The Giant Claw (1957)
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- Approved
- 1h 15min
- Fantasy, Horror
- 01 Jun 1957 (USA)
- Movie
Global panic ensues when it is revealed that a mysterious UFO is actually a giant bird that flies at supersonic speed and has no regard for life or architecture.
Director:
Writers:
Stars:
Photos and Videos
Cast verified as complete
| Jeff Morrow | ... |
Mitch MacAfee
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| Mara Corday | ... |
Sally Caldwell
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| Morris Ankrum | ... |
Lt. Gen. Edward Considine
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Louis Merrill | ... |
Pierre Broussard
(as Louis D. Merrill)
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| Edgar Barrier | ... |
Dr. Karol Noymann
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| Robert Shayne | ... |
Gen. Van Buskirk
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Frank Griffin | ... |
Pete - Pilot
(as Ruell Shayne)
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| Clark Howat | ... |
Maj. Bergen
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| Morgan Jones | ... |
Lieutenant - Radar Officer
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| Rest of cast listed alphabetically: | |||
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Benjie Bancroft | ... |
Civil Aeronautics Board Member (uncredited)
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Brad Brown | ... |
Pool Party Diver (uncredited)
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Al Cantor | ... |
AF Projectionist (uncredited)
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| George Cisar | ... |
Admonishing Man on Airliner (uncredited)
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Bud Cokes | ... |
Civil Aeronautics Board Member (uncredited)
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| Leonard P. Geer | ... |
Paramedic (uncredited)
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| Dabbs Greer | ... |
Fighter Pilot, in clips from 'Mission Over Korea' (uncredited) (archiveFootage)
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| Sol Murgi | ... |
Civil Aeronautics Board Member (uncredited)
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| Fred F. Sears | ... |
Narrator (uncredited) (voice)
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| Robert B. Williams | ... |
First State Trooper (uncredited)
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Directed by
| Fred F. Sears | ||
Written by
| Samuel Newman | ... | (written by) & |
| Paul Gangelin | ... | (written by) |
Produced by
| Sam Katzman | ... | producer |
Music by
| Mischa Bakaleinikoff | ... | (uncredited) |
Cinematography by
| Benjamin H. Kline | ... | director of photography |
Editing by
| Anthony DiMarco | ... | (as Tony DiMarco) |
| Saul A. Goodkind | ||
Art Direction by
| Paul Palmentola | ||
Set Decoration by
| Sidney Clifford | ||
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
| Leonard Katzman | ... | assistant director |
Sound Department
| Rookie Johnson | ... | cable man |
| J.S. Westmoreland | ... | sound (as Josh Westmoreland) |
Special Effects by
| Ralph Hammeras | ... | technical effects creator |
| George J. Teague | ... | technical effects creator (as George Teague) |
| Lawrence W. Butler | ... | special effects: second unit (uncredited) |
Camera and Electrical Department
| Emil Oster | ... | camera operator (uncredited) |
Music Department
| Mischa Bakaleinikoff | ... | music supervisor |
| George Antheil | ... | composer: stock music (uncredited) |
| Jacques Belasco | ... | composer: stock music (uncredited) |
| Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco | ... | composer: stock music (uncredited) |
| George Duning | ... | composer: stock music (uncredited) |
| John Leipold | ... | composer: stock music (uncredited) |
| Marlin Skiles | ... | composer: stock music (uncredited) |
| Max Steiner | ... | composer: stock music (uncredited) |
Additional Crew
| Paul Sperling | ... | production coordinator |
Production Companies
Distributors
- Columbia Pictures (1957) (United States) (theatrical)
- Columbia Pictures of Canada (1957) (Canada) (theatrical)
- Columbia Pictures Corporation (1957) (United Kingdom) (theatrical)
- Columbia Films S. A. (1958) (Mexico) (theatrical)
- GoodTimes Home Video (1989) (United States) (VHS)
- Columbia Pictures (2007) (United States) (DVD)
- Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2007) (United States) (DVD)
- Mill Creek Entertainment (2014) (United States) (DVD)
- Anolis Entertainment (2017) (Germany) (DVD)
- Umbrella Entertainment (2021) (Australia) (Blu-ray) (Fred F. Sears Double Feature)
Special Effects
Other Companies
Storyline
| Plot Summary |
When electronics engineer Mitch MacAfee spots a UFO as "big as a battleship," from his plane, the Air Force scrambles planes to investigate. However, nothing shows up on radar, and one of the jets is lost during the action. MacAfee is regarded as a dangerous crackpot until other incidents and disappearances convince the authorities that the threat is real. Some believe it is a French-Canadian folk legend come to life, but it turns out to be an extraterrestrial giant bird composed of anti-matter whose disregard for human life and architecture threatens the world. Written by Gabe Taverney (duke1029@aol.com) |
| Plot Keywords | |
| Taglines | Winged Monster from 17,000,000 B.C.! Big as a Battleship! Flies 4 Times the Speed of Sound! Atomic Weapons Can't Hurt It! See more » |
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| Parents Guide | View content advisory » |
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Did You Know?
| Trivia | In an interview, Jeff Morrow said that no one in the cast saw the title monster until they went to the film's premiere in Morrow's home town. Producer Sam Katzman had contracted with a low-budget model-maker in Mexico City to construct the "Giant Claw," and no one in the cast or crew had any idea it would come out looking as bizarre as it did. Morrow said the audience roared with laughter every time the monster made an appearance. He wound up slinking out of the theater in embarrassment before the film was over so no one who knew him would recognize him. See more » |
| Goofs | Due to use of footage from Earth vs. the Flying Saucers (1956), a flying saucer can very briefly be glimpsed in Grand Central Terminal during the bird's attack on New York City. See more » |
| Movie Connections | Edited from The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951). See more » |
| Quotes |
Narrator:
Something, he didn't know what, but something as big as a battleship has just flown over and past him. See more » |