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The Swarm
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The Swarm (1978)

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User Rating: 3.8/10 (1,848 votes)
Photos (see all 24 | slideshow)

Overview

Director:
Irwin Allen
Writers:
Arthur Herzog Jr. (novel)
Stirling Silliphant (screenplay)
Release Date:
14 July 1978 (USA) more
Genre:
Action | Sci-Fi | Horror more
Tagline:
It's more than a speculation - it's a prediction ! more
Plot:
A huge swarm of deadly African bees spreads terror over American cities by killing thousands of people. full summary | add synopsis
Awards:
Nominated for Oscar. more
User Comments:
Great fun, depending on which version you see... more

Cast

  (in credits order) (verified as complete)

Michael Caine ... Dr. Bradford Crane

Katharine Ross ... Capt. Helena Anderson

Richard Widmark ... Major General Thalius Slater

Richard Chamberlain ... Dr. Hubbard

Olivia de Havilland ... Maureen Schuster (as Olivia De Havilland)

Ben Johnson ... Felix
Lee Grant ... Anne MacGregor
José Ferrer ... Dr. Andrews (as Jose Ferrer)

Patty Duke ... Rita (as Patty Duke Astin)
Slim Pickens ... Jud Hawkins
Bradford Dillman ... Major Baker

Fred MacMurray ... Mayor Clarence Tuttle

Henry Fonda ... Dr. Walter Krim
Cameron Mitchell ... General Thompson
Christian Juttner ... Paul Durant

Morgan Paull ... Dr. Newman
Alejandro Rey ... Dr. Martinez
Don 'Red' Barry ... Pete Harris
Doria Cook-Nelson ... Mrs. Mary Durant (as Doria Cook)
Robert Varney ... Mr. Durant
Patrick Culliton ... Sheriff Morrison

Ernie F. Orsatti ... Duty Officer (as Ernie Orsatti)
John Furlong ... Cameraman
Chris Petersen ... Hal
Jerry Toomey ... Eddie
Mara Cook ... Secretary
Joey Eisnach ... Bee Boy

Stephen Powers ... Radarman

Chris Capen ... Lieutenant
Tony Haig ... Officer #2
Bill Snider ... Radarman #2
George F. Simmons ... Nurse (as George Simmons)
Arell Blanton ... Sergeant
Trent Dolan ... Radio Sergeant
John Williams ... Launching Officer
Phil Montgomery ... Mechanic
James Turley ... Reverend (as James Austin Turley)
Frank Blair ... Himself

Steven Marlo ... Pilot #1 (as Steve Marlo)
Marcia Nicholson ... Captain
Arthur Space ... Engineer
Chuck Hayward ... Standby Engineer
Glenn Charles Lewis ... Chemical Warfare Guard
Art Balinger ... Radio Announcer

Michael Sheehan ... Airman #1
Howard Culver ... Airman #2
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Barbara Costello ... Receptionist / Nurse (extended version only)
Jim Galante ... Doctor (extended version only)
David Himes ... Radioman (extended version only)
Elizabeth Rogers ... Scientist (extended version only)
Jenifer Taurins ... Nurse (extended version only)

Marneen Fields ... Train Passenger (uncredited)
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Directed by
Irwin Allen 
 
Writing credits
Arthur Herzog Jr. (novel) (as Arthur Herzog)

Stirling Silliphant (screenplay)

Produced by
Irwin Allen .... producer
 
Original Music by
Jerry Goldsmith 
 
Cinematography by
Fred J. Koenekamp (director of photography)
 
Film Editing by
Harold F. Kress 
 
Casting by
Jack Baur 
 
Production Design by
Stan Jolley 
 
Set Decoration by
Stuart A. Reiss  (as Stuart Reiss)
 
Costume Design by
Paul Zastupnevich 
 
Makeup Department
Ruby Ford .... hair stylist
Tony Lloyd .... makeup artist
 
Production Management
Norman A. Cook .... production manager
George E. Swink .... post-production supervisor
 
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Herb Adelman .... trainee second assistant director
Mike Salamunovich .... assistant director
Skip Surguine .... second assistant director
 
Art Department
Ralph Aubert .... property master
Tom Cranham .... production illustrator
Irwin 'Eppy' Epstein .... drapery
Harold Fuhrman .... set designer
Alfred M. Kemper .... set designer
Joseph Musso .... production illustrator
William O'Brien .... assistant art director
 
Sound Department
Jerry Jacobson .... adr editor
Herman Lewis .... production sound mixer
Michael Minkler .... sound re-recording mixer
Allan R. Potter .... sound editor
 
Special Effects by
L.B. Abbott .... special photographic effects
Howard Jensen .... special effects
 
Stunts
Greg Anderson .... stunts
Larry Holt .... stunt performer
John Moio .... stunt performer
Paul Stader .... stunt coordinator
Mickey Caruso .... stunts (uncredited)
Marneen Fields .... stunts (uncredited)
Chuck Hayward .... stunts (uncredited)
Loren Janes .... stunts (uncredited)
Mike Johnson .... stunts (uncredited)
Mags Kavanaugh .... utility stunts (uncredited)
Hubie Kerns Jr. .... stunts (uncredited)
John Nowak .... stunts (uncredited)
Ernie F. Orsatti .... stunts (uncredited)
Paul Stader .... stunts (uncredited)
 
Camera and Electrical Department
Mike Benson .... camera operator
Hal Landaker .... video supervisor
John Monte .... still photographer
Edward Morey III .... assistant camera (as Ed Morey III)
Gene Stout .... gaffer
Serge Poupis .... assistant camera: second unit (uncredited)
 
Editorial Department
Donah Bassett .... negative cutter
Tim Board .... assistant film editor
 
Music Department
Les Fresholtz .... re-scoring mixer
Donald Harris .... music editor
Arthur Morton .... orchestrator
Arthur Piantadosi .... re-scoring mixer
Dan Wallin .... score mixer
 
Other crew
Nancy Claycomb .... production secretary
Al Gail .... production executive
Ron Gruchy .... air force coordinator (as Major Ron Gruchy)
Tony Habeeb .... publicist
Ken Harris .... technical advisor: bees
Fred Hesper .... technical advisor: bees
George Leslie .... cost controller
Steven Marlo .... dialogue coach
Sidney Marshall .... production executive
Julie Pitkanen .... script supervisor
Sheridan Dar Reid .... location manager (as Sheridan Reid)
Bill Ryan .... electronic foreman
Art Volpert .... executive assistant to producer
 


Production CompaniesDistributorsSpecial Effects
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Additional Details

Runtime:
116 min | USA:156 min (expanded video edition)
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Color:
Color (Technicolor)
Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
4-Track Stereo
Filming Locations:
Houston, Texas, USA
MOVIEmeter: ?
^ 7% since last week why?

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Irwin Allen was so disheartened by the amount of money he lost on The Swarm (1978) that he forbade any of his employees to ever mention it again. He even cut short an interview when a question was asked about it. more
Goofs:
Crew or equipment visible: As the flamethrower team sets a car on fire, you can briefly glimpse a film crew rushing up with water to put it out. more
Quotes:
Maureen Schuster: Attention! Attention! This is Miss Schuster. Please listen very carefully. A swarm of killer bees is coming this way. more
Movie Connections:
Spoofed in Nintendo All-Star Dai-Rantô Smash Bros. (1999) (VG) more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
10 out of 11 people found the following comment useful:-
Great fun, depending on which version you see..., 25 March 2005
6/10
Author: Libretio

THE SWARM

Aspect ratio: 2.39:1 (Panavision)

Sound format: 4-track magnetic stereo

A swarm of African killer bees rampage across America's south-west before descending on Houston, destroying everything in their path.

Contrary to popular opinion, THE SWARM is not the worst movie ever made, and anyone who says otherwise clearly hasn't seen the collected works of Jesùs Franco, Andy Milligan or Woody Allen (just kidding!). Representing the last gasp of the disaster cycle inaugurated by Ross Hunter's big-time adaptation of Arthur Hailey's AIRPORT (1969) and further popularized by the likes of THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE (1972) and THE TOWERING INFERNO (1974) - the latter a bona fide Hollywood classic - THE SWARM encapsulates director Irwin Allen's basic commercial ethos: Big stars, big set-pieces, and big drama.

Taking its cue from previous small-scale entries like THE DEADLY BEES (1966) and TERROR OUT OF THE SKY (1978), Allen's old-fashioned monster movie revels in the destruction of towns, trains, nuclear power plants and the reputations of numerous high-profile actors. However, Stirling Silliphant's script is so hokey, it's difficult to believe he wasn't poking inglorious fun at the entire project: Michael Caine is so obviously miscast (as a 'brilliant' entomologist), and so clearly contemptuous of the material, his expression never changes throughout the entire film, though co-star Richard Widmark gives it everything he's got as a gruff military type who's eager to quell the threat by bombing everything in sight. Henry Fonda rises above the fray as a dedicated immunologist, and Slim Pickens is quietly dignified as a bereaved father, while Olivia De Havilland forms the centerpiece of a gentle romantic subplot (she's courted by Fred MacMurray and Ben Johnson). Richard Chamberlain, Lee Grant, Jose Ferrer, Bradford Dillman and Patty Duke Astin are featured in supporting roles alongside leading lady Katharine Ross, who seems particularly embarrassed by her ridiculous dialogue (get a load of her hysterical reaction to the death of a sympathetic younger character - if you lean forward, you can almost *smell* the ham!).

The film exists in two separate versions: The 116 minute theatrical print, and an expanded 'director's cut' running 155 minutes which pads the narrative with pointless dialogue exchanges, turning a tightly constructed disaster thriller into an endless yak-fest. Stick with the original.

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The music was good ryannaughton1138-1
Different Killer Bees movie (spoilers) zagnut-3
Funniest scene or line ryannaughton1138-1
Time for a remake? captmike10
scared me TCopelin
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