Attack of the Crab Monsters (1957)

Director:

Roger Corman

Writer:

Charles B. Griffith (screenplay)

Release Date:

10 February 1957 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

From the depths of the sea... a tidal wave of terror!

Plot:

People are trapped on a shrinking island by intelligent, brain-eating giant crabs. Roger Corman directs.

Plot Keywords:

Island | Monster | Scientist | Giant Crab | Stranded

Cast

Richard Garland	...	Dale Drewer
Pamela Duncan	...	Martha Hunter
Russell Johnson	...	Hank Chapman
Leslie Bradley	...	Dr. Karl Weigand
Mel Welles	...	Jules Deveroux
Richard H. Cutting	...	Dr. James Carson (as Richard Cutting)
Beach Dickerson	...	Seaman Ron Fellows
Tony Miller	...	Seaman Jack Sommers
Ed Nelson	...	Ensign Quinlan
Maitland Stuart	...	Seaman Mac
Charles B. Griffith	...	Seaman Tate
Robin Riley
Doug Roberts

Directed by
Roger Corman

Writing credits
Charles B. Griffith		(screenplay) (as Charles Griffith)

Produced by
Roger Corman	....	producer
Charles B. Griffith	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Ronald Stein

Cinematography by
Floyd Crosby		(photographer)

Film Editing by
Charles Gross		(as Charles Gross Jr.)

Makeup Department
Curly Batson	....	makeup artist (as Curley Batson)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Maurice Vaccarino	....	assistant director
Charles B. Griffith	....	director underwater scenes (uncredited)
Lindsley Parsons Jr.	....	second assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Karl Brainard	....	props (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Beach Dickerson	....	crab monster operator (uncredited)
Ed Nelson	....	special effects (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Charles Hannawalt	....	chief grip (uncredited)
Floyd Williams	....	gaffer (uncredited)

Other crew
Maitland Stuart	....	underwater technician
Paul Julian	....	title designer (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Los Altos Productions

Distributors

• Allied Artists Pictures (1957) (USA) (theatrical)
• Allied Artists Home Video (1980) (USA) (VHS)
• Allied Artists Home Video (1980) (USA) (video) (Betamax)
• Sinister Cinema (1997) (USA) (VHS)
• Allied Artists Entertainment (1998) (USA) (VHS)
• Allied Artists Entertainment (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Lost Domain (199?) (USA) (video)
• Shout! Factory (2010) (USA) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Healthways Inc.  underwater equipment (as Healthways)
• Ryder Sound Services  sound

Also Known As:

Runtime:

62 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

UK:PG | USA:Approved | Australia:PG

Filming Locations:

Bronson Caves, Bronson Canyon, Griffith Park - 4730 Crystal Springs Drive, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Los Altos Productions

Trivia:

Allied Artists Pictures released this film on a double bill with Not of This Earth (1957) to many drive-in theaters with the tag line "Terrorama! Double Horror Sensation!"

Goofs:

Continuity: When Deveroux calls out to the first team upon arriving at the island, the echo does not match what he shouts.

Quotes:

Seaman Ron Fellows:Okay, what've you got?
Seaman Jack Sommers:Three queens!
Seaman Ron Fellows:Well, big deal. So you finally won a hand. I'm still 100 sticks of dynamite and one wild explosion ahead of you.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Meatrack (1970)

Probably the Best Talking Crab Movie Ever

I last saw this film in 1963 on "Chiller," a locally produced TV show out of Minneapolis which showcased B horror movies every Sunday night. For years my friends and I would toss around the line, "I can grow a new claw--can you grow a new life?" I recently purchased a copy on the Internet and had a chance to watch it again. Except for the conventional bumbling around that characters in this kind of movie do (wandering in the dark in the middle of the night; responding to amplified voices as they lie in their beds in fear; going alone through caves where there is only one exit and the crabs are definitely around) this is pretty entertaining. I'm not sure whether these crabs have world domination in mind (revenge for those little forks and drawn butter) or just want to rid the island of humans. They do a real number on the eco-system. Will they have any beaches left to go to. Will they eventually go back to being "just crabs" or will they take their ventriloquist act on the road? We really don't know.

I think the strength of the movie is the cool, oppressive atmosphere and threat posed by the enterprising crustaceans. A weakness is that there is no explanation of their fine motor skills. They seemingly knock down everything in their paths in their lumbering way, but are still able to destroy just the right parts to dismantle a radio and are able to blow up a plane. If you don't do too much criticizing or thinking, you will enjoy this early Roger Corman gem.