Atlantis Online
March 28, 2024, 08:06:39 pm
Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.

Login with username, password and session length
News: Ancient Crash, Epic Wave
http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/11/14/healthscience/web.1114meteor.php?page=1

 
  Home Help Arcade Gallery Links Staff List Calendar Login Register  

Them!

Pages: [1]   Go Down
  Print  
Author Topic: Them!  (Read 231 times)
0 Members and 113 Guests are viewing this topic.
Zodiac
Superhero Member
******
Posts: 4530



« on: September 27, 2007, 11:06:32 pm »



Original film poster
Directed by Gordon Douglas
Produced by David Weisbart
Written by Ted Sherdeman
Russell Hughes
George Worthing Yates (story)
Starring James Whitmore
Edmund Gwenn
Joan Weldon
James Arness
Onslow Stevens
Sean McClory
Chris Drake
Music by Bronislau Kaper
Cinematography Sid Hickox
Editing by Thomas Reilly
Distributed by Warner Bros.
Release date(s) 1954
Running time 94 min.
Language English


Them! is a 1954 science fiction film about humanity's battle with a nest of giant mutant ants. One of the first of the "nuclear monster" movies, Them! was the biggest moneymaker for Warner Bros. Pictures in the year of its release. It starred James Whitmore, Edmund Gwenn, Joan Weldon and James Arness.

The film was #72 on Bravo's 100 Scariest Movie Moments.

Report Spam   Logged

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter

Zodiac
Superhero Member
******
Posts: 4530



« Reply #1 on: September 27, 2007, 11:07:45 pm »



Lobby card -Them!
Report Spam   Logged
Zodiac
Superhero Member
******
Posts: 4530



« Reply #2 on: September 27, 2007, 11:26:14 pm »


The film begins with Peterson (Whitmore) investigating a string of mysterious attacks and killings in the New Mexico desert. The death of a vacationing FBI agent and most of his family (except for a hysterical little girl) brings in Graham (Arness), and the discovery of a strange set of tracks attracts the attention of the Medfords (Gwenn and Weldon), a father/daughter team of entomologists from Washington D.C., who theorize and then prove that the culprits are a nest of ants, mutated to giant size by nearby atomic testing.

The authorities attack the nest with poison and kill the inhabitants, but not before two young queens hatch and fly away to establish new nests. One ends up on board an ocean-going freighter, which is overrun by the ants, then sunk by the military. The other sets up her nest in the Los Angeles sewer system, forcing the US Army to declare martial law and launch a major assault. Peterson rescues two young boys from the nest, at the cost of his own life. The nest's queen and egg chamber are destroyed with flamethrowers, but the senior Dr. Medford issues a grim warning that the atomic genie has been let out of the bottle, and further horrors may await mankind.


Report Spam   Logged
Zodiac
Superhero Member
******
Posts: 4530



« Reply #3 on: September 27, 2007, 11:27:52 pm »



Opening Color title from Them!

When Them began production in early 1954, it was originally conceived to be in 3-D and WarnerColor. During pre-production, tests were to be shot in color and 3-D. A color tests were shot, but when it was time to shoot the other test, WB's "All Media" 3-D camera rig malfunctioned and no tests were shot. The next day, a memo was sent out that the color and 3-D aspects of the film were to be scrapped, and that black and white and widescreen would be the preferred format. Because of the preparation of certain shots, however, many of the camera set-ups for 3-D still remain, such as the opening titles and flame-throwers that are shot at the camera.

Although WB was dissatisfied with the color results, the opening titles, however, were printed in color against a black and white background to give the opening of the film a "punch." This effect was achieved by an Eastman Color section spliced into each print. Both the VHS release in 1985 and the current DVD release retain the original color title.

The film still featured higher production values than most of the genre-mates which followed it.

Report Spam   Logged
Zodiac
Superhero Member
******
Posts: 4530



« Reply #4 on: September 27, 2007, 11:31:08 pm »

Them! (1954)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
by Caroline Miniscule
The Them! sourcebook will collect into one spot all information that is known about this movie, from its genesis to its filming to its reception in movie theaters to its status in later years.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


James Whitmore plays Ben Peterson, police officer. In every scene in which there are two or more people, he makes sure a viewer's eyes go to him. Watch how he does it.
 
 


Riding towards the car and trailer.




His partner is dead, his captain offers condolences.
Report Spam   Logged
Zodiac
Superhero Member
******
Posts: 4530



« Reply #5 on: September 27, 2007, 11:34:08 pm »



His captain talking with the FBI man.




