Them!

 

THEM!-1954-In this classic 1950's "giant bug" science fiction story giant ants are breeding in the New Mexico desert (9 years after a nuclear bomb blast) and killing humans. After police Sargent Ben Peterson (James Whitmore) finds a shell shocked little girl (Sandy Descher) wandering around and his partner is killed, FBI agent Robert Graham (James Arness) is called in. So is ant expert Dr. Medford (Edmund Gwen) and his daughter Patricia (Joan Weldon). They discover and kill one of the ants and later with the help of General O'Brien (Onslow Stevens) and Major Kibbee (Sean McClory) and the army wipe out the colony. 

Unfortunately a couple of queens escape and take up residence in the sewer drains of LA. A frantic search ensues and along the way many familiar characters show up (Fess Parker, John Beradino, Willis Bouchey, Olin Howland, Richard Deacon, Ann Doran, Dean Fredericks, William Schallert, Dub Taylor, Dick Wessel, Harry Wilson and of course Leonard Nimoy). The finale takes place in a crumbling section of the sewer where besides destroying the nests they must rescue two boys trapped there. 

Arguably this is the best giant insect movie. It's very straightforward, scientific and has solid acting. Director Gordon Douglas had varied and interesting career making entries into “The Great Gildersleeve” series, Our Gang shorts, ZENOBIA (with Harry Langdon & Oliver Hardy), ZOMBIES ON BROADWAY (with Brown & Carney) before THEM! Later in the '60's he made bigger budget films for Bob Hope, Sinatra & Martin, Jerry Lewis, IN LIKE FLINT, two Tony Rome detective stories (with Sinatra), the missing link drama SKULLDUGGERY, THEY CALL ME MR TIBBS (with Sidney Poitier) and SALUGHTER'S BIG RIP-OFF!

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