Eaten Alive (1977)

Director:

Tobe Hooper

Writers:

Alvin L. Fast (written by) and
Mardi Rustam (written by) ...
(more)

Release Date:

May 1977 (USA)

Genre:

Horror

Tagline:

He's out there and he's got murder on his mind!

Plot:

A psychotic redneck who owns a dilapidated hotel in rural East Texas kills various people who upset him or his business, and he feeds their bodies to a large crocodile that he keeps as a pet in the swamp beside his hotel.

Plot Keywords:

Hotel | Crocodile | Swamp | Bar | Cult Director

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Neville Brand	...	Judd
Mel Ferrer	...	Harvey Wood
Carolyn Jones	...	Miss Hattie
Marilyn Burns	...	Faye
William Finley	...	Roy
Stuart Whitman	...	Sheriff Martin
Roberta Collins	...	Clara
Kyle Richards	...	Angie
Robert Englund	...	Buck
Crystin Sinclaire	...	Libby Wood
Janus Blythe	...	Lynette (as Janus Blyth)
Betty Cole	...	Ruby
Sig Sakowicz	...	Deputy Girth
Ronald W. Davis	...	Country Boy
Christine Schneider	...	Waitress
David Hayward	...	The Cowboy
David Carson	...	Marlo (as David 'Goat' Carson)
Lincoln Kibbee	...	First Guy in Bar
James Galanis	...	Second Guy in Bar
Tarja Leena Halinen	...	Miss Hattie's Girl
Caren White	...	Miss Hattie's Girl
Valerie Lukecart	...	Miss Hattie's Girl
Jeanne Reichert	...	Miss Hattie's Girl
Scuffy	...	Snoopy

Directed by
Tobe Hooper

Writing credits
Alvin L. Fast		(written by) and
Mardi Rustam		(written by)
Kim Henkel		(screen adaptation)

Produced by
Alvin L. Fast	....	co-producer
Larry Huly	....	associate producer
Robert A. Kanto	....	associate producer (as Robert Kantor)
Mardi Rustam	....	producer
Mohammed Rustam	....	executive producer
Samir Rustam	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Wayne Bell
Tobe Hooper

Cinematography by
Robert Caramico		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Michael Brown

Casting by
Edward R. Morse		(as Eddie Morse)

Art Direction by
Marshall Reed

Set Decoration by
Michael Wiegand		(as Mike Wiegand)

Makeup Department
Craig Reardon	....	hair stylist
Craig Reardon	....	makeup artist
Beth Rogers	....	hair stylist
Beth Rogers	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Sheldon Lee	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Jefferson Kibbee	....	second assistant director (as Jeff Kibbee)
Louie Lawless	....	second assistant director
Ron Smith	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Richard Gillis	....	assistant property master
Marshall Reed	....	set designer

Sound Department
Lowell Brown	....	boom operator
Jean Clark	....	boom operator
Bob Dietz	....	production sound mixer
Jay M. Harding	....	sound re-recording mixer (as Jay Harding)
William L. Manger	....	sound effects (as Bill Manger)

Special Effects by
Robert A. Mattey	....	special effects: crocodiles (as Rob Mattey)
Ken Speed	....	special effects (uncredited)

Stunts
Paula Crist	....	stunt double
Von Deming	....	stunt coordinator
Andy Epper	....	stunt double
Gary Epper	....	stunt double
Jeannie Epper	....	stunt double (as Jeanie Epper)
Donna Garrett	....	stunt double
Minor Mustain	....	stunt double

Camera and Electrical Department
Victor Alexander	....	second assistant camera
Jack Beckett	....	camera operator: second unit
Jim Bowie	....	best boy
Hedy Dietz	....	still photographer (as Heddy Dietz)
Rich Foster	....	gaffer
Dennis Glas	....	grip (as Dennis Glass)
Gary Graver	....	grip (as Robbie McClure)
Lee Heckler	....	gaffer
Ken Kerr	....	grip
Ann McDonald	....	assistant photographer
Michael Donovan O'Donnell	....	key grip (as Michael Donavan O'Donnell)
Anthony R. Palmieri	....	first assistant camera (as Tony Palmieri)
Raman Rao	....	grip (as Romy Rao)
Jonathan West	....	second assistant camera (as Jon West)
Bobby Westwater	....	grip
Gary Zietlow	....	best boy

