Universal Studios created the first movie studio in 1914. During the 1930s and 1940s they were well known for their monster movies — Frankenstein (1931), Dracula (1931), The Wolf Man (1941), The Mummy (1932), and many others. But during the 1950s, Universal produced 11 science fiction movies. Here are my ratings.

1. It Came From Outer Space (1953) – Astronomer John Putnam and his girlfriend Ellen see what they think is a large meteorite crash in the Arizona desert where they live. It turns out to be a disabled spacecraft. The aliens assume the form of townspeople. The aliens appear to be evil but in the end are actually good and just want to repair their ship. Good acting, good script. My grade = A-.

2. The Monolith Monsters (1957) – A large meteorite crashes in the Southern California desert and explodes into thousands of fragments. When a fragment is exposed to water it grows huge and if touched, turns the victim to stone. Geologist Dave Miller figures out the the monoliths can be stopped by seawater. He dynamites a dam and the water runs through a salt mine and the menace is stopped. Good special effects and a nice story. My grade = B+.

3. This Island Earth (1955) – Scientists are lured to a strange research facility. It turns out to be run by aliens from planet Metaluna who need scientific help in their war against the Zagons. Scientists Carl and Ruth are whisked to Metaluna just in time to see the Zagons launch a final assault. Carl and Ruth escape back to Earth. Excellent special effects and excellent cinematography. My grade = B+.

4. The Deadly Mantis (1957) – A 200-foot praying mantis is released from being frozen in ice at the North Pole. It makes its way towards New York city, causing death and havoc along the way. The big bug meets its end in the Manhattan Tunnel. This is not a great film by any means, but I like big bug movies so it makes number four on my list. My grade = B.

5. Creature From The Black Lagoon (1954) – A scientific expedition in the Amazon jungle discovers a gill-man who lives in a creepy lagoon. The scientists try to capture the creature but it’s pretty smart and defeats their efforts. In the end, the creature is shot several times and his body sinks out of sight. This is a borderline science fiction movie but close enough for my list. My grade = B.

6. Tarantula (1955) – In a small town in the Arizona desert, a scientist is performing experiments with radioactive nutrients to try and grow vegetables and food animals very large. Somehow a tarantula escapes and grows to enormous size. The tarantula kills some people but is eventually destroyed by Air Force jets with napalm bombs. No Academy Award winner but a decent giant bug movie. (Yes, I know a tarantula isn’t a bug). My grade = B-.

7. (tie) Revenge of the Creature (1955) – The creature is captured in his Amazonian lagoon and brought to a Flordia marine park. The creature eventually escapes to the ocean but later kidnaps ichthyology student Helen. The hero scientist Clete and police arrive just in time and shoot the creature and his body sinks out of sight. A simple story but well-executed. My grade = C+.

7. (tie) The Creature Walks Among Us (1956) – The gill-man is still alive and is hiding out in the Florida Everglades. The gill-man is captured and an operation allows him to breath air on the land. An evil scientist kills a romantic rival and puts the blame on the gill-man. The gill-man kills the evil scientist and escapes back into the ocean. Not a bad movie but I felt sorry for the gill-man. My Grade = C+.

8. The Mole People (1956) – A team of scientist discover an albino race descended from ancient Sumerians living underground. The civilization keeps mutant humanoid mole men as their slaves to harvest mushrooms. The scientists are initially worshipped as gods but later the Sumerians turn on them. An earthquake strikes but most of the scientists escape. A very creative story that is (barely) plausible. My grade = C.

9. The Land Unknown (1957) – A scientific expedition is exploring unusually warm water near the South Pole. Their helicopter descends into an extinct volcano where they find a warm jungle with dinosaurs. The team eventually repairs their damaged helicopter and escape. This movie is (in)famous for its bad special effects, including a weak Tyrannosaurus Rex costume. But still, this movie has a certain amount of low-budget charm for me. My grade = C-.

10. The Incredible Shrinking Man (1957) – Most people like this movie much better than I do. Scott Carey, an ordinary man is out on his small boat in the ocean when he runs through a mysterious sparkly cloud/fog. A few weeks later, he starts shrinking. Eventually he falls into the basement and everyone thinks he was eaten by a cat. The movie ends with Scott, alone, shrinking into oblivion. I did not at all like the depressing ending to this movie. My grade = C-.