Earth vs. the Spider
Encyclopedia
Earth vs. the Spider is a 1958 American black-and-white science fiction horror film produced and directed by Bert I. Gordon
, who also wrote the story, upon which the screenplay
by George Worthing Yates
and Laszlo Gorog is based. It starred Ed Kemmer
, Eugene Persson and June Kenney
.
The film's original title was Earth vs. the Spider but when The Fly
, also released in 1958, became a blockbuster, the film company changed the name to The Spider on all advertising material. The original screen title, however, was never changed.
Earth vs. the Spider was featured on the cult TV show Mystery Science Theater 3000
in season 3.
, which emerges from behind some rocks to get them. They manage to escape and make it back to town.
Carol and Mike have a hard time convincing the Sheriff about the giant spider, but with the help of their science teacher, Mr. Kingman, they go take a look and when they are at the cave again the missing man's body is discovered drained of fluid. The spider attacks again convincing the sheriff, who orders large amounts of DDT to kill the giant spider, and appears successful. The apparently lifeless body of the spider is taken back to town to the high school gym where Kingman wants to study it. A group of teenagers uses the gym to practice rock and roll numbers they are going to play for a school dance. As other teenagers enter the gym they begin dancing and the giant tarantula regains consciousness and the kids run out of the gym screaming while the janitor, stopping to call the sheriff, is killed.
The spider breaks out of the gym and terrorizes the town, killing a number of people before it heads back to its cave. It also pays Mrs. Kingman and her baby an unwelcome visit at their home until her husband, in his car, bangs the creature at its leg and leads it from the house. The Sheriff along with Kingman decide to use dynamite to seal the spider in, but they discover Carol and Mike are in the cave looking for the bracelet her father had bought her, which she had lost the first time in the cave. The spider chases them out onto a narrow ledge. Kingman acquires a couple of large electrodes. They run cables outside to some power lines as the tarantula is descending on a strand of web to get at the trapped teenagers. Kingman throws Mike one of the electrodes, and then they turn on the juice and electrocute the spider. The arachnid falls, impaling itself on stalagmites at the bottom of the cave.
(1958).
Bert I. Gordon
Bert I. Gordon is an American film director most famous for such science fiction and horror B-movies as The Amazing Colossal Man and Village of the Giants....
, who also wrote the story, upon which the screenplay
Screenplay
A screenplay or script is a written work that is made especially for a film or television program. Screenplays can be original works or adaptations from existing pieces of writing. In them, the movement, actions, expression, and dialogues of the characters are also narrated...
by George Worthing Yates
George Worthing Yates
George Worthing Yates was an American screenwriter. He was born on 14 August 1901 in New York and died 6 June 1975 in Sonoma. His early work was on serials shown in cinemas, he later progressed to feature films, primarily science fiction.-Filmography:...
and Laszlo Gorog is based. It starred Ed Kemmer
Ed Kemmer
Ed Kemmer was an American motion picture and television actor.-Life:Kemmer was born in Reading, Pennsylvania, and served as a fighter pilot in World War II. He was shot down and sent to a POW camp...
, Eugene Persson and June Kenney
June Kenney
June Kenney is an American actress, noted for her roles in low-budget films during the 1950s. She was born in Boston, Massachusetts. She also appeared on television in episodes of Bonanza and Thriller during the 1960s....
.
The film's original title was Earth vs. the Spider but when The Fly
The Fly (1958 film)
The Fly is a 1958 American science-fiction horror film, directed by Kurt Neumann. The screenplay was written by James Clavell , from the short story "The Fly" by George Langelaan...
, also released in 1958, became a blockbuster, the film company changed the name to The Spider on all advertising material. The original screen title, however, was never changed.
Earth vs. the Spider was featured on the cult TV show Mystery Science Theater 3000
Mystery Science Theater 3000
Mystery Science Theater 3000 is an American cult television comedy series created by Joel Hodgson and produced by Best Brains, Inc., that ran from 1988 to 1999....
in season 3.
Plot
Jack Flynn is driving down a highway at night, looking at a bracelet he has bought his daughter for her birthday. Suddenly he hits something and his vehicle crashes. The next morning, his teenage daughter Carol, concerned her "bad-dog" father didn't come home last night, convinces her boyfriend Mike to go looking with her for him. They find his crashed truck and the bracelet, but not his body. Thinking he crawled into a nearby cave, they investigate. In the cave they fall onto the gigantic orb web of an enormous spider, a Mexican redleg tarantulaBrachypelma boehmei
Brachypelma boehmei, , is a tarantula native to Mexico in Estado Guerrero - state....
, which emerges from behind some rocks to get them. They manage to escape and make it back to town.
