Snowbeast (1977) (TV)

Director:

Herb Wallerstein

Writer:

Joseph Stefano (written by)

Release Date:

28 April 1977 (USA)

Genre:

Horror

Tagline:

An unknown terror stalks a ski resort!

Plot:

A Colorado ski resort is besieged by a sub-human beast that commits brutal murders on the slopes.

Plot Keywords:

Creature | Sheriff | Town | Beast | Bigfoot

Cast

Bo Svenson	...	Gar Seberg
Yvette Mimieux	...	Ellen Seberg
Robert Logan	...	Tony Rill
Clint Walker	...	Sheriff Paraday
Sylvia Sidney	...	Mrs. Carrie Rill
Thomas Babson	...	Buster Smith (as Thomas W. Babson)
Jacquie Botts	...	Betty Jo Blodgett
Kathy Christopher	...	Jennifer
Jamie Jamison	...	John Cochran
Richard Jamison	...	Ben Cochran
Liz Jury	...	Mrs. Blodgett
Richard Jury	...	Charlie Braintree (as Ric Jury)
Rob McClung	...	Deputy #2
Annie McEnroe	...	Heidi (as Anne McEncroe)
Victor Raider-Wexler	...	Deputy Holt
Prentiss Rowe	...	Billy the Bell Captain
Michael J. London	...	The Snowbeast
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Daniel Mandehr	...	Ski Instructor (uncredited)

Directed by
Herb Wallerstein

Writing credits
Joseph Stefano		(written by)

Produced by
Wilfred Lloyd Baumes	....	producer (as Wilford Lloyd Baumes)
Douglas S. Cramer	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Robert Prince

Cinematography by
Frank Stanley		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Dennis Mosher
Carroll Sax
Neil Travis		(uncredited)

Casting by
Sam Christensen

Art Direction by
Steven P. Sardanis		(as Stephen Sardanis)

Set Decoration by
Robert Gould

Costume Design by
Guy C. Verhille		(as Guy Verhille)

Makeup Department
Dee Manges	....	makeup artist
Peggy Shannon	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Mitchell L. Gamson	....	production manager (as Mitchell Garrison)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Michael Grillo	....	assistant director
George R. Meek	....	assistant director

Art Department
William A. Petrotta	....	property master (as Bill Petrotta)

Sound Department
Pat Mitchell	....	sound (as Patrick Mitchell)
Shawn Johnstone	....	location sound recordist (uncredited)
Nobuko Oganesoff	....	sound mixer (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Marlowe Newkirk	....	special effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Paul Ryan	....	photography: second unit (as Paul G. Ryan)
John White	....	camera operator (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Stephen Lodge	....	costume supervisor

Editorial Department
Sherrie Sanet	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Dan Carlin Sr.	....	music editor (as Dan Carlin)

Transportation Department
Joe Sawyers	....	transportation coordinator

Other crew
Nicholas Batchelor	....	production assistant
Wilfred Lloyd Baumes	....	title designer (as Wilford Lloyd Baumes)
Jeffrey M. Hayes	....	production associate (as Jeffrey Hayes)
Hudson Hickman	....	production associate
Harry Kohoyda Jr.	....	production accountant
Karen Rasch	....	script supervisor
Shirley Snyder	....	production coordinator
Diana Weatherill	....	assistant to producer (as Diana Aretio)
Douglas S. Cramer	....	dialect coach (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Douglas Cramer Productions

Distributors

• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1977) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Alpha Video Distributors (2009) (USA) (DVD)
• BijouFlix Releasing (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Exposure Cinema (2008) (UK) (DVD)
• Image Entertainment (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Legacy Entertainment (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Mill Creek Entertainment (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• Reel Media International (2004) (USA) (video)
• Reel Media International (2007) (worldwide) (all media)
• Retromedia Entertainment (2005) (USA) (DVD) (on "Sasquatch Horror Triple Feature")
• Synergy Entertainment (2007) (worldwide) (DVD)
• Treeline Films (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation
• Worldvision Entertainment (video)

Other Companies

• Arctic Enterprises  snowmobile equipment and wardrobe
• Echo Film Services  sound effects
• Glen Glenn Sound Company  sound design

Also Known As:

Runtime:

USA:86 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

USA:Unrated | UK:PG

Filming Locations:

Colorado, USA

Company:

Douglas Cramer Productions

Trivia:

While shooting on location in the Colorado mountains the temperatures would rarely rise above five degrees during the day and would drop well below zero during the evening. In fact while shooting the scene where Gar and Tony talk in the hot tub the actors wet hair would actually start to freeze during filming.

Goofs:

Continuity: Ellen's skis and straps change color from when she is at the lodge (33:30 min) and on the slopes (34:17 min) to the next scene where she removes her skis while tracking the Snowbeast (39:15 min).

Quotes:

Gar Seberg:Ellen, you where right. Coming up here was a dumb idea.
Ellen Seberg:I never said it was a dumb idea. I just thought you might feel better getting a job outside the ski business.
Gar Seberg:This is all I know how to do.
Ellen Seberg:You know what I think, Gar? You really don't want a job. This is just some damn excuse to back off and still feel right about it!

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in "South Park: ManBearPig (#10.6)" (2006)

A few choice moments witnessed

As you have read Snowbeast is an awful yet endearing "Yeti" film with an all-(ex)star cast. The shockingly familiar "JAWSesque" plotline is quite at home on the slopes of Crested Butte complete with a washed-up Biathlete (that's the ski and shoot type not...you know), a doubting sheriff, a nervous ski-lodge operator, and the usual cadre of hapless and nameless victims... Oh, and a big guy in a fur suit with scary hands to play Bigfoot.

Other reviewers have mentioned the unintentional humor which abounds here. The script was written by Outer Limits' Joseph Stephano with Roger Patterson as consultant. Patterson is eminently qualified as he was responsible for that now famous shaky film of Sasquatch marching through the woods we've all seen too many times. Since Patterson's Bigfoot looks a lot more convincing than the one in Snowbeast he maybe should have been consulting with the make-up department. He seems to know a thing or two about dressing actors up as manbeasts. Stephano is a great TV writer in most cases. He pulled this off in a couple of days I would think.

While some B-movies are for the aficionados only this one is for everybody. Anyone of any age watching this will appreciate it's lack of merit and it's almost purposeful lack of sophistication. It's silly but fun and might make your next trip to a lonely ski slope a little tingly, if you could find a lonely ski slope anywhere in the country. If you want to see what they used to look like check out "Snowbeast."