Them! (1954)

The dropping of the Atomic Bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki (an act of war – though some would argue war crime) officially marked the beginning of the Atomic Age.  The military would spend the next decade denoting nuclear bombs (first the A-Bomb, then the H-bomb) across the globe. This led many concerned citizens to wonder: What potential horrors would be unleashed by these nuclear weapons?  Hollywood studios spent the next few decades exploiting public’s legitimate concerns by producing endless science fiction movies that focused on the unintended side effects of The Bomb.

The best out of the bunch is the 1954 classic, Them!, produced by Warners Brothers, who were looking to capitalize on this new genre.  Them! introduced a brand-new gimmick to science fiction – GIANTS ANTS!!!!! The movie proved to be such a hit that soon the other studios were producing “giant insects on the loose” movies – such titles include The Deadly Mantis, Tarantula, The Beginning of the End (giant grasshoppers), Earth vs the Spider, and many more.

Warner Brothers initially had ambitious plans for Them! – it was going to be shot in color and 3D.
A few color tests were shot but when it came time to shoot the 3D tests, the camera malfunctioned. The next day, the studio heads scrapped the original plans and decided to shoot Them! in black and white, and 2D.  It is a shame that Warner Brothers abandoned the 3D and color aspects of the movie – it would have made for one hell of a shock when the first giant ant lunges at the camera.

Whatever Them! lacks in the special effects department, it makes up in its first-rate cast. It is surprising that Warner Brothers was able to bring in heavy hitters like James Whitmore (who was nominated for the Best Supporting Actor in 1950) and Edmund Gwenn (who won the Best Supporting Actor Oscar in 1948, for his portrayal of Kris Kringle in Miracle on 34^th Street). It is also interesting how few of the supporting cast went onto successful television careers:  James Arness (who co-star as FBI agent Robert Graham) would be catapulted into stardom the following year with his role as Marshall Matt Dillon in Gunsmoke; Fess Parker (who plays a patient in a psych ward) would also make a splash the following year as Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier; and Leonard Nimoy has a bit part as an officer at a teletype machine.  

The ants were accomplished with the use of giant mockups, which are surprisingly effective. It helps that the ants are only briefly seen – we get a few glimpses now and then, but the filmmakers never allow the camera to linger too long on the mockups. It should be noted that in 1977, legendary schlockmeister, Bert I. Gordon (and Wisconsin native - woohoo) directed The Empire of the Ants.  Instead of using mockups, he relied on process shots – close ups of ants were combined with images of the actors on sets. However, Gordon was operating on a low budget and there are a few shots where the ants are transparent. He also reused a cost saving technique that was featured in The Beginning of the End – he had ants crawling on top of still photographs of the location. There are a few instances where the ants are crawling on the skyline.  The mockups used in Them! give a proper sense of scale and, more importantly, give something the actors can react to.

Them! is a well-directed movie.  Gordon Douglas was a director for hire, whose filmography includes a lot of B-movies (he also directed the last decent Laurel and Hardy movie, Saps at Sea).
His direction is efficient and, more importantly, he manages to take a silly premise (giants ant) and transform it into a tense thriller. There is no wasted moment in the movie.

 The first twenty minutes are especially well done. The movie begins as a mystery – it opens with a small girl, clutching a broken doll in her hand, wandering through the New Mexico desert in a state of shock. Two State Officers, Sgt. Ben Peterson and Trooper Ed Blackburn, come across the girl and their first thought is to find her parents. However, she is completely unresponsive to their questions. They eventually come across a car and trailer and conclude that this is where the girl came from. However, on closer inspection, the trailer is abandoned and one of its sides has been demolished. It cannot be theft because the money is still there. Outside of the trailer, they come across footprints in the sand but can’t identify the animal they belong to. They also hear this odd chirping sound (stridulation) off in the distance. Later, they come across a general store that has also been caved in. They find the corpse of the owner, Gramps, in the cellar. Ben deduces from the damage done to his body that Gramps was picked up and thrown into the cellar. They also find Gramps rifle has been snapped in half.  Other than the damage, the only thing that links these two locations together is sugar – there were sugar cubes in the trailer and there is barrel of sugar at the general store. These two scenes provide us with visual clues about the unknown assailants – based off the damage done to the trailer, we know they must be incredibly big. The offscreen chirping also indicates that they can communicate with one another. The discovery of sugar at both locations gives us the motive for the attacks. This is all done without a character spouting needless exposition.

Them! is not only a well-directed thriller, but a well-written one, as well – the characters consistently make intelligent decisions and bring a sense of urgency to the proceedings. When Sgt. Ben realizes this threat is beyond the scope of the New Mexico State Police, he contacts the FBI, who send agent Robert Graham to help with the investigation. However, Peterson and Graham are still stumped by the tracks found at the trailer and two myrmecologists, Dr. Harold Medford and his daughter Pat, are sent by the Department of Agriculture to lend assistance. When it is revealed that the tracks belong to giant ants, they come up with a well-coordinated plan of attack. Even the character of Pat is a competent character – after the military has gassed the ants’ nest, Ben and Robert are ready go down for reconnaissance and Pat insists on going along with them.  Robert initially objects, because she is a woman, but she holds her ground and points out they need an expert go down with them, someone who will know what to look for, and since her father is an elderly man that makes her the only choice. Robert grudgingly accepts her logic, and she goes down with them. It is Pat who points out the Queen Ants have escaped, and their mission has only just begun. The movie slightly hints at a potential romance between Robert and Pat – there is no scene where they make googly eyes at one another or go out for a romantic getaway – but their focus is solving the problem at hand. 

Edmund Gwenn, as the absent-minded Dr. Medford, brings much needed humor to the proceedings.  The humor in Them! is character driven – there is a scene where Dr. Medford is talking on two-way radio with Robert Graham but struggles with proper military protocol (he forgets to say “over” after he is done talking) and becomes increasing frustrated when Ben keeps having to remind him.  There are no scenes where Medford makes a quip while looking at the camera or engages in awkward slapstick. 

Most historians acknowledge the influence It! The Terror from Beyond Space had on the Alien franchise, but certainly the filmmakers were also inspired by Them! – there is a scene where our protagonists stumble upon the Queen Ant’s chamber, which is littered with unhatched eggs (you can even see movement coming from inside the egg). After Pat takes a few pictures, Ben whips out the flamethrower and burns the eggs to a crisp. This scene is eerily similar to the ending of Aliens, where Sigourney Weaver flambeaus the alien eggs in the Queen’s chamber.

Cast: James Whitmore (Sgt. Ben Peterson), Edmund Gwenn (Dr. Harold Medford), James Arness (Robert Graham), Joan Weldon (Dr. Patricia Medford), Onslow Stevens (Brigadier General Robert O’ Brien), Sean McClory (Major Kibbee), Christian Drake (Trooper Ed Blackburn), Sandy Descher (The Ellinson Girl), Mary Alan Hokanson (Mrs. Lodge), Don Shelton (Trooper Captain Fred Edwards), Fess Parker (Alan Crotty), Olin Howland (Jensen), Leonard Nimoy (Army Sargeant at Information Center).
Director: Gordon Douglas
Writers: Ted Sherdeman (screenplay), Russell S. Hughes (adaptation), George Worthington Yates (story)
Running Time: 94 minutes