USA, 1957
88m
35mm film, black and white, 1.37:1
mono, English
Reviewed at The EOFFTV Review
An American science fiction film directed by Edward Ludwig.
Plot Summary
In Mexico, a violent earthquake creates a new volcano. Geologists Dr Hank Scott and Dr Arturo Ramos arrive on the scene to investigate and find a destroyed house, a wrecked police car, a dead cop and a seemingly abandoned baby. The infant is left in the care of friends of the child's missing parents in the nearby village of San Lorenzo and the geologists are told by local priest Father Delgado that something – villagers believe it to be a demon bull – has been attacking and mutilating their livestock. Picking Teresa Alvarez and young kid Juanito along the way, the geologists realise that the culprit is actually a swarm of giant prehistoric scorpions set loose by the volcano. After they kill several locals, proving impervious to the firepower of a military aid team sent to the area, the scorpions attack a train and turn their attentions to Mexico City…
Credits
Crew
Directed by: Edward Ludwig
©1957. Amex Productions Inc.
A Warner Bros. presentation
Produced by: Frank Melford, Jack Dietz
Assistant Director: Ray Heinze, Jaime Contreras
Screenplay by: David Duncan, Robert Blees
From a story by: Paul Yawitz
Director of Photography: Lionel Lindon
Supervisor of Special Effects: Willis O'Brien
Animation: Pete Peterson
Supervising Film Editor: Richard L. Van Enger
Art Director: Edward Fitzgerald
Music Composed and Conducted by: Paul Sawtell
Electronic Music by: Jack Cookerly
Orchestrations by: Bert Shefter
Sound by: Rafael L. Esparza
Sound System: RCA
Sound Effects: Mandine Rogne
[Studio]: estudios Tepeyac
Cast
Richard Denning (Henry Scott)
Mara Corday (Teresa Alvarez)
Carlos Rivas (Arthur Ramos)
Mario Navarro (Juanito)
Carlos Muzquiz (Dr Velazco)
Pascual Peña (José de la Cruz)
Fanny Schiller (Florentina)
Pedro Galvan (Father Delgado)
Arturo Martinez (Major Cosio)
Alternative Titles
O Escorpião Negro – Brazilian, Portuguese title
El escorpión negro – Argentine, Mexican, Spanish title
O mavros skorpios – Greek title
Musta skorpioni – Finnish title
Le scorpion noir – French title
Lo scorpione nero – Italian title
Siyah akrep – Turkish title
Den sorte skorpion – Danish title
Den svarta skorpionen – Swedish title
Ο μαύρος σκορπιός – Greek title
Черный скорпион – Russian title
黒い蠍 – Japanese title
Links
Extracts included in
Bordello Death Tales (2009)
Memory: The Origins of Alien (2019)
Teeth (2007)
References
Periodicals
Castle of Frankenstein no.7 p.10
Cinefantastique vol.27 no.7 (March 1996) pp. 46-53 – illustrated article (Roger Corman Presents by Dan Scapperotti)
The Daily Cinema no.19 (February 1958) p.6
The Film Daily vol.112 no.67 (4 October 1957) p.12
The Hollywood Reporter vol.146 no.33 (20 September 1957) p.3
Kine Weekly no.2636 (20 February 1958) pp.13
Monthly Film Bulletin vol.25 no.291 (April 1958) p.44
Motion Picture Herald vol.208 no.12 (21 September 1957) p.539
Premiere vol.17 no.5 (February 2004) p.99 0 illustrated DVD review (Home guide)
Variety 25 September 1957
Books
Reference Guide to Fantastic Films by Walt Lee p.38 – credits
