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The Deadly Mantis (1957) -- A prehistoric giant praying mantis attacks North America.

Overview

User Rating:
3.6/10   1,076 votes
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Director:

Nathan Juran

Writers:

Martin Berkeley (screenplay)
William Alland (story)

Contact:

View company contact information for The Deadly Mantis on IMDbPro.

Release Date:

May 1957 (USA) more

Tagline:

This Was the Day That Engulfed the World in Terror!

Plot:

A giant prehistoric praying mantis, recently freed from the Arctic ice, voraciously preys on American military at the Dew Line and works its way south. full summary | add synopsis

User Comments:

Pray Tell, Not Bad! more (46 total)


Cast

  (Complete credited cast)
Craig Stevens ... Col. Joe Parkman
William Hopper ... Dr. Nedrick 'Ned' Jackson
Alix Talton ... Marge Blaine
Donald Randolph ... Gen. Mark Ford
Pat Conway ... Sgt. Pete Allen
Florenz Ames ... Prof. Anton Gunther
Paul Smith ... Corporal, Parkman's Clerk
Phil Harvey ... Lou, Radar Man
Floyd Simmons ... Army Sergeant
Paul Campbell ... Lt. Fred Pizar
Helen Jay ... Mrs. Farley
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Additional Details

Also Known As:

The Giant Mantis
The Incredible Praying Mantis
more

Runtime:

79 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1 more

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Finland:K-12 | USA:Approved


Fun Stuff

Trivia:

The first stock footage of the aircraft carrier is the USS Antietam, CV-36. The operations clip is of the CV34 USS Oriskany the first US carrier with an angled deck. The take off scene was from the deck of the USS Philippine Sea CV47. more

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): A Canadian officer speaks with a British accent. more

Quotes:

Col. Joe Parkman: Maybe there's an ordinary explanation to what happened, but I wouldn't take any bets. more

Movie Connections:

Edited into The Deadly Mantis (1966) more


FAQ

Hedda Hopper Wrote What About "Mantis"?
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8 out of 10 people found the following comment useful.
Pray Tell, Not Bad!, 17 January 2000

Although the intricacies of the plot are forever unbelievable, this film works very well both as a suspense film and also as a creditable "Giant Bug" film, so typical during the 50's Golden Age of Science Fiction. A giant Praying Mantis is preserved in the ice of the Artic Ocean, only to be dislodged by man's environmental meddling. The bug flies over various places in the Artic eating human beings as it makes its way toward the Equator. The task of destroying the giant insect befalls to three protagonists: Craig Stevens the military man(and romancer), William Hopper as the dedicated paleontologist, and Alix Talton as the hungry reporter/photographer/necessary female character so that main character can fall in love. The three manage to find the mantis and well....let's just say the poor creature didn't say his prayers TOO often. The film is tight, has lots of action, and is a great entertaining diversion.

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