Costume and Wardrobe Department
J. Mancbach-Fletcher	....	wardrobe (as Jane Mancbach)
Greg Tittinger	....	wardrobe

Editorial Department
Andy Ruben	....	assistant editor
David Block	....	colorist (uncredited)

Music Department
Wayne Bell	....	conductor
Wayne Bell	....	music arranger
Tobe Hooper	....	conductor
Tobe Hooper	....	music arranger
Lee Osborne	....	music editor

Other crew
John D'Amato	....	script supervisor
Lou Schumacher	....	dog owner
Lou Schumacher	....	dog trainer
Gloria Gunn	....	production assistant (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Mars Productions Corporation

Distributors

• Saguenay Films (1977) (Canada) (theatrical)
• Postels (1980) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Alive Vertrieb und Marketing (2012) (Germany) (DVD)
• Atlantic Film (2005) (Sweden) (DVD)
• Beam Entertainment (Japan) (DVD producer)
• Creative Axa Co. Ltd. (Japan) (DVD)
• DMEG (2004) (Sweden) (video)
• Dark Sky Films (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• EastWest Entertainment (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• Elite Entertainment (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Future Film (2007) (Finland) (DVD)
• ITT Contrast (????) (West Germany) (VHS)
• Prism Entertainment Corporation (video)
• Sunrise Entertainment (2005) (Germany) (DVD)
• Umbrella Entertainment (2004) (Australia) (DVD) (as "Eaten Alive")
• Video Instant Picture Company (VIPCO) (UK) (video)
• Virgo International Pictures

Special Effects

• A&A Special Effects (as A&A)

Other Companies

• Consolidated Film Industries (CFI)  processing
• Echo Film Services  sound effects (as Echo Film Service)
• Glen Glenn Sound Company  recorded by (as Glen Glenn Sound)
• Screen Time Images  film restoration
• Total Optical Productions  titles and opticals

Also Known As:

"Brutes and Savages" - USA (alternative title)
"Slaughter Hotel" - USA (reissue title)

Runtime:

91 min | UK:87 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:R | France:-16 | UK:18 | USA:R | Norway:18 (2012) | Iceland:16 | Sweden:15 | Netherlands:16 (orginal rating) | Norway:15 (2007) | Finland:K-18 | New Zealand:R16 | Germany:18 | West Germany:18 (JK/SPIO) (cut) | Italy:VM18

Filming Locations:

Raleigh Studios - 5300 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Mars Productions Corporation

Trivia:

Loosely based on the story of Joe Ball (also known as the Bluebeard from South Texas or the Alligator Man) from Elmendorf, Texas, sometime after Prohibition ended. He owned a bar with an alligator pit serving as an entertainment attraction. Several murders of women ensued, but it was never proven that the flesh found in the pit was human. However, Joe did commit suicide upon possibility of capture.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: Right at the end of the film when the crocodile pulls Judd under the water head first, look to the left of the screen to see a scuba diver under the water who turns is clearly moving. He is obviously a safety stuntman of some sort. You can clearly see his hand and is dressed in black.

Movie Connections:

Featured in The Gator Creator (2007) (V)

messed up

Delirious, surreal, and savage, Tobe Hooper's follow-up to his landmark debut ("Chainsaw" for those not in the know), is one of a kind while bearing the same signature stamp he left with his predecessor. A sheer unrelenting onslaught of pure madness, macabre and dark humor. Although not as entirely successful as Chainsaw, "Eaten Alive" is one messed up little drive in flick with good performances particularly by Brand as the psycho Inn keeper of "Starlight Hotel". Mumbling incoherently through most of his screen time and sputtering gibberish when audible, Neville Brand is eerily convincing. The beginning of this picture owes to Psycho in that you meet a character that you are led to believe is the (no pun intended) titular heroine but is quickly dispatched and we are left with the equally sleazy and\or oddball residents of the locale like ole' country boy Buck (Englund, who's a hoot) or that oddball couple who's dog gets chomped by the gator that lives in the swamp behind the hotel. It's that kind of movie folks so be aware what you're getting into. Creepy, oddball fun.