Them! (1954)

Director:

Gordon Douglas

Writers:

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

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:

Washington D.C. | Alcoholic | Ants | Psychiatrist | Fable

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)
Richard Bellis	...	Mike Lodge (uncredited)
John Beradino	...	Patrolman Ryan (uncredited)
Robert Berger	...	Patrolman Sutton (uncredited)
Oscar Blanke	...	Alcoholic Ward Patient (uncredited)
Willis Bouchey	...	Official at D.C. Meeting (uncredited)
Richard Boyer	...	Trooper #1 (uncredited)
Waldron Boyle	...	Doctor (uncredited)
Alexander Campbell	...	Official (uncredited)
Royden E. Clark	...	Jeep Driver (uncredited)
John Close	...	Johnny, Police Aircraft Pilot (uncredited)
Booth Colman	...	Reporter (uncredited)
James Conaty	...	Washington Official (uncredited)
Robert Scott Correll	...	Jerry Lodge (uncredited)
Walter Coy	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Dean Cromer	...	MP Sergeant (uncredited)
Richard Deacon	...	Bald reporter, Los Angeles news conference (uncredited)
Eddie Dew	...	Officer (uncredited)
Lawrence Dobkin	...	Los Angeles City Engineer (uncredited)
Ann Doran	...	Child Psychiatrist (uncredited)
Wally Duffy	...	Airman (uncredited)
Cliff Ferre	...	Cliff, Police Lab Man (uncredited)
Norman Field	...	Gen. James (uncredited)
Joseph Forte	...	Coroner Putnam (uncredited)
Dean Fredericks	...	Det. Curtis (uncredited)
Russell Gaige	...	Coroner (uncredited)
Otis Garth	...	Admiral at Second Conference (uncredited)
Dorothy Green	...	Matron (uncredited)
Mary Lou Holloway	...	Blonde (uncredited)
Gayle Kellogg	...	Gunner (uncredited)
Kenner G. Kemp	...	Trooper #2 (uncredited)
Hubie Kerns	...	Jeep Driver (uncredited)
Warren Mace	...	Radio Operator (uncredited)
Chad Mallory	...	Loader (uncredited)
John Maxwell	...	Dr. Grant (uncredited)
Matthew McCue	...	Gramps Johnson, Storekeeper (uncredited)
Charles Meredith	...	Washington Official (uncredited)
Forbes Murray	...	Government Official (uncredited)
Leonard Nimoy	...	Air Force Sergeant (uncredited)
Jack Perrin	...	Army Officer (uncredited)
Charles Perry	...	Soldier (uncredited)
Grandon Rhodes	...	Alcoholic Ward Doctor (uncredited)
William Schallert	...	Ambulance Attendant (uncredited)
Fred Shellac	...	Attendant (uncredited)
Joel Smith	...	Smitty, Ben's Jeep Driver (uncredited)
K.L. Smith	...	Trooper (uncredited)
Janet Stewart	...	WAVE (uncredited)
Victor Sutherland	...	Senator at D.C. Meeting (uncredited)
Dub Taylor	...	Railroad Yard Watchman (uncredited)
Harry Tyler	...	Harry, Alcoholic Ward Patient (uncredited)
Dick Wessel	...	Railroad Detective (uncredited)
Harry Wilson	...	Alcoholic Ward Patient (uncredited)

Directed by
Gordon Douglas

Writing credits
Ted Sherdeman		(screenplay)
Russell S. Hughes		(adaptation) (as Russell Hughes)
George Worthing Yates		(story)

Produced by
David Weisbart	....	producer

Original Music by
Bronislau Kaper

Cinematography by
Sidney Hickox		(director of photography) (as Sid Hickox)

Film Editing by
Thomas Reilly

Art Direction by
Stanley Fleischer

Set Decoration by
G.W. Berntsen

Makeup Department
Gordon Bau	....	makeup artist

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Russell Saunders	....	assistant director (as Russ Saunders)

Sound Department
Francis J. Scheid	....	sound

Stunts
Roydon Clark	....	stunts (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Moss Mabry	....	wardrobe

Music Department
Robert Franklyn	....	orchestrator
Ray Heindorf	....	musical director

Other crew
Liz Patten	....	double: Sandy Descher (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Warner Bros. Pictures

Distributors

• Warner Bros. Pictures (1954) (USA) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (1960) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Warner Home Video (1985) (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2003) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Cinema Classics (19??) (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (19??) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Warner Home Video (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2006) (USA) (DVD)

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:

West Germany:16 (nf) | Norway:16 (1954) | 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:

The B-25 Mitchel bomber transporting the doctors Medford was actually the personal transport for a 2-star General.

Goofs:

Factual errors: Dr. Harold Medford identifies the ants as species Camponotus vicinus. However, this species does not sting its victims.

Quotes:

Robert Graham: And I thought today was the end of them.
Dr. Harold Medford: No. We haven't seen the end of them. We've only had a close view of the beginning of what may be the end of us.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Lilo & Stitch 2: Stitch Has a Glitch (2005) (V)

I`d Forgotten How Good This Was

I watched THEM last week after an absence of nearly 15 years and was expecting to see another corny SF bug movie , but I was surprised as to how much I enjoyed it . Okay the science involved is absolute rubbish but it is a very enjoyable film with some really good moments like the lone cop investigating the eldritch sound of the ants , the attack on the ship , and the final battle underneath the city . Gordon Douglas uses an almost documentary type of filming that suspends disbelief . THEM is rightly regarded as one of the best films of the golden age of SF

I enjoyed watching this for the first time when I was about 8 years old , but it does have a personal relevence to me: It was the very first film I taped off the television when I got my own video recorder way back in 1988