Them! (1954)

User Rating:

7.5/10   

Director:

Gordon Douglas

Writers:

Ted Sherdeman (screenplay)
Russell S. Hughes (adaptation)

Release Date:

19 June 1954 (USA)

Genre:

Sci-Fi | Horror

Tagline:

The Amazing New Warner Bros. Sensation!

Plot:

The earliest atomic tests in New Mexico cause common ants to mutate into giant man-eating monsters that threaten civilization.

Plot Keywords:

Ant | Desert | New Mexico | Police | Trailer

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 1 win

Cast

James Whitmore	...	Police Sgt. Ben Peterson
Edmund Gwenn	...	Dr. Harold Medford
Joan Weldon	...	Dr. Patricia 'Pat' Medford
James Arness	...	Robert Graham
Onslow Stevens	...	Brig. Gen. Robert O'Brien
Sean McClory	...	Maj. Kibbee
Chris Drake	...	Trooper Ed Blackburn
Sandy Descher	...	The Ellinson Girl
Mary Alan Hokanson	...	Mrs. Lodge (as Mary Ann Hokanson)
Don Shelton	...	Trooper Capt. Fred Edwards
Fess Parker	...	Alan Crotty
Olin Howland	...	Jensen (as Olin Howlin)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Marshall Bradford	...	Psychiatrist (scenes deleted)

Also Known As:

Them (USA) (poster title)

Runtime:

94 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.75 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

Norway:16 (1954) | West Germany:16 (nf) | Australia:PG | Canada:PG | Finland:K-12 | Sweden:11 (1969) | UK:PG | USA:Approved (PCA #16752, General Audience)

Filming Locations:

Blaney Ranch - 160th & Q Streets, Palmdale, California, USA

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

In 1998, Joan Weldon revealed that during the shoot of Them! (1954), the temperature reached 110°F and both she and Edmund Gwenn were wearing wool clothing. It was even more insufferable for Gwenn, who struggled with advanced arthritis. Although unnoticeable to audiences, he was in pain and was helped off set by his valet.

Goofs:

Factual errors: While the Army is searching the storm drains of Los Angeles for the new nest of giant ants, they are seen to be using radios for communication. Radios do not work underground - especially in reinforced concrete tunnels.

Quotes:

Dr. Harold Medford: None of the ants previously seen by man were more than an inch in length - most considerably under that size. But even the most minute of them have an instinct and talent for industry, social organization, and savagery that makes man look feeble by comparison.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Dogma (1999)

Hey, this could really happen!

Of all the films of this genre (1950's cold war paranoia, aliens, monsters and atomic mutations) that I have seen, THEM! is by far the best. Yes, it certainly has the 'plot' of countless other films (Big _________s caused by radiation) and the square-jawed heroes, but THEM! goes beyond that.

Despite the fact that it was intended to be shot in color, this film seems more natural in b&w. The lighting holds THEM! together. Particularly in the desert 'tension' scenes and the finale in the flood drains of LA. The acting is fine, definetly not wooden-a trait which plagues this genre. Thankfully, other than the something-exposed-to-radiation-must-become-a-larger-something thing, the film doesn't get muddled in pseudo-science and gibberish thus killing any anxiety with un-intended laughs. Some people might even learn something about ants (and giant ants).