Attack of the Giant Leeches (1959)

A backwoods game warden and a local doctor discover that giant leeches are responsible for disappearances and deaths in a local swamp, but the local police don't believe them.

Director:

Bernard L. Kowalski

Writers:

Leo Gordon (original story), Leo Gordon (screenplay)

Stars:

Ken Clark, Yvette Vickers, Jan Shepard

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Ken Clark	...	Steve Benton
Yvette Vickers	...	Liz Walker
Jan Shepard	...	Nan Greyson
Michael Emmet	...	Cal Moulton
Tyler McVey	...	Doc Greyson
Bruno VeSota	...	Dave Walker
Gene Roth	...	Sheriff Kovis
Dan White	...	Porky Reed (as Daniel White)
George Cisar	...	Lem Sawyer

Storyline

In a community near a swamp, a local dweller sees a couple of giant monsters but nobody believes him. Later, the cuckold Dave Walker finds his slut wife Liz Walker cheating on him with his friend Cal Moulton. He chases the couple through the swamp, and forces them to jump into the water. The leeches take them and shocked Dave is arrested and accused of murder. Two other locals decide to look for the bodies of Liz and Cal to get the prize of US $50.00 per body, and also vanish in the swamp. Finally, game warden Steve Benton organizes a patrol to investigate the caves under the swamp, finding the lethal giant leeches.

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Plot Keywords:

cheating wife | dysfunctional marriage | bra | adulterous wife | leech | 

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Taglines:

CRAWLING HORROR...THE GIANT LEECHES...RISING FROM THE DEPTHS OF HELL! (original print ad - all caps)

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Genres:

Horror | Sci-Fi

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

October 1959 (USA)

Also Known As:

Attack of the Blood Leeches

Filming Locations:

Chaplin Studios - 1416 N. La Brea Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$70,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Roger Corman Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

62 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Being in the public domain, Attack of the Giant Leeches has received numerous bargain bin DVD releases. The MST3K version of the film was released on October 26, 2004 by Rhino Home Video as part of a box set, The Mystery Science Theater 3000 Collection: Volume 6. Cheapskate Theater released an HD download of the film on June 7, 2016 featuring a new introduction by Toby Radloff and Radloff outtakes and bloopers.

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Goofs

Cal and Dave are talking outside the general store. The reflection of the mike boom can be seen in the roof of the car.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Lem Sawyer: [laughter] Wait a minute! Wait a minute!
Cal Moulton: Hold on. Hold on. Hold on.
Dave Walker: Just hold it a second, Lem. Liz! You hear me girl?
Liz Walker: [appears in doorway] What you want now?
Dave Walker: [referring to music] You gotta play that thing so loud...?

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Connections

Featured in The Great Trailer Show: The Stuff That Screams Are Made Of... (1987)

User Reviews

Chilling Thriller

This unusual blend of Southern white trash and blood-curdling terror features a good narrative, capable performances by most, excellent musical score, and a misty, shadowy, eerie atmosphere. Despite other negative reviews, this and many other small-budget 1950s are continually being released on DVD and video, to the delight (and distributors' profits) of horror fans. Ken Clark is adequate playing the stalwart hero, as a surprising (for is time) ecologically-minded ranger overseeing a Southern bayou swampland. Third-billed Jan Shepard is really the leading lady here, getting more scenes and close-ups than Yvette Vickers, who appears in early scenes, than basically disappears. Shepard is earnest and very pretty, and lends semi-feminism to the proceedings, by joining boyfriend Clark in the swamp, seeking murderous radiation-produced mutations. Shepard appears, 1950s style, in her first and last scenes (probably filmed simultaneously), with her hair down, in an off-the shoulder white dress, well made-up, walking near a sticky, humid swamp! At least she's not in high heels! Vickers is slinky perfection as the adulterous wife of Bruno Ve Soto, another fine actor. Gene Roth as Shepard's doctor father is also convincing. All these are "finished" actors, professionals who have amassed many credits through the years. While the leech costumes may disappoint, the unnerving cave scene won't. This film does in 65 minutes what other "blockbuster", star-cast thrillers can't.