| Testing munitions is always a good idea, right? It ensures that all things will go according to plan when the time comes. But the inhabitants of a small Southwestern town feel the real "fallout" when radiation from bomb tests creates giant, mutant ants that descend on their community. Filled with creepy creatures large and small, this 1954 sci-fi spectacular falls squarely in the realm of B-movies. One of the first of the "nuclear monster" movies, Them! was the biggest moneymaker for Warner Bros. Pictures in the year of its release. It starred James Whitmore, Edmund Gwenn, Joan Weldon and James Arness. When Them began production in early 1954, it was originally conceived to be in 3-D and WarnerColor. During pre-production, tests were to be shot in color and 3-D. A color tests were shot, but when it was time to shoot the other test, WB's "All Media" 3-D camera rig malfunctioned and no tests were shot. The next day, a memo was sent out that the color and 3-D aspects of the film were to be scrapped, and that black and white and widescreen would be the preferred format. Because of the preparation of certain shots, however, many of the camera set-ups for 3-D still remain, such as the opening titles and flame-throwers that are shot at the camera. Although WB was dissatisfied with the color results, the opening titles, however, were printed in color against a black and white background to give the opening of the film a "punch." This effect was achieved by an Eastman Color ... |
