IMDb on iPhone and iPod touch Learn more Learn more Download from the App Store
IMDb > The Giant Claw (1957)

The Giant Claw (1957) More at IMDbPro »


IMDb Holiday Movie Guide

Overview

User Rating:
2.9/10   905 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 14% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Writers:
Paul Gangelin (writer)
Samuel Newman (writer)
Contact:
View company contact information for The Giant Claw on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
June 1957 (USA) more
Genre:
Tagline:
Flying beast out of prehistoric skies!
Plot:
Global panic ensues when it is revealed that a mysterious UFO is actually a giant bird that flies at supersonic speed and has no regard for life or architecture. full summary | add synopsis
User Comments:
From the studio that made Lawrence of Arabia. more (62 total)

Cast

  (Complete credited cast)
Jeff Morrow ... Mitchell 'Mitch' MacAfee
Mara Corday ... Sally Caldwell
Morris Ankrum ... Lt. Gen. Edward Considine
Louis Merrill ... Pierre Broussard (as Louis D. Merrill)
Edgar Barrier ... Dr. Karol Noymann
Robert Shayne ... Gen. Van Buskirk
Frank Griffin ... Pete, pilot (as Ruell Shayne)
Clark Howat ... Maj. Bergen
Morgan Jones ... Lieutenant, Radar Officer
more
Create a character page for: ?

Additional Details

Also Known As:
The Mark of the Claw (USA) (working title)
more
Runtime:
75 min
Country:
Language:
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Certification:

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
In an interview, star Jeff Morrow said that neither he nor anyone on the film saw the title "monster" until they went to the film's premiere in Morrow's home town. It turned out that producer Sam Katzman had contracted with a low-budget model-maker in Mexico City to construct the "Giant Claw" and no one in the cast or crew had any idea it would come out looking as bizarre and, frankly, laughable as it did. Morrow said that the audience roared with laughter every time the "monster" made an appearance, and he wound up slinking in embarrassment out of the theater before the film was over so that no one who knew him would recognize him. more
Goofs:
Revealing mistakes: Due to use of footage from Earth vs. the Flying Saucers (1956), a flying saucer can very briefly be glimpsed in Grand Central Terminal during the bird's attack on New York City. more
Quotes:
Lt. Gen. Edward Considine: It's hard to come up with answers when you don't even know what the question is. more
Movie Connections:

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
23 out of 26 people found the following comment useful.
From the studio that made Lawrence of Arabia., 17 January 2002
9/10
Author: Chris Gaskin from Derby, England

Columbia, which made huge hits like Lawrence of Arabia and Jason and the Argonauts, were responsible for this.

A giant vulture like bird from outer space is responsible for aeroplanes disappearing and to make things worse, it has an anti-matter shield around it which makes it invisible on radar. After destroying some well known landmarks in Washington and New York and also picking a (model) train up in its beak, a way is devised to kill it and is successfully killed at the end when it is shot from an aeroplane.

The Giant Claw is one of the best so-bad-it's-good movies of the 1950's. When I first saw the giant wooden puppet bird, I couldn't stop laughing, even though it isn't supposed to be a comedy.

The cast includes 50s sci-fi regulars Jeff Morrow (This Island Earth, Kronos), Morris Ankrum (Invaders From Mars, Earth vs. the Flying Saucers)and Mara Corday (Tarantula, The Black Scorpian).

I enjoyed this movie very much and I don't see how anybody cannot enjoy it. Great fun.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars.

Was the above comment useful to you?
more (62 total)

Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for The Giant Claw (1957)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
It's a shame about that puppet. Forgotten_Hero
All should watch the review at cinemassacre... tobisama
very realistic + very scary! sir_knightrider_III
Those 50's Women plwblj
I'll never call my mother-in-law an old crow again! Microwave_Jellyfish
I think Mara Corday is smoking hot! john-1451
more

Recommendations

If you enjoyed this title, our database also recommends:
- - - - -
King Kong Behemoth the Sea Monster The 7th Voyage of Sinbad Godzilla, King of the Monsters! King Kong
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
Show more recommendations

Related Links

Full cast and crew Company credits External reviews
IMDb Fantasy section IMDb USA section Add this title to MyMovies

You may report errors and omissions on this page to the IMDb database managers. They will be examined and if approved will be included in a future update. Clicking the 'Update' button will take you through a step-by-step process.