His captain talking with the FBI man.




Waiting for a plane.
Arness talking to a soldier.



The FBI man talking to Dr. Medford and daughter.
When Arness moves into the scene, Whitmore leans
foreward to make sure he's not obscured.


Report Spam   Logged
Zodiac
Superhero Member
******
Posts: 4530



« Reply #6 on: September 27, 2007, 11:37:08 pm »



The two Medfords discussing the case.



Investigating the site of the disappearance of the Ellisons.




Riding in a helicopter, searching for signs of giant ants.



While Dr. Medford addresses the crowd
Ben takes a drag of his cigarette.



Making plans to enter the tunnels.
Report Spam   Logged
Zodiac
Superhero Member
******
Posts: 4530



« Reply #7 on: September 27, 2007, 11:38:53 pm »

Report Spam   Logged
Zodiac
Superhero Member
******
Posts: 4530



« Reply #8 on: September 27, 2007, 11:40:08 pm »

Report Spam   Logged
Zodiac
Superhero Member
******
Posts: 4530



« Reply #9 on: September 27, 2007, 11:43:08 pm »




Them! (1954) is one of the iconic science fiction films of the 1950s. It was the first "giant bug" film and set the model that all others would follow.
A little girl wanders alone in the desert, past the eerie joshua trees, clutching a doll, eyes staring in shock. What has happened to her?

James Whitmore plays Ben Peterson, police officer, who teams up with FBI man Robert Graham (James Arness) and Dr. Harold Medford (Edmund Gwenn) and Dr. Patricia Medford (Joan Weldon) to track down gigantic mutated ants before they destroy the world.

http://thethunderchild.com/Movies/1954/Them/ThemTOC.html
« Last Edit: September 27, 2007, 11:46:46 pm by Zodiac » Report Spam   Logged
Zodiac
Superhero Member
******
Posts: 4530



« Reply #10 on: September 27, 2007, 11:45:25 pm »

Report Spam   Logged
rockessence
Superhero Member
******
Posts: 1688


Using rocks and minerals to heal the earth and us.


WWW
« Reply #11 on: September 28, 2007, 02:40:49 am »

"Them" was one of the earliest movies I ever saw!  I was allowed to go (at age 7) because a schoolmate was one of the little boys who had to be rescued from the L.A. "sewers" (which weren't sewers, but part of the great L.A. River wash system, and the Arroyo Seco Wash, which allowed an underground flow of flooding rainwater within controlled cement ducts.

Scott Correll was a year ahead of me, and his sister Nancy was in my class in 2nd grade...  They had bright red hair, which may be one of the reasons Scott was hired, as I see that they intended it to be in color.
Report Spam   Logged

ILLIGITIMI NON CARBORUNDUM

Thus ye may find in thy mental and spiritual self, ye can make thyself just as happy or just as miserable as ye like. How miserable do ye want to be?......For you GROW to heaven, you don't GO to heaven. It is within thine own conscience that ye grow there.

Edgar Cayce
Zodiac
Superhero Member
******
Posts: 4530



« Reply #12 on: October 04, 2007, 12:41:06 am »

Wow, that is so cool!  So you knew one of the kids in the movie..?

Did you know that little girl with the spacey eyes in the beginning that Arness rescued in the desert? 

Them!  was the first giant monster movie since King Kong (1933), it started the whole giant monster movie fad (which was a pretty cool one).  Wink
Report Spam   Logged
rockessence
Superhero Member
******
Posts: 1688


Using rocks and minerals to heal the earth and us.


WWW
« Reply #13 on: October 04, 2007, 01:22:35 am »

Hi Zodi,

No I did not know that girl.  Only Scott's sister Nancy!  I also met Tippi Hedren's (The Birds) father (Melanie Griffith's grandfather) cause he delivered horsemeat to the pet store I worked at when I was in junior high school... also Willy Shoemaker's wife shopped there for HORSEMEAT!!!  not too convoluted, huh.... 6 degrees of.......
Report Spam   Logged

ILLIGITIMI NON CARBORUNDUM

Thus ye may find in thy mental and spiritual self, ye can make thyself just as happy or just as miserable as ye like. How miserable do ye want to be?......For you GROW to heaven, you don't GO to heaven. It is within thine own conscience that ye grow there.

Edgar Cayce
Pages: [1]   Go Up
  Print  
 
Jump to:  

Powered by EzPortal
Bookmark this site! | Upgrade This Forum
SMF For Free - Create your own Forum
Powered by SMF | SMF © 2016, Simple Machines
Privacy Policy