The Creeping Terror (1964)

Director:

Vic Savage

Writer:

Robert Silliphant (story)

Release Date:

1964 (USA)

Genre:

Sci-Fi | Horror

Plot:

A newlywed sheriff tries to stop a shambling monster that has emerged from a spaceship to eat people.

Plot Keywords:

Monster | Spaceship | Uninvited Guest | Slug Creature | Marriage

Cast

Vic Savage	...	Martin Gordon
Shannon O'Neil	...	Brett Gordon
William Thourlby	...	Dr. Bradford
John Caresio	...	Col. James Caldwell
Brendon Boone	...	Barney, the deputy (as Norman Boone)
Byrd Holland	...	Sheriff
Jack King	...	Grandpa Brown
Pierre Kopp	...	Bobby
Ken Savage
Mark Field
Les La Marr
Mary Price
Louise Lawson
Myra Lee
Buddy Mize

Also Known As:

Dangerous Charter
The Crawling Monster

Runtime:

75 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Filming Locations:

Film Center Studios, Glendale, California, USA

Company:

Metropolitan International Pictures

Trivia:

According to rumors, a more impressive looking monster was originally designed and built for the movie. However, only a few days before shooting was to begin, the monster was stolen. Pressed for time and out of money, director Vic Savage and his crew hastily threw together the infamous "pile of carpets" monster that appears in the film.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: When the monster flips over the car for a second time, a crewmember's hand is visible in the upper right part of the frame helping to push the car over.

Quotes:

Narrator: Despite Brett's inquiries about what Martin had seen in the spacecraft, he avoided specific details for fear of distrubing her more than she was. If the truth were known, Martin was more than a little disturbed himself.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Creeping Terror (#7.6)" (1994)

Driving, pounding ecstasy...

Yes! It's all true! By any standard of film-making (acting, lighting, sound, direction, writing, pacing, camera-work, sets, characterization, etc.) The Creeping Terror justifiably earns the very lowest score possible. I don't believe that a worse movie could be made, intentionally or otherwise.

So why do I love this film?

There's something undeniably sincere about this movie. The writer/director/leading man Art Nelson must have believed so strongly in the project that he insisted on finishing it even when he accidentally dumped the audio equipment into Lake Tahoe. The actors were REALLY trying to look scared when they were crawling into the creature's mouth. (OK, maybe Grandpa was a bit slack in that department.) The dancers were giving it their all--even that guy that keeps hopping up and down and twisting his forearms in tight little circles. The narrator did his best to dramatize the action. ("...GRENADES!") The soldiers took obligingly took Mr. Nelson's direction and stood motionless in a small group waiting for the creature to devour them. They all must have BELIEVED that they were doing good work. It's a tribute to the (admittedly bizarre) vision of Art Nelson that this movie was made, much less released. What did he see that we can't?

This is a fascinating movie that I have watched dozens of times and will watch many more times. It's not a worthless waste of time. It's true auteur-ship at it's misguided best.