Tarantula (1955)

92% of critics liked it
(13 reviews)
50% of users liked it
(1,423 ratings)

A man with a strangely misshapen face wanders out of the desert near a small town and falls to the ground dead. The county sheriff (Nestor Paiva) tentatively identifies the dead man as Eric Jacobs, a laboratory assistant to Professor Deemer (Leo G. Carroll), a research scientist living a few miles… More A man with a strangely misshapen face wanders out of the desert near a small town and falls to the ground dead. The county sheriff (Nestor Paiva) tentatively identifies the dead man as Eric Jacobs, a laboratory assistant to Professor Deemer (Leo G. Carroll), a research scientist living a few miles out in the desert. But there's something strange about Jacobs; his facial features and bodily extremities are distorted to a point where he's barely recognizable. The sheriff calls in Dr. Matt Hastings (John Agar), the local physician, who makes a diagnosis of acromegalia, a glandular disorder that affects the body's growth. He also tells the sheriff that it can't possibly be acromegalia, because symptoms as pronounced as those he sees in this case take years to develop, and the man was in perfect health just three months earlier. Hastings refuses to believe the professor's account of Jacobs' rapid deterioration, but the sheriff takes the word of the scientist. Back in his laboratory, Deemer continues his work, going over tests of a chemical on various animals, all of which are jumbo-sized, including guinea pigs the size of rabbits, baby mice the size of full-grown rats, and a tarantula three feet long. Suddenly, the professor is attacked by his assistant (Eddie Parker), whose face and hands are distorted in the same manner as Jacobs, and who injects the helpless scientist with the experimental chemical before collapsing dead. A fire starts during the attack and in the confusion, the tarantula's glass cage is broken and it escapes the burning laboratory, wandering out into the desert. Weeks go by, and a new assistant, Stephanie "Steve" Clayton (Mara Corday), arrives to begin work for the professor. When Hastings gives her a ride to Deemer's home, the scientist explains to the doctor that he's been working on a radioactive nutrient, that, if perfected, could feed the entire world's population. He also says that Eric Jacobs made the mistake of testing the chemical on himself and it caused the disease that killed him. Hastings and Steve begin a romance, unaware that wandering around the desert is the tarantula from Deemer's laboratory, now grown to the size of an automobile and getting bigger with each passing day. Soon livestock and then people begin disappearing, and the sheriff is at a loss to explain any of it, or the one clue left behind in each case: large pools of what seems to be some kind of venom next to the stripped skeletons of the victims. Hastings takes some of the material in for a test; meanwhile, Steve notices that Deemer is going through some bizarre changes. His mood has darkened and his features now appear to be changing, as the acromegalia, caused by the injection, manifests itself. Hastings learns that one of the professor's test animals was a tarantula, which was presumed destroyed. When he learns that the pools near the deaths are composed of spider venom -- equivalent to what it would take many thousands of spiders to generate -- he's certain that the tarantula from the laboratory survived. By this time, the title creature is bigger than a house and ravaging the countryside, killing everything in its path and knocking down power lines and telephone poles as it moves. Hastings arrives just in time to rescue Steve from the attacking creature, which destroys Deemer's house and kills the professor. The sheriff and the highway patrol are unable to slow the creature, now the size of a mountain and moving at 45 miles an hour, even with automatic rifle fire, as it follows the road through the desert toward the town. Even an attempt to blow it up with dynamite fails when the monster walking right through the blast. Finally, the creature is poised to attack the town, when jets scrambled from a nearby Air Force base (led by a young Clint Eastwood, barely recognizable behind an oxygen mask) swoop in. When rockets fail to divert the monster from its path, the jets roar in for a second pass and drop enough napalm to incinerate the creature. ~ Bruce Eder, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 21 min.
Directed By: Jack Arnold
Written By: Jack Arnold, Robert M. Fresco
Genres: Science Fiction & Fantasy, Horror

In Theaters: Jan 1, 1955 Wide
On DVD: Jun 30, 1993
Studio: Universal Pictures

Critic Reviews

Rob Humanick, Suite101.com
The tongue-in-cheek tone would foreshadow another monster movie set in the desert, the nearly unsurpassed 1990 throwback Tremors.
Sarah Boslaugh, Playback:stl
... the evil unleashed on human society is the deliberate product of scientific hubris rather than atomic radiation gone astray.
James O'Ehley, Sci-Fi Movie Page
Back in the 1950s when it was OK to call a woman 'Steve' . . .
Fernando F. Croce, CinePassion
An easeful appreciation for the image of the poet as spider
Steve Crum, Video-Reviewmaster.com
One of the '50s icons of sci-fi, featuring a giant tarantula on the rampage.
Stefan Birgir Stefansson, sbs.is
fine entertainment
Staci Layne Wilson, Horror.com
ambling arachnid set against the desert dunes looks almost plausible, even as its furry feet occasionally seem to glide above-ground.
Pablo Villaca, Cinema em Cena
Uma boa ficção "B", com efeitos visuais que ainda se sustentam e personagens suficientemente interessantes.
Ken Hanke, Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)
Above average giant insect fear film

Read all 9 critic reviews

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

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Featured Audience Ratings

AJ V

"Tarantulas take to the hills!" That is, towering over the hills! This movie is sensational, but not that great in any other department. Overall, it's okay.
Randy T

