IMDb RATING
4.5/10
8.6K
YOUR RATING
A huge swarm of deadly African bees spreads terror over American cities by killing thousands of people.A huge swarm of deadly African bees spreads terror over American cities by killing thousands of people.A huge swarm of deadly African bees spreads terror over American cities by killing thousands of people.
- Nominated for 1 Oscar
- 1 nomination total
José Ferrer
- Dr. Andrews
- (as Jose Ferrer)
Patty Duke
- Rita
- (as Patty Duke Astin)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThis was Fred MacMurray's final film before his death on November 5, 1991 at the age of 83.
- GoofsIn the background, a paralyzed scientist in a wheelchair kicks a door open.
- Quotes
General Thalius Slater: By tomorrow there will be no more Africans... at least not in the Houston sector.
- Crazy creditsDisclaimer in the closing credits: The African killer bee portrayed in this film bears absolutely no relationship to the industrious, hard-working American honey bee to which we are indebted for pollinating vital crops that feed our nation.
- Alternate versionsThe UK "12" certificate video release is the 156m version of this film (also shown on U.S. TV) which was released in theaters at 116m (with a "PG" certificate). Some of the additional footage is as follows:
- more of the three-way courtship between de Havilland, Johnson and MacMurray
- a hilarious scