Directed by Nathan Juran • 1957 • United States
Starring William Hopper, Joan Taylor, Frank Puglia

This thrilling creature-feature classic stands out thanks to dazzling special effects by Ray Harryhausen. En route from Venus back to Earth, a United States Army rocket ship crash lands in the Mediterranean Sea just off the coast of Italy, and from the wreckage rises one of the stop-motion master’s most memorable creations: a rapidly growing lizardlike menace that destroys everything in its path as it romps its way across Rome. An epic monster vs. elephant showdown and a Roman Colosseum–set climax are among the eye-popping attractions.