<i>Tarantula</i> is 50's sci-fi gold, complete with a giant guinea pig and a mysterious microphone that appears from time to time in the upper frame of certain scenes. Unless you suffer from severe arachnophobia, this is not a film that will cause you any sleepless… More
<i>Tarantula</i> is 50's sci-fi gold, complete with a giant guinea pig and a mysterious microphone that appears from time to time in the upper frame of certain scenes. Unless you suffer from severe arachnophobia, this is not a film that will cause you any sleepless nights. It is, however, a lot of fun to watch and a must-see for those who are old enough to remember Saturday nights at the local drive-in theater watching two-for-one "creature features".
Anthony L

A classic 50's B-movie. I've often wondered how good it would have been had the Guinea-pig had escaped though! Tarantula vs. Guinea-pig should have been the sequel!
Jason O

Like many of the bug flicks back in the days of black & white television, "Tarantula" is a good movie. Yes, it is incredibly dated by today's standards, and it's easy to see that the spider itself is fake, or that it was just blown to proportions, but special… More
Like many of the bug flicks back in the days of black & white television, "Tarantula" is a good movie. Yes, it is incredibly dated by today's standards, and it's easy to see that the spider itself is fake, or that it was just blown to proportions, but special effects aren't what makes a movie. Really, for the time (1955), "Tarantula" has good special effects. The spider itself looks and moves realistically (I don't know for sure, it might actually be real and look to be the size it is), there are lots of explosions to be seen, and more. You'll also see an early attempt at making a man look distorted and extremely old. But what really makes this a good movie to me, is its premise. I've always been fascinated with watching movies in which a normal, everyday creature tries to take over the lives of human beings, and "Tarantula" is one of those movies. How often do you see a tarantula roam through the countrysides, knocking over huge boulders and eating cattle in a matter of seconds? But it's not just the spider that is convincing. Everybody in the movie, especially the two main people, do a good job of acting. As a surprising extra, watch closely at the end of the movie for the pilot that's in command. This pilot is Clint Eastwood, in one of his very early (only his second ever as a matter of fact), bits of a role. "Tarantula" is just a classic horror film that seems pretty basic these days, but it's still just as great and entertaining as when it was new. That is, it should be, if you're a true fan of old horror flicks. If you like other horror/sci-fi classics such as "Creature from The Black Lagoon," "The Deadly Mantis," and even the old Godzilla flicks, you will probably like "Tarantula." I know I recommend it. NOTE: That was my Amazon review from the year 2002.
Bruce B

This is the way Sci-Fi / Horror was meant to be. This is what I grew up on, Chiller Theater on WPIX on Saturday Nights, staying up till 1:30 in the morning, then being woke up by Mom and Dragged into church, ahh those were the days. Of course we have our Mad Scientist, Our Pretty… More
This is the way Sci-Fi / Horror was meant to be. This is what I grew up on, Chiller Theater on WPIX on Saturday Nights, staying up till 1:30 in the morning, then being woke up by Mom and Dragged into church, ahh those were the days. Of course we have our Mad Scientist, Our Pretty Girl, Our Hero, and the Sheriff, and our Giant Spider on some hormones that our Dr has mad up called nutrients back then. How can I give a Black & White Film where when the sheriff sees the Giant Spider he says " Jumping Jupiter" when?s the last time you heard that in a film. What would they say today. I got this for the fact that Ross Elliott was in it, came in the Classic Sci-Fi Ultimate Collection, which I recommend all to try there best to get a copy, has 3 DVD's and 5 Different films all Classics. 4 1/2 stars Jumping Jupiter.
Luke B

An unstoppably awesome B-Movie. Giant monsters are always a lot of fun, especially when you get cheesy lines to laugh at "Jumping Jupiter" and even hokier acting. It also has those classic moments that have you questioning the actions of characters, but in an endearing way.… More
An unstoppably awesome B-Movie. Giant monsters are always a lot of fun, especially when you get cheesy lines to laugh at "Jumping Jupiter" and even hokier acting. It also has those classic moments that have you questioning the actions of characters, but in an endearing way. Tarantula stands the test of time due to the incredible trick photography and effects. The tarantula always looks comfortable in his environments, though sometimes you can see through his legs. The beginning, where we see a giant guinea pig is actually so impressive I almost rubbed my eyes in disbelief. The make-up on the deformed humans is also surprisingly real. It's short and fun, not to mention a cameo from Clint Eastwood in one of his first film roles.
Anthony V

One of the best of the giant monster movies of the 50s. Catch Clint Eastwood's first film appearance as a jet fighter pilot.
Emily B

Jumping Jupiter, a 100 foot tarantula!

Read all 8 featured audience ratings

Cast

            John Agar as Dr. Matt Hastings

            Mara Corday as Stephanie "Steve" Clayton

            Leo G Carroll as Prof. Gerald Deemer

            Nestor Paiva as Sheriff Jack Andrews

            Ross Elliott as John Burch

            Clint Eastwood as 1st Pilot

            Edwin Rand as Lt. John Nolan

            Hank Patterson as Josh

            Bert Holland as Barney Russell

            Steven Darrell as Andy Anderson

            Raymond Bailey as The Old Man

            Edgar Dearing as Miner

            Donald Dillaway as Jim Bagney

            Jane Howard as Coed Secretary

            Jim Hyland as Trooper Grayson

            Tom London
            
            Eddie Parker as Paul Lund

            Vernon Rich as Ridley

            Bing Russell as Deputy

            Bob Stephenson as Warehouseman

            Stuart Wade as Major

            Billy Wayne as Murphy

            Rusty Wescoatt as Driver

            Bud Wolfe as Bus Driver

            Bob Nelson
            
            Dee Carroll as Telephone Operator

            Jack Stoney as Helper
See full cast