Them!

Unrated

6/16/19541h 34m

Theatrical (limited) Release (US)

~ A horror horde of crawl-and-crush giants clawing out of the earth from mile-deep catacombs! ~

Overview:

As a result of nuclear testing, gigantic, ferocious mutant ants appear in the American desert southwest, and a father-daughter team of entomologists join forces with the state police officer who first discovers their existence, an FBI agent and, eventually, the US Army to eradicate the menace, before it spreads across the continent — and the world.

Director:

Gordon Douglas

Status:

Released

Language:

English

Buget:

$23,000,000.00

Revenue:

$0.00

Key words:

army
monster
atomic bomb
mutation
radiation
fbi
new mexico
giant monster
ant
martial law
giant insect
black and white
desert
psychiatric ward
ant's nest
general store
entomologist
giant ants
animal horror
storm drain
scientist heroine
southwest desert
state police officer
drunk ward
formic acid
traumatized child
mysterious footprint
cyanide grenade
atomic mutation
ant eggs

Cast

James Whitmore

~ as ~

Sgt. Ben Peterson

James Arness

~ as ~

FBI Agent Robert Graham

Joan Weldon

~ as ~

Dr. Pat Medford

Edmund Gwenn

~ as ~

Dr. Harold Medford

Onslow Stevens

~ as ~

Brig. Gen. Robert O'Brien

Sean McClory

~ as ~

Maj. Kibbee

Sandy Descher

~ as ~

The Ellinson Girl

Chris Drake

~ as ~

Trooper Ed Blackburn

Don Shelton

~ as ~

Trooper Capt. Fred Edwards

Fess Parker

~ as ~

Alan Crotty

View full cast & crew

Reviews (2)

B
Blackhorse
Written 12 year(s) ago
~~
Great Classic Sci-Fi! This movie came out 7 days after I was born! Because of Nuclear testing. ( Of Course ) Everything happened in the 50's movies because of that, these tiny little creatures become as large as cars and bigger. Ravishing the countryside looking for Sugar, of perhaps a M&M factory. Of course people get in the way and are quickly dispatched in their giant pinchers. Great cast also. A Must see!
John Chard
Written 10 year(s) ago
8
Often imitated, rarely bettered.

Weird deaths are occurring in the New Mexico desert, it is revealed to be the work of giant mutated ants born out of the "A Bomb" tests that took place there. Trouble escalates to the big city of Los Angeles when one of the giant queen ants escapes to L.A. and starts laying eggs that could lead to the end of mankind as we know it.

This is a cautionary tale about scientific tampering fused with a Cold War theme of destroying a threat to the country. Boasting some wonderful scenes such as the first desert encounter (cloaked in a sandstorm) and the final underground battle, Them! is a truly enjoyable viewing experience. It oozes the right amount of paranoia that became ever more prominent as the nuclear age began grow. The puppetry and special effects on show is of a very high standard for the time (well done Academy Award Nominee Ralph Ayres), and the direction from Gordon Douglas is one of the better efforts in the genre.

The tight story vanquishes any gripes about the plausibility factor, while the acting is, perhaps given the type of genre piece it is, of a surprisingly good standard. With James Whitmore, Edmund Gwenn, and Joan Weldon giving it a bit of oopmh. It went on to become Warner Brothers highest grossing film in 1954, and it's really not hard to see why. Because this firmly stands up as one of the better films of what is sadly a much maligned genre. 8/10