British Actors

The right actor, (not necessarily a British one) can bring gravitas to a mere fluff of a film. But really, this wasn't bad. It had an excellent joke concerning how the creature met its demise: a moth drawn to a flame, as were the female moth's victims also, like moths around a flame.
Back when this was produced, the young, cinema going public had an insatiable appetite for horror and sci-fi. The truth was, it was something to cuddle to, in the dark, part of the game. Special effects were very expensive, and — usually — apart from the main 'A Feature', production companies had precious little left over to spend on what Hollywood producers saw as mere bagatelles. But many a distinguished, British actor could not afford to be so picky. And they knew which side their bread was buttered. Just look how many films, Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee, and other members of the 'Hammer Rep' were in. And other companies, like Tygon and the like were soon to see what a burgeoning market this was; starting as a factory for 'quota quickies' and then developing a genre of its own. When American companies entered this market, few big stars were interested, but there were some notable exceptions: 'The Day the Earth Stood Still' was one. But after all is said and done, these cheap sci-fi-cum-horror films look very dated today with their poor transitions and laughable costumes. Only the fine performances of Cushing, Lee, and — across the pond — Vincent Price, save them from being totally forgotten by all but the fans, after the genre — like the titular character — went down in flames.