1954

This was almost as big a year for 50s sci-fi as 1953. The genre was maturing and several sub-genre were taking shape. The notables of these were the giant-bug flicks, begun by Them! and the two rubber-suit monster types: the man-sized monster, typified by the gill-man in Creature from the Black Lagoon and the "giant" rubber-suit monster destroying model cities, defined by Godzilla. Amid all that, swirled B-movies both thoughtful and silly. Here they are in chronological order.

Riders to the Stars -- the second in Ivan Tors' "Office of Scientific Investigation" trilogy. Astronauts train for a dangerous meteoroid capture mission.

Killers from Space -- the second sci-fi B movie from the Wilder team. Almost retro, even in '54. The forerunner of alien abduction stories. Starring Peter Graves.

Creature from the Black Lagoon -- the grand daddy of all later man-in-rubber-suit monster flicks. One of the famous classics.

Devil Girl from Mars -- a low-budget British film with a cool twist. Mars women need to abduct earth men.

Them! -- this is the granddaddy of all the later giant atomic bug flicks. A classic.

Gog -- the third of Ivan Tors' OSI trilogy. High flying spy plane causes a super computer to kill off America's rocket scientists.

Crash of Moons -- a movie compilation of Rocky Jones, Space Ranger TV episodes. The old movie serials find new life on the small screen.

Tobor the Great -- a kid's sci-fi movie starring a big robot which can be controlled telepathically. Commie spies are out to steal Tobor.

Target Earth -- a low-budget B in which a handful of citizens elude a killer robot in a deserted city.

The Snow Creature -- another low-budget Wilder production about a Yeti captured and brought to Los Angeles.

Godzilla -- the granddaddy of all flicks featuring a "giant" monsters (men in rubber suits) destroying model cities.

Stranger from Venus -- a low-budget remake of The Day the Earth Stood Still.

Monster from the Ocean Floor -- a low-budget monster movie by Wyott Ordung, the writer of Robot Monster ('53).

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea -- Disney's retelling of the classic Jules Verne tale. Big name actors, big budget and lavish color, but the Nautilus almost steals the show.
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