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Poster for the film "The Deadly Mantis"
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Nathan Juran
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William Alland
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William Alland, Martin Berkeley
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Craig Stevens<br>William Hopper
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Irving Gerts, William Lava
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Ellis W Carter
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Chester Schaeffer
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Universal Pictures
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May 1957 <br> 1964 (rerelease)<Br> September 2 , 1957 <Br> December 6 , 1957
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79 min
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English
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0050294
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'' is a
1957 Science Fiction Film produced by
William Alland for
Universal-International Pictures . It was directed by Nathan Juran from a screenplay by
Martin Berkeley , and starred
Craig Stevens ,
William Hopper and
Alix Talton . It was filmed in
Black And White and runs for 79 minutes.
The film may also have been known, somewhere, as ''The Giant Mantis'' and ''The Incredible Praying Mantis'', though this has never been confirmed.
In February 1997, ''The Deadly Mantis'' was featured as an episode of movie-mocking television show ''
Mystery Science Theater 3000 ''.
A sudden geologic shift in
The Arctic frees a 200-foot-long prehistoric
Praying Mantis from a glacier in which it had become frozen alive. A
United States military outpost on the
DEW Line , commanded by Col. Parkman (Stevens), becomes the center for investigation after the creature destroys a transport plane. The only clue to the culprit (which has not yet been seen by anyone who's lived) is a fragment of the mantis' claw, which is sent to Washington D.C. where a young paleontologist, Dr. Ned Jackson (Hopper) identifies its origin and sets off, with his photographer-aide Marge Blaine (Talton), to assist the investigation.
Before any of them can accomplish much, the mantis attacks and destroys the outpost, despite attempts to repel it with military rifles and flame-throwers. The mantis then flies off and Parkman, Jackson and Blaine, who have survived, return to Washington. Radar tracking and witness reports confirm the insect is heading along the Eastern seabord southeast towards the Capitol, where it lands on the
Washington Monument . After being chased off by fighters it heads up to
New York , where an aircraft finally inflicts a major blow. The injured mantis takes refuge in the
Holland Tunnel , where the military is finally able to finish it off.
