The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms

Freed from the Arctic ice by atomic blasts, one of Ray Harryhausen's most loveable prehistoric beasts trundles down the US coast to stomp New York, before going out in a blaze of glory at Coney Island funfair (thereby starting a stampede of similar monsters, including Godzilla). Quite what Jean Renoir made of his regular art director's switch to monster-movie auteur (The Colossus of New York, The Giant Behemoth and Gorgo followed) isn't recorded, but Lourié was merely one of a long line of designers to turn sci-fi director, alongside the likes of Harry Horner (Red Planet Mars), Nathan Juran (Attack of the 50 Foot Woman), and William Cameron Menzies (Invaders from Mars). From a story by Ray Bradbury.