Them!

"A horror horde of crawl-and-crush giants clawing out of the earth from mile-deep catacombs!"

1954 1h 34m EN

👍

6.8

SOLID

★6.8TMDB · 489

Science FictionHorror

Synopsis

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As a result of nuclear testing, gigantic, ferocious mutant ants appear in the American desert southwest, and a father-daughter team of entomologists join forces with the state police officer who first discovers their existence, an FBI agent and, eventually, the US Army to eradicate the menace, before it spreads across the continent — and the world.

“A horror horde of crawl-and-crush giants clawing out of the earth from mile-deep catacombs!”

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Cast

James Whitmore
Sgt. Ben Peterson
James Arness
FBI Agent Robert Graham
Joan Weldon
Dr. Pat Medford
Edmund Gwenn
Dr. Harold Medford
Onslow Stevens
Brig. Gen. Robert O'Brien
Sean McClory
Maj. Kibbee
Sandy Descher
The Ellinson Girl
Chris Drake
Trooper Ed Blackburn

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Gordon Douglas
Writers: Ted Sherdeman, George Worthing Yates
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 7

ERA

Did you know

72 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Gordon Douglas, shot by Sidney Hickox. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Bronislau Kaper. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Thomas Reilly shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 7

CAST

Did you know

James Whitmore and James Arness and Joan Weldon carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 7

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "A horror horde of crawl-and-crush giants clawing out of the earth from mile-deep catacombs!".

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 7

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0047573 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Gordon Douglas directs. Sidney Hickox behind the camera. Bronislau Kaper scores. Thomas Reilly cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

172 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
2Directed by Gordon Douglas, shot by Sidney Hickox. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
3Original score by Bronislau Kaper. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
4Editor Thomas Reilly shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
5James Whitmore and James Arness and Joan Weldon carry the top of the cast.
6Marketing tagline: "A horror horde of crawl-and-crush giants clawing out of the earth from mile-deep catacombs!".
7IMDB entry: tt0047573 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
8Classified under 30 themes, including "army", "monster", "atomic bomb", "mutation".
9Released under 11 different titles around the world.

The technical file

Cinematography: Sidney Hickox
Original score: Bronislau Kaper
Editing: Thomas Reilly
Makeup / hair: Gordon Bau
Runtime: 94 min · 1h 34m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $23,000,000
Original language: EN
Certification (US): NR
IMDB: Them! (1954)

Also by

Gordon Douglas

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Community reviews

What people are saying

Blackhorse2013-05-13
Great Classic Sci-Fi! This movie came out 7 days after I was born! Because of Nuclear testing. ( Of Course ) Everything happened in the 50's movies because of that, these tiny little creatures become as large as cars and bigger. Ravishing the countryside looking for Sugar, of perhaps a M&M factory. Of course people get in the way and are quickly dispatched in their giant pinchers. Great cast also. A Must see!
John Chard2014-09-06
★ 8/10
Often imitated, rarely bettered. Weird deaths are occurring in the New Mexico desert, it is revealed to be the work of giant mutated ants born out of the "A Bomb" tests that took place there. Trouble escalates to the big city of Los Angeles when one of the giant queen ants escapes to L.A. and starts laying eggs that could lead to the end of mankind as we know it. This is a cautionary tale about scientific tampering fused with a Cold War theme of destroying a threat to the country. Boasting some wonderful scenes such as the first desert encounter (cloaked in a sandstorm) and the final underground battle, Them! is a truly enjoyable viewing experience. It oozes the right amount of paranoia that became ever more prominent as the nuclear age began grow. The puppetry and special effects on show is of a very high standard for the time (well done Academy Award Nominee Ralph Ayres), and the direction from Gordon Douglas is one of the better efforts in the genre. The tight story vanquishes any gripes about the plausibility factor, while the acting is, perhaps given the type of genre piece it is, of a surprisingly good standard. With James Whitmore, Edmund Gwenn, and Joan Weldon giving it a bit of oopmh. It went on to become Warner Brothers highest grossing film in 1954, and it's really not hard to see why. Because this firmly stands up as one of the better films of what is sadly a much maligned genre. 8/10

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