Release CalendarTop 250 MoviesMost Popular MoviesBrowse Movies by GenreTop Box OfficeShowtimes & TicketsMovie NewsIndia Movie Spotlight
    What's on TV & StreamingTop 250 TV ShowsMost Popular TV ShowsBrowse TV Shows by GenreTV News
    What to WatchLatest TrailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsABFFPride MonthOutfest OutfrontsSTARmeter AwardsAwards CentralFestival CentralAll Events
    Born TodayMost Popular CelebsMost Popular CelebsCelebrity News
    Help CenterContributor ZonePolls
For Industry Professionals
  • All
  • Titles
  • TV Episodes
  • Celebs
  • Companies
  • Keywords
  • Advanced Search
Watchlist
Sign In
Sign In
New Customer? Create account
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
IMDbPro

The Swarm

  • 1978
  • PG
  • 1h 56m
IMDb RATING
4.5/10
8.2K
YOUR RATING
Olivia de Havilland, Henry Fonda, Michael Caine, Richard Chamberlain, Patty Duke, José Ferrer, Slim Pickens, Katharine Ross, Richard Widmark, Bradford Dillman, Lee Grant, Ben Johnson, and Fred MacMurray in The Swarm (1978)
Official Trailer
Play trailer2:15
1 Video
98 Photos
HorrorThriller

A huge swarm of deadly African bees spreads terror over American cities by killing thousands of people.A huge swarm of deadly African bees spreads terror over American cities by killing thousands of people.A huge swarm of deadly African bees spreads terror over American cities by killing thousands of people.

  • Director
    • Irwin Allen
  • Writers
    • Arthur Herzog III
    • Stirling Silliphant
  • Stars
    • Michael Caine
    • Katharine Ross
    • Richard Widmark
  • See production, box office & company info
  • IMDb RATING
    4.5/10
    8.2K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Irwin Allen
    • Writers
      • Arthur Herzog III
      • Stirling Silliphant
    • Stars
      • Michael Caine
      • Katharine Ross
      • Richard Widmark
    • 169User reviews
    • 69Critic reviews
    • 30Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Nominated for 1 Oscar
      • 1 nomination total

    Videos1

    The Swarm
    Trailer 2:15
    Watch The Swarm

    Photos98

    The Swarm (1978)
    The Swarm (1978)
    Olivia de Havilland, Henry Fonda, Michael Caine, Richard Chamberlain, Patty Duke, José Ferrer, Slim Pickens, Katharine Ross, Richard Widmark, Bradford Dillman, Lee Grant, Ben Johnson, and Fred MacMurray in The Swarm (1978)
    Olivia de Havilland, Henry Fonda, Michael Caine, Richard Chamberlain, Patty Duke, José Ferrer, Slim Pickens, Katharine Ross, Richard Widmark, Bradford Dillman, Lee Grant, Ben Johnson, and Fred MacMurray in The Swarm (1978)
    The Swarm (1978)
    The Swarm (1978)
    The Swarm (1978)
    The Swarm (1978)
    The Swarm (1978)
    The Swarm (1978)
    The Swarm (1978)
    The Swarm (1978)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Michael Caine
    Michael Caine
    • Brad Crane
    Katharine Ross
    Katharine Ross
    • Capt. Helena Anderson
    Richard Widmark
    Richard Widmark
    • Gen. Slater
    Richard Chamberlain
    Richard Chamberlain
    • Dr. Hubbard
    Olivia de Havilland
    Olivia de Havilland
    • Maureen Schuester
    Ben Johnson
    Ben Johnson
    • Felix
    Lee Grant
    Lee Grant
    • Anne MacGregor
    José Ferrer
    José Ferrer
    • Dr. Andrews
    • (as Jose Ferrer)
    Patty Duke
    Patty Duke
    • Rita
    • (as Patty Duke Astin)
    Slim Pickens
    Slim Pickens
    • Jud Hawkins
    Bradford Dillman
    Bradford Dillman
    • Maj. Baker
    Fred MacMurray
    Fred MacMurray
    • Mayor Clarence Tuttle
    Henry Fonda
    Henry Fonda
    • Dr. Walter Krim
    Cameron Mitchell
    Cameron Mitchell
    • Gen. Thompson
    Christian Juttner
    Christian Juttner
    • Paul Durant
    Morgan Paull
    Morgan Paull
    • Dr. Newman
    Alejandro Rey
    Alejandro Rey
    • Dr. Tomas Martinez
    Don 'Red' Barry
    Don 'Red' Barry
    • Pete Harris
    • Director
      • Irwin Allen
    • Writers
      • Arthur Herzog III
      • Stirling Silliphant
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    More like this

