The Deadly Mantis (1957)

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.

Director:

Nathan Juran

Writers:

Martin Berkeley (screenplay), William Alland (story)

Stars:

Craig Stevens, William Hopper, Alix Talton

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

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.

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Plot Keywords:

new york city | military | tunnel | scientist | praying mantis | 

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Taglines:

This Was the Day That Engulfed the World in Terror!

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Genres:

Horror | Sci-Fi | Thriller

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Certificate:

Approved

Did You Know?

Trivia

Alix Talton (who resembles Della Street in this movie) was reunited with William Hopper the following year on the Perry Mason (1957) TV series episode 'Perry Mason: The Case of the Long-Legged Models (1958)', in the role of Eva Elliot.

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Goofs

When the man goes to play the song on the record player, the music begins before he gets the arm all the way down.

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Quotes

[a volcano near Antarctic erupts, causing an ice flow in the Arctic, which releases the Deadly Mantis]
Opening Narration: For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.

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Connections

Featured in Son of Svengoolie: The Deadly Mantis (1957) (1981)

User Reviews

The Starving Praying Mantis

When a military outpost and an airplane in Artic are destroyed, the investigation finds a mysterious object near the crashed airplane. The scientists advise that the famous paleontologist Dr. Nedrick Jackson (William Hopper) should give his opinion and he identifies as part of a spur of the leg of a giant insect. Soon Dr. Jackson and the military discover that a mantis is the responsible for the attacks and is heading to Washington.

"The Deadly Mantis" is an entertaining and funny movie released by Universal with a giant praying mantis that awakes with hunger and frightens the population. The special effects may be lame in 2018, but they were top-notch in 1957. The good guys are military, still a reflex of the WWII and the romantic conclusion was sort of standard in those years. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): "Fúria de uma Região Perdida" ("Rage of a Lost Region")

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

26 May 1957 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Deadly Mantis

Filming Locations:

Universal Studios - 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal International Pictures (UI)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

79 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1