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.
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Title: The Deadly Mantis (1957)
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Cast
| Complete credited cast: | |||
| Craig Stevens | ... | Col. Joe Parkman | |
| William Hopper | ... | Dr. Nedrick Jackson | |
| Alix Talton | ... | Marge Blaine | |
 |
Donald Randolph | ... | Maj. Gen. Mark Ford |
| Pat Conway | ... | Sgt. Pete Allen | |
|
|
Florenz Ames | ... | Prof. Anton Gunther |
| Paul Smith | ... | Corporal | |
| Phil Harvey | ... | Lou | |
| Floyd Simmons | ... | Army Sergeant | |
|
|
Paul Campbell | ... | Lt. Fred Pizar |
|
|
Helen Jay | ... | Mrs. Farley |
Edit
Plot Summary
|
Plot Synopsis
Storyline
The calving of an Arctic iceberg releases a giant praying mantis, trapped in suspended animation since prehistoric times. It first attacks military outposts to eat their occupants, then makes its way to the warmer latitudes of Washington and New York. A paleontologist works together with military units to try to kill it. Written by Anonymous
Taglines:
A Thousand Tons of Horror! From A Million Years Ago ... See more »Parents Guide:
View content advisory »
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See full technical specs »
Details
Country:
USALanguage:
EnglishRelease Date:
26 May 1957 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
The Giant Mantis See more »Company Credits
Show more on
IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Sound Mix:
Mono (Westrex Recording System)Color:
Black and WhiteAspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1
Edit
bus driver: Oh, there's nothing to worry about, ma'am. You just be careful out there in that fog!
bus passenger: [Uncertainly] Thank you.
See more »
Did You Know?
Trivia
Universal Pictures production number 1830. See more »Goofs
As the Mantis makes its way to the station, its claws alternate between up and down between shots. See more »Quotes
bus passenger: [Exiting bus in fog] You know, it's good to get home safely with all the strange things going around here.bus driver: Oh, there's nothing to worry about, ma'am. You just be careful out there in that fog!
bus passenger: [Uncertainly] Thank you.
See more »
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"The Giant Mantis" is the title and plot. There isn't much more to say. Acting is better than some of the other "giant something or other" films of the 1950s. The mantis is pretty movable-not some model that does nothing. The sequence at the very beginning is kinda cheesy but the footage and info about the DEW line and the whole radar net is pretty interesting. The character of Dr. Ned Jackson is fairly dull but Col. Parkman is OK. I get a kick out of the archive footage of the Eskimos in their kayaks. The effects are ordinary and the sets are the same as other sci-fi movies of the same period. This is a good flick to catch if you're in the mood for a giant bug movie.