The Swarm (film)

The Swarm
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Irwin Allen
Produced by	Irwin Allen
Screenplay by	Stirling Silliphant
Based on	The Swarm by Arthur Herzog
Starring	Michael Caine Katharine Ross Richard Widmark Richard Chamberlain Olivia de Havilland Ben Johnson Lee Grant Jose Ferrer Patty Duke Slim Pickens Bradford Dillman Fred MacMurray Henry Fonda Cameron Mitchell
Music by	Jerry Goldsmith
Cinematography	Fred J. Koenkamp
Editing by	Harold F. Kress
Distributed by	Warner Bros.
Release date(s)	July 14, 1978 (1978-07-14)
Running time	116 minutes 156 minutes (extended cut)
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$21 million
Box office	$10 million

The Swarm is a 1978 disaster film about a killer bee invasion of Texas. It was adapted from a novel of the same name by Arthur Herzog.

The director was Irwin Allen, and the cast included Michael Caine, Katharine Ross, Richard Widmark, Richard Chamberlain, Olivia de Havilland, Ben Johnson, Lee Grant, Patty Duke, Slim Pickens, Bradford Dillman, Fred MacMurray (in his final film appearance), and Henry Fonda. Despite negative reviews and being a box office failure, the film was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Costume Design.

Plot

A group of soldiers led by Maj. Baker (Bradford Dillman) is ordered to investigate a basement level station which they believed was attacked. After Baker contacts his commander, General Slater (Richard Widmark), they begin to investigate who drove a civilian van into the base. It is revealed to be owned by a scientist named Dr. Bradford Crane (Michael Caine). Slater orders two choppers to check for a black mass (revealed to be bees), and they are sent out of the sky.

Cast

• Michael Caine as Brad Crane
• Katharine Ross as Helena Anderson
• Richard Widmark as General Slater
• Richard Chamberlain as Dr. Hubbard
• Olivia de Havilland as Maureen Schuester
• Ben Johnson as Felix Austin
• Lee Grant as Anne MacGregor
• Jose Ferrer as Dr. Andrews
• Patty Duke as Rita
• Slim Pickens as Jud Hawkins
• Bradford Dillman as Major Baker
• Fred MacMurray as Clarence Tuttle
• Henry Fonda as Dr. Walter Krim
• Cameron Mitchell as General Thompson
• Christian Juttner as Paul Durant
• Morgan Paull as Dr. Newman
• Alejandro Rey as Dr. Martinez
• Don 'Red' Barry as Pete Harris
• Elizabeth Rogers as Woman Scientist (extended version only)
• Doria Cook-Nelson as Mrs. Durant (as Doria Cook)
• Robert Varney as Mr. Durant
• Ernie F. Orsatti as Duty Officer (as Ernie Orsatti)
• Patrick Culliton as Sheriff Morrison
• John Furlong as Cameraman
• Chris Petersen as Hal
• Jerry Toomey as Eddie
• Barbara Costello as Receptionist / Nurse (extended version only)
• Jenifer Taurins as Nurse (extended version only)
• David Himes as Radioman (extended version only)
• Mara Cook as Secretary
• Joey Eisnach as Bee Boy
• Stephen Powers as Radarman
• Chris Capen as Lieutenant
• Tony Haig as Officer #2
• Bill Snider as Radarman #2
• George F. Simmons as Nurse (as George Simmons)
• Arell Blanton as Sergeant
• Trent Dolan as Radio Sergeant
• John Williams as Launching Officer
• Steven Marlo as Pilot #1 (as Steve Marlo)
• Phil Montgomery as Mechanic
• Jim Galante as Doctor (extended version only)
• Frank Blair as Himself
• Marcia Nicholson as Captain
• Arthur Space as Engineer
• Chuck Hayward as Standby Engineer
• Glenn Charles Lewis as Chemical Warfare Guard
• Art Balinger as Radio Announcer
• Michael Sheehan as Airman #1
• Howard Culver as Airman #2

Alternate versions

The film was released initially at 116 minutes. When released on laserdisc in the 1980s, it was expanded to 156 minutes. This 156-minute version is the one available on DVD.

Reception

Many filmgoers and critics consider this film one of the worst "disaster films" ever made^{[citation needed]}, along with Allen's subsequent films Beyond the Poseidon Adventure and When Time Ran Out (1980). It was one of two disaster films (the other being 1979's Beyond the Poseidon Adventure), directed solely by the "master of disaster" Allen, who had experience directing several films and many episodes of his TV shows.

The film was a notorious box office bomb upon its release in 1978, barely making it two weeks in theaters. Michael Caine, despite other failed films, claims it is the worst film he ever made (along with his decade-earlier film The Magus and his later film Ashanti): "It wasn't just me, Hank Fonda was in it too, but I got the blame for it" he claimed in an interview with Michael Parkinson.

The film is also famous for Olivia de Havilland's "Scream Moan", in which when she sees the dead children outside the window she moans a scream.

Score

The musical score was composed by Academy Award winner Jerry Goldsmith and used French horns and such to sound like the humming of bees.

The score was originally released on Warner Bros. Records in 1978 at the same time of the film's release, but has since gone out of print. An expanded, remastered score was released in a limited edition by Prometheus Records and contained over 40 minutes of previously unreleased material. It has also gone out of print.

Remake

The film is currently in negotiations for a remake. Roy Lee of Vertigo Entertainment is producing.

See also

• The Deadly Bees – a UK-made film from 1966

External links

• The Swarm at the Internet Movie Database
• The Swarm at AllRovi
• The Swarm at Rotten Tomatoes
• The Swarm – Movie Trailer
• Irwin Allen News Network (The Irwin Allen News Network's Swarm page)