The Killer Shrews (1959)

Director:

Ray Kellogg

Writers:

Jay Simms (story)
Jay Simms (screenplay)

Release Date:

6 April 1962 (West Germany)

Genre:

Horror | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

All that was left after...THE KILLER SHREWS! (Used in conjunction with a woman's pink pump and splattered blood)

Plot:

On an isolated island, a small group of people is terrorised by giant, voracious shrews in the midst of a hurricane.

Plot Keywords:

Shrews | Hurricane | Flesh Eating | Remote Island | Sidekick

Cast

James Best	...	Thorne Sherman
Ingrid Goude	...	Ann Craigis
Ken Curtis	...	Jerry Farrell
Gordon McLendon	...	Dr. Radford Baines
Baruch Lumet	...	Dr. Marlowe Craigis
Judge Henry Dupree	...	'Rook' Griswold
Alfredo DeSoto	...	Mario

Directed by
Ray Kellogg

Writing credits
Jay Simms		(story)
Jay Simms		(screenplay)

Produced by
Ken Curtis	....	producer
Gordon McLendon	....	executive producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Harry Bluestone
Emil Cadkin

Cinematography by
Wilfred M. Cline		(director of photography) (as Wilfrid M. Cline)

Film Editing by
Aaron Stell

Set Decoration by
Louise Caldwell

Makeup Department
Corinne Daniel	....	makeup artist (as Cornie Daniel)

Production Management
Ben Chapman	....	production manager

Art Department
Louise Caldwell	....	art designer (as Louis Caldwell)

Sound Department
Milton Citron	....	sound effects
Earl Snyder	....	sound

Stunts
Fred Graham	....	stunt coordinator (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Harry L. Gianneschi	....	camera assistant
Henry A. Kokojan	....	camera operator
George Gordon Nogle	....	camera operator
William John Ranaldi	....	camera assistant

Music Department
Harry Bluestone	....	music supervisor
Gilbert D. Marchant	....	music editor (as Gil Marchand)

Other crew
Audrey A. Blasdel	....	script supervisor (as Audrey Blasdel)

Production Companies

• Hollywood Pictures Corporation (II)

Distributors

• McLendon-Radio Pictures Distributing Company (1959) (USA) (theatrical)
• Victory Multimedia (1992) (USA) (VHS)
• Diamond Entertainment Group (DEG) (1999) (USA) (DVD)
• K-tel Video (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• Madacy Entertainment (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• Madacy Entertainment (2001) (USA) (VHS)
• Alpha Video Distributors (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Navarre Entertainment (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Reel Media International (2004) (worldwide) (VHS)
• GoodTimes Home Video (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Catcom Home Entertainment (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Genius Entertainment (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• Legend Films (2008) (USA) (DVD)
• Reel Media International (2007) (worldwide) (all media)
• Screen Gems (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Something Weird Video (SWV) (????) (USA) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Legend Films  colorization
• Legend Films  restoration

Also Known As:

The Attack of the Killer Shrews

Runtime:

69 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

USA:Passed (National Board of Review) | UK:PG (video rating) (1996) | UK:X (original rating) | USA:Approved (PCA #19311)

Filming Locations:

Dallas, Texas, USA

Company:

Hollywood Pictures Corporation (II)

Trivia:

Close-ups of the giant shrews were filmed using hand puppets. The wider shots used dogs made up as the shrews.

Goofs:

Continuity: As Thorne and Jerry are fighting at the gate, Ann and Radford look out the window to see what's going on. In the close-up Ann is wearing a black top, even though she had just changed into a white blouse. When Thorne comes back into the house after the fight, Ann is again wearing the white blouse.

Quotes:

Jerry Farrell: Looks like a rat, smells like a skunk - some call them bone-eaters.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Horror Incorporated: The Killer Shrews (1959) (#2.2)" (2003)

Shrewd...but fun.

When will the doctors learn? On a desolate and exotic island a doctor with a heart of gold screws up and damn near destroys the world. Am I referring to Fulci's Zombie, no? How about that island with Marlon Brando? Nope, wrong again.

In the Killer Shrews this tome around on that deserted tropical island as seen a hundred times we have mutated shrews threatening to chomp down on our trapped scientists and a boat crew unlucky enough to be carting supplies to the island. Poisonous and hungry these shrews are gonna clean the island and suck the marrow from your bones…burp.

This fun little clichéd cheese fest moves along are a pretty quick pace. The acting is on par with the era, a bit over blown, but who cares. You have to love those shrew monsters. The effects are a bit *ahem* shrewd and laughable. Not to mention the long shots of the animals that appear to be dogs or maybe pigs dressed up in costumes, complete with tail. Good fun to be had by all with a hankering for b-grade sci-horror.