The Deadly Mantis Poster
MOVIEmeter
SEE RANK
Down 414 this week

The Deadly Mantis (1957)

79 min  -  Horror | Romance | Sci-Fi  -   May 1957 (USA)
4.3
Your rating:
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 -/10 X  
Ratings: 4.3/10 from 1,379 users  
Reviews: 59 user | 25 critic

A giant prehistoric praying mantis, recently freed from the Arctic ice, voraciously preys on American military at the Dew Line and works its way south.

Director:

Nathan Juran

Writers:

Martin Berkeley (screenplay), William Alland (story)

Stars:

Craig Stevens, William Hopper and Alix Talton
Watch Trailer
 Loading+Watchlist
View Watchlist »
New List »
3 photos | 1 video | 2 news articles | full cast and crew »

Watch it

Buy it from Amazon »
LOVEFiLM

Quick Links:

Related News

Book Review: The Creeping Kelp by William Meikle
15 November 2011 4:19 AM, PST | Famous Monsters of Filmland
What Makes You a Fan?
1 February 2010 5:35 AM, PST | Famous Monsters of Filmland
See all 2 related articles »
Create a list  »

Related Lists

image of title
Classic Sci-Fi Films
a list of 293 titles by TheLastDriveIn created 4 months ago
 
image of title
Creature feature movies
a list of 250 titles by pedroaxel15 created 20 Feb 2011
 
image of title
Killer Crawlers!
a list of 48 titles by Scott_Weinberg created 8 months ago
 
image of title
Must see movies
a list of 234 titles by SciFiSheriff created 2 weeks ago
 
image of title
MY MOVIE LIBRARY
a list of 403 titles by fjoellozano created 4 months ago
 
See all 78 related lists »

Connect with IMDb

Pre-Order the Kindle Fire
Edit

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Craig Stevens Craig Stevens ...
Col. Joe Parkman
William Hopper William Hopper ...
Dr. Nedrick 'Ned' Jackson
Alix Talton Alix Talton ...
Marge Blaine
Donald Randolph Donald Randolph ...
Gen. Mark Ford
Pat Conway Pat Conway ...
Sgt. Pete Allen
Florenz Ames Florenz Ames ...
Prof. Anton Gunther
Paul Smith Paul Smith ...
Corporal, Parkman's Clerk
Phil Harvey Phil Harvey ...
Lou, Radar Man
Floyd Simmons Floyd Simmons ...
Army Sergeant
Paul Campbell Paul Campbell ...
Lt. Fred Pizar
Helen Jay Helen Jay ...
Mrs. Farley
Full cast and crew »
Edit

Storyline

The calving of an Arctic iceberg releases a giant praying mantis, trapped in suspended animation since prehistoric times. It first attacks military outposts to eat their occupants, then makes its way to the warmer latitudes of Washington and New York. A paleontologist works together with military units to try to kill it. Written by Anonymous  

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

Military | Arctic | Iceberg | Paleontologist | Dew Line  | See more »

Taglines:

A Thousand Tons of Horror! From A Million Years Ago ... See more »

Genres:

Horror | Romance | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Parents Guide:

Add content advisory for parents »
Edit

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

(USA) See more »

Also Known As:

The Giant Mantis See more »

Filming Locations:

Universal Studios - 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal International Pictures (UI) See more »
Show detailed company contact information on IMDbPro »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1
See full technical specs »
Edit

Did You Know?

Trivia

During the movie, the Air Force sends out a message to members of the Ground Observer Corps asking for help in spotting the mantis. This was a real group that existed at least since World War Two. It was comprised of regular citizens who received basic training in spotting and identifying aircraft, but was discontinued in 1959. See more »

Goofs

Continuity: As the Mantis makes its way to the station, its claws alternate between up and down between shots. See more »

Quotes

Col. Joe Parkman: Maybe there's an ordinary explanation to what happened, but I wouldn't take any bets.
See more »

Connections

Edited into The Deadly Mantis (1966) See more »