Carol and Mike have a hard time convincing the Sheriff about the giant spider, but with the help of their science teacher, Mr. Kingman, they go take a look and when they are at the cave again the missing man's body is discovered drained of fluid. The spider attacks again convincing the sheriff, who orders large amounts of DDT to kill the giant spider, and appears successful. The apparently lifeless body of the spider is taken back to town to the high school gym where Kingman wants to study it. A group of teenagers uses the gym to practice rock and roll numbers they are going to play for a school dance. As other teenagers enter the gym they begin dancing and the giant tarantula regains consciousness and the kids run out of the gym screaming while the janitor, stopping to call the sheriff, is killed.
The spider breaks out of the gym and terrorizes the town, killing a number of people before it heads back to its cave. It also pays Mrs. Kingman and her baby an unwelcome visit at their home until her husband, in his car, bangs the creature at its leg and leads it from the house. The Sheriff along with Kingman decide to use dynamite to seal the spider in, but they discover Carol and Mike are in the cave looking for the bracelet her father had bought her, which she had lost the first time in the cave. The spider chases them out onto a narrow ledge. Kingman acquires a couple of large electrodes. They run cables outside to some power lines as the tarantula is descending on a strand of web to get at the trapped teenagers. Kingman throws Mike one of the electrodes, and then they turn on the juice and electrocute the spider. The arachnid falls, impaling itself on stalagmites at the bottom of the cave.
Cast
- Ed KemmerEd KemmerEd Kemmer was an American motion picture and television actor.-Life:Kemmer was born in Reading, Pennsylvania, and served as a fighter pilot in World War II. He was shot down and sent to a POW camp...
as Mr. Kingman - June KenneyJune KenneyJune Kenney is an American actress, noted for her roles in low-budget films during the 1950s. She was born in Boston, Massachusetts. She also appeared on television in episodes of Bonanza and Thriller during the 1960s....
as Carol Flynn - Eugene Persson as Mike Simpson
- Gene RothGene RothGene Roth was an American film actor. Born in Redfield, South Dakota, Roth was born Eugene Oliver Edgar Stutenroth...
as Sheriff Cagle - Hal Torey as Mr. Simpson
- June Jocelyn as Mrs. Flynn
- Mickey FinnMickey FinnMickey Finn may refer to:* Mickey Finn , a drug-laced drink* Mickey Finn , a long-running comic strip* Micky Finn , a fictional character and pseudonym of the 19th century writer Ernest Jarrold...
as Sam Haskel - Sally FraserSally FraserSally Fraser is an American actress who appeared on television and in numerous films. She became best known for appearing in low-budget science fiction films of the 1950s....
as Mrs. Helen Kingman - Troy Patterson as Joe
- Skip YoungSkip YoungGalton W. Young, better known as Skip Young and Sweet Brown Sugar was an American professional wrestler who competed on the Southeastern regional promotions during the late 1970s and throughout the 1980s in Florida Championship Wrestling, World Class Championship Wrestling and the National...
as Sam (the bass player) - Howard WrightHoward WrightHoward Gregory Wright is an American professional basketball player. He is a 6'8" 220 lb forward and played collegiately at Stanford University from 1978–82....
as Jake - Bill Giorgio as Deputy Sheriff Sanders
- Hank PattersonHank PattersonHank Patterson was an American actor and musician. He is most known for playing stableman Hank Miller on Gunsmoke and Fred Ziffel on Petticoat Junction and Green Acres....
as Hugo (High School Janitor) - Jack Kosslyn as Mr. Fraser (camera club teacher)
- Bob Garnet as Springdale Pest Control Man
- Shirley Falls as the Switchboard Operator
- Bob Tetrick as Deputy Sheriff Dave
- Nancy Kilgas as a Dancer
- George StanleyGeorge StanleyColonel George Francis Gillman Stanley, OC, CD, KStJ, DPhil, FRSC, FRHistS, FRHSC was a historian, author, soldier, teacher, public servant, and designer of the current Canadian flag.-Career:...
as One of the men in the Cavern - David Tomack as the Power Line Foreman
- Merritt Stone as Jack Flynn (Carol's Dad)
- Dick D'AgostinDick D'AgostinDick D'Agostin, born Richard Earl D'Agostin, was an American rock and roll musician best known for touring with Eddie Cochran. Dick sang and played piano and guitar as the front man for The Swingers, composed of drummer Gene Riggio, saxophonist Paul Kaufman, and Dick's brother Larry D'Agostin on...
as The Pianist
Availability
The film was released on VHS by Columbia/RCA on April 28, 1993. The film was released on DVD in February 2006 along with War of the Colossal BeastWar of the Colossal Beast
War of the Colossal Beast is a 1958 black-and-white science fiction film, directed by Bert I. Gordon and produced by Carmel Productions and distributed by American International Pictures. It continued the storyline of the 1957 movie The Amazing Colossal Man, although it was not marketed as a direct...
(1958).