, so ... he exaggerated. And according to Bradbury, the producer's face turned a series of different colors and the next thing he (Bradbury) knew, he was getting some money and a screen credit. All because of a two-page scene (the lighthouse) which may not have been inspired by his story at all. My understanding is that Bradbury was brought in at the suggestion of his pal Harryhausen and just happened to mention that the script seemed similar to his story, and that it was the producers themselves who overreacted and thought he was trying to shake them down. But what the hell, I wasn't there.
Rakshasa		#447	[-]
Jun 13 12 2:54 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Bradbury's version of the story is documented on video and can be seen as part of the DVD extras for THE BEAST FROM 20,000 FATHOMS. In fact, Harryhausen is sitting right next to Ray when Ray tells the story! Links To All The Classic Monster Stills I've Posted: http://monsterkidclassichorrorforum.yuku.com/topic/30758
Ted Newsom		#448	[-]
Jun 13 12 3:08 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	The overall story has precious little to do with the poetic spook story told by Bradbury in the Saturday Evening Post, but the illustrations of the monster attcking the lighthouse sure as hell do. Given the year or so between the first publication and the time when Bradbury may've been called in to read the script, I'd guess any "plagiarism" was well-intnetioned, a tip of the hat rather than anything malicious. Bradbury was as proprietary and litigeous in his own folksy way as Harlan Ellison, and frequently flew into high dudgeon when he felt he'd been ripped off. Ask Robert Alan Arthur http://classictvhistory.wordpress.com/2010/08/19/the-sound-of-a-single-drummer/ or Rod Serling http://twilightzonewor.9.forumer.com/index.php?showtopic=1698 or Michael Moore http://www.brianstorms.com/archives/000372.html Interesting comment from the blog above, which sums things up: As I've said about Ray before, he gets an idea in his head and can't be swayed by someone else's interpretation of the same subject. Knowing he was acquainted with Groucho Marx, I asked him if he knew Groucho's family. He said, "He didn't have a family." Yet Groucho racked up a total of five wives and three children. This goes to show not everything Ray says about everyone is correct just because he happens to be acquainted with them. His memory is, indeed, spectacular, and commendable, but not flawless. Last Edited By: Ted Newsom Jun 13 12 3:58 PM. Edited 1 times.
Rick		#449	[-]
Jun 13 12 4:00 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Ray had false memories? And couldn't be persuaded that he was wrong? Boy, he'd have fit right in around here.
Ted Newsom		#450	[-]
Jun 13 12 4:00 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts
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Rakshasa		#451	[-]
Jun 13 12 4:53 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Rick wrote: Ray had false memories? And couldn't be persuaded that he was wrong? Boy, he'd have fit right in around here. Rick is my new best friend. So true! Links To All The Classic Monster Stills I've Posted: http://monsterkidclassichorrorforum.yuku.com/topic/30758
TomWeaver999		#452	[-]
Jun 13 12 5:03 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	<< Bradbury just happened to mention that the script seemed similar to his story << Wellllllll ....... If I wrote a two-page story and the whole thing was nothing more than a giant bug landing on a building, would I be honest if I told the producer of THE DEADLY MANTIS, "Your script seems similar to my story"? Or if I wrote a two-page story and the whole thing was a dinosaur killing a farmer, would I be honest if I told the producer of THE BEAST OF HOLLOW MOUNTAIN, "Your script seems similar to my story"? IF the meeting with the BEAST producer went down the way Bradbury says it went down, I think he was being dishonest by not specifying, "There's TWO PAGES in your script that are a little like a story I once wrote." Giving the producer the idea that the whole BEAST script was based on his story was .... pretty shifty.
Rakshasa		#453	[-]
Jun 13 12 5:12 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Yo Tom, you wrote a story about a giant bug that lands on a building? Did you do this when you were supposed to be working on your Universal Horrors - The 1950's book??? Focus, man! Focus! Links To All The Classic Monster Stills I've Posted: http://monsterkidclassichorrorforum.yuku.com/topic/30758
Aupperle		#454	[-]
Jun 13 12 5:21 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	TomWeaver999 wrote: << Bradbury just happened to mention that the script seemed similar to his story << IF the meeting with the BEAST producer went down the way Bradbury says it went down, I think he was being dishonest by not specifying, "There's TWO PAGES in your script that are a little like a story I once wrote." Giving the producer the idea that the whole BEAST script was based on his story was .... pretty shifty. Most producers I've ever met are pretty smart when it comes to spending their money. I suspect that the Beast's producer might have compared the script to Bradbury's story himself (or had a flunky do it) before deciding to give Bradbury any cash. Perhaps they concluded that the cost of the story was worth the publicity to link Bradbury and The Saturday Evening Post to their little film? They might have also decided it was worthwhile if only to get the cool title of Bradbury's original story. I always heard that "The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms" was Bradbury's original title and that he later changed it to "The Fog Horn" for book publication. above page from http://nonsportupdate.inf...f/958604453/m/8227069026 with following quote: "A little something from my memorabilia collection. This is an original copy of the edition of the Saturday Evening Post in which Ray Bradbury's short story 'The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms' was published." Kevin F They did use the connection in their publicity but even there they say "suggested by" and not based on a story by Ray Bradbury Last Edited By: Aupperle Jun 13 12 6:24 PM. Edited 6 times.
Rakshasa		#455	[-]
Jun 13 12 5:31 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Was the original title of Ray Bradbury's short story "The Fog Horn", or was it first published as "The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms"????? Links To All The Classic Monster Stills I've Posted: http://monsterkidclassichorrorforum.yuku.com/topic/30758
Steve R		#456	[-]
Jun 13 12 5:49 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	I'd always heard it was called The Fog Horn. Wasn't it ever anthologized? Maybe that magazine was after the film came out.
Rakshasa		#457	[-]
Jun 13 12 5:53 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	The story is called "The Fog Horn" in the Bradbury short story books I have. Links To All The Classic Monster Stills I've Posted: http://monsterkidclassichorrorforum.yuku.com/topic/30758
Aupperle		#458	[-]
Jun 13 12 6:02 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Steve R wrote: I'd always heard it was called The Fog Horn. Wasn't it ever anthologized? Maybe that magazine was after the film came out. http://www.saturdayevenin...mourns-ray-bradbury.html "MY FIRST ENCOUNTER WITH RAY’S NAME ATTACHED TO IT WAS WHEN THE SATURDAY EVENING POST PUBLISHED HIS SHORT STORY ‘THE BEAST FROM 20,000 FATHOMS’ IN, I BELIEVE, 1951. WHEN A FILM WITH THE SAME TITLE WAS RELEASED IN JUNE OF 1953, I BECAME AWARE OF ANOTHER ‘RAY,’ RAY HARRYHAUSEN, WHOSE STOP-MOTION ANIMATION BROUGHT ‘THE BEAST’ TO LIFE SO BEAUTIFULLY. I HAD NO IDEA AT THE TIME THAT BRADBURY AND HARRYHAUSEN HAD KNOWN EACH OTHER BY THEN FOR MORE THAN 15 YEARS." Arnold Kunert June 9, 2012
Rakshasa		#459	[-]
Jun 13 12 6:20 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	So he re-named it "The Fog Horn" after the movie came out? When and why, I wonder? Links To All The Classic Monster Stills I've Posted: http://monsterkidclassichorrorforum.yuku.com/topic/30758
Monsterpal		#460	[-]
Jun 13 12 11:34 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	It may have been his original title, changed by the Post's editors.
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THE BEAST FROM 20,000 FATHOMS (1953)