    Beyond the Poseidon Adventure
    4.6
    Beyond the Poseidon Adventure
    The Swarm
    5.3
    The Swarm
    Rollercoaster
    6.3
    Rollercoaster
    When Time Ran Out...
    4.5
    When Time Ran Out...
    The Swarm
    The Swarm
    5.5
    The Swarm
    Airport '77
    5.8
    Airport '77
    Earthquake
    5.9
    Earthquake
    Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea
    6.0
    Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea
    Empire of the Ants
    4.2
    Empire of the Ants
    The Swarm
    7.8
    The Swarm
    Ants!
    5.0
    Ants!

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      This was Fred MacMurray's final film before his death on November 5, 1991 at the age of 83.
    • Goofs
      In the background, a paralyzed scientist in a wheelchair kicks a door open.
    • Quotes

      [Slater is about to attack the swarm with a highly toxic pesticide]

      Brad Crane: General, if you use that, nothing will grow out there for the next 10 years!

      General Thalius Slater: Why worry about shaving when somebody's going to cut your head off!

    • Crazy credits
      Disclaimer in the closing credits: The African killer bee portrayed in this film bears absolutely no relationship to the industrious, hard-working American honey bee to which we are indebted for pollinating vital crops that feed our nation.
    • Alternate versions
      The UK "12" certificate video release is the 156m version of this film (also shown on U.S. TV) which was released in theaters at 116m (with a "PG" certificate). Some of the additional footage is as follows:
      • more of the three-way courtship between de Havilland, Johnson and MacMurray
      • a hilarious scene in which the military inspect the attacked picnic site and Sir Michael Caine comments on the bees' biting abilities
      • several additional scenes of Caine and Katharine Ross driving back and forth between the military bunker and the town and chatting about developments as they do
      • the death scene of the little boy whose parents were killed and who subsequently firebombed the swarm - in the short version, he is in the hospital and one assumes he has survived; although he is not seen again. he has a relapse and dies in the long version.
      • various extra footage of Caine and Ross going to the HQ in Houston
      • when Henry Fonda is killed, there is an additional shot of a huge superimposed bee which he sees at the moment of his death
      • an additional subplot near the end of the film in which Ross has a relapse and nearly dies from her earlier bee sting. This is why she is lying in a bed when Caine rescues her from the burning building. This subplot has several short scenes, including one when Bradford Dillman and Richard Widmark see Caine praying by her bed - once he sees that Caine believes in God, Widmark knows he is a good man and instructs Dillman to "Close that dossier" (the dossier had been constantly referred to by Widmark, but was left as an unresolved plot hole in the original theatrical version).
    • Connections
      Featured in Inside 'the Swarm' (1978)

    User reviews169

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    7/10
    Agreeable time-filler, but WAY overlong.
    "The Swarm" has its share of flaws, no doubt about that: it's overlong, it's filled with genre cliches (many veterans cast in pointless supporting roles, indifferent romances) and it's occasionally overacted, especially by Michael Caine, who has a role far below his abilities. However, those who are calling it "terrible" and "campy" are REALLY overdoing it. The special effects are actually FIRST-RATE and most of the attack sequences are utterly convincing. Don't judge the film on the basis of its bad reputation; watch it for yourself and you'll discover that, while it's not an "art" film, it's an agreeable way to kill two hours.
    helpful•38
    14
    • gridoon
    • Nov 21, 1999

    Top picks

    Sign in to rate and Watchlist for personalized recommendations
    Sign in

    FAQ1

    • What are the differences between the Theatrical Version and the Extended Version?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • July 14, 1978 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Der tödliche Schwarm
    • Filming locations
      • Houston, Texas, USA(Astrodome / Memorial Park / McKinney Street exit ramp)
    • Production company
      • Irwin Allen Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $21,000,000 (estimated)
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 56 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.39 : 1

    Related news

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    Olivia de Havilland, Henry Fonda, Michael Caine, Richard Chamberlain, Patty Duke, José Ferrer, Slim Pickens, Katharine Ross, Richard Widmark, Bradford Dillman, Lee Grant, Ben Johnson, and Fred MacMurray in The Swarm (1978)
    Top Gap
    By what name was The Swarm (1978) officially released in India in English?
    Answer
    • See more gaps
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb App
    Sign in for more accessSign in for more access
    • Get the IMDb App
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • IMDb Developer
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Your Ads Privacy Choices
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2023 by IMDb.com, Inc.