‘Bullets won’t kill it! Flames can’t hurt it! Nothing can stop it!’
Earth vs the Spider is a 1958 sci-fi horror film in which teenagers and their science teacher battle a giant mutant arachnid. Also known as simply The Spider
Produced and directed by Bert I. Gordon, who also wrote the story, upon which the screenplay written by George Worthing Yates (Tormented; Frankenstein 1970) and László Görög (The Land Unknown; The Mole People) is based. Gordon also provided special effects.
The movie stars Ed Kemmer, Eugene Persson and June Kenney.
Plot:
A middle-aged man is driving along a country road with a bracelet birthday present for his teenage daughter, Carol (June Kenney). However, he meets a horrific sudden death.
The next day, after studying at River Falls High School, Carol enlists the help of her boyfriend, Mike (Gene Persson), to track down her missing father. The teenagers trace his path to an eerie cave containing a huge web and a massive spider and barely escape with their lives.
Naturally, the sheriff (Gene Roth) doubts their story but does heed the warning of Mr Kingman (Ed Kemmer), the science teacher at the local high school, to bring a pest-control crew along with his deputies, a posse, and a tanker loaded with DDT.
The posse comes across Carol’s shrivelled dead father and then the creature, and, after losing one of their men, dispatch it with the insecticide. Kingman persuades the sheriff to bring the carcass into town so that he can arrange to have it studied, leaving it in storage at the high school recreation room, for lack of anywhere bigger to keep it.
Unfortunately, the spider is merely stunned. As the local rock ‘n’ roll band rehearses, the giant spider comes to bloodthirsty consciousness, breaking out of the building and ravaging the town. Bullets won’t hurt it — as Kingman says, you could punch holes in it all day without hitting a vital spot — and the town is soon cut off when the telephone lines are knocked down…
Cast and characters:
Ed Kemmer … Professor Art Kingman, June Kenney … Carol Flynn, Eugene Persson … Mike Simpson, Gene Roth … Sheriff Cagle, Hal Torey … Mr Simpson, June Jocelyn … Mrs Jack Flynn, Mickey Finn … Sam Haskel, Sally Fraser … Mrs Helen Kingman, Troy Patterson … Joe, Skip Young … Sam the Bass Player, Howard Wright … Jake, Bill Giorgio … Deputy Sheriff Pete Sanders, Hank Patterson … Hugo the Janitor, Jack Kosslyn … Mr Fraser, Bob Garnet … Pest Control Man
Filming locations:
Bronson Caves, Bronson Canyon, Griffith Park – 4730 Crystal Springs Drive, Los Angeles, California
Carlsbad Caverns National Park – 727 Carlsbad Caverns Highway, Carlsbad, New Mexico
Universal Studios – 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California
Theatrical release:
In the USA, Earth vs the Spider was released by American International Pictures (AIP).
Censorship:
When originally released in the UK by Anglo Amalgamated, the BBFC required cuts (13/11/1958) to secure an ‘A’ rating. All cuts were waived in 1991 when the film was granted a ‘PG’ certificate for home video.
Film Facts:
Mike works at a movie house where The Amazing Colossal Man has just played. The marquee and stills show that Attack of the Puppet People is the next feature; both are Bert I. Gordon productions.
The spider makes lots of noise even though arachnids are unable to make sounds.
A copy of the magazine Famous Monsters of Filmland can be seen in one scene.
The spider expert repeatedly refers to them as insects which is inaccurate.
When the young couple find skeletons in the cave, the bones are all connected. Without muscles or skin, they would just be a pile of bones, even if they were in the same area.
Although the spider’s web plays a large role in the story, tarantulas don’t spin webs.
Trailer:
Free online on YouTube [1080p Premium HD]:
Free online on YouTube [1080p HD]:
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