It Came from Beneath the Sea

A nuclear submarine on patrol in the Pacific encounters something large and fast moving beneath the surface. After the vessel limps into Pearl Harbor with minor damage and traces of radioactive tissue on its propellers, Commander Pete Mathews joins two scientists, Professor Lesley Joyce and Dr. John Carter, in trying to work out what attacked the boat. Their answer is a gigantic octopus, grown monstrous by radiation from hydrogen bomb tests and driven toward the surface in search of uncontaminated food. As fishing boats and their crews go missing, the Navy is skeptical of the scientists' theory until further attacks force a response. The creature's course takes it toward San Francisco.

The film is a 1955 Columbia Pictures release produced by Charles H. Schneer, directed by Robert Gordon from a screenplay by George Worthing Yates and Harold Jacob Smith. It was Gordon's second feature as director, following Thunder in the Pines in 1948. Kenneth Tobey, Faith Domergue and Donald Curtis lead the cast, with Chuck Griffiths, Ian Keith and Dean Maddox Jr. in supporting roles. Running 79 minutes, it belongs to the wave of American science fiction creature features of the 1950s.

The film took about 2 million dollars worldwide. On IMDb it holds 5.9/10 from around 7,200 votes, while on TMDB it stands at 5.7/10 from roughly 109 votes. A critics' rating of 6/10 from 10 reviews places it close to the audience scores.