This Movie Once Had A Better Title!!!!!!!!!!!! But It Still Would Not Have Saved It From Being Crummy!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                "Monster From The Ocean Floor," was made in my birth year, 1954.  It is recognized as the first film to be produced by Roger Corman, which explains a lot.  He had a great title for the film--"It Stalked The Ocean Floor,"--but the fly by night company that released this, Palo Alto, thought it was too "artsy."  Big deal for them, because what other films did this company make?

                                  Now, I love the sound of the title, but when closely examined, I had to ask myself whether it made any sense?  Things are stalking the ocean floor ever minute, even  as I write this.  However, none of them come up on land to bother us, so what would be the point of the film?
We have enough happening to us on land, today, as it is!

                                  So, if something is simply stalking the ocean floor, and not coming up, how can it harm anybody?  So, I have to confess, I think the film company was right!

                                   Now, the released title, "Monster From The Ocean Floor," promises chills and thrills.  I mean, look at the poster!  This should have been a terror fest, but it was shown on "Chiller Theatre" periodically during my Sixties childhood, and it paled beside something like "The Monster Of Piedras Blancas."  Or "The Hideous Sun Demon."

Now, take a look at this shot.  From my memory, this is all that is seen of the monster.  Some kind of one eyed octopus popping up, and looking toward land.  Sure, there were victims, but how did they get killed, if this is as close as the creature they came?  Maybe they were killed in the water, like Chrissy, in the frightening opening of 1975's "JAWS!"  That certainly is a possibility.

To think, in just two years, Corman would create his star-making monster, "Cucumbo," in 1956's "It Conquered The World."  To this day, no AIP creation, outside of Sandra Harrison's monster make-up in 1957's "Blood Of Dracula," has equaled him (ie; Cucumbo).

So maybe it is good the original title was not used.  While the words promise much, they do not make sense.  But, then neither does this movie!

However, with a less enticing title, perhaps the audience will feel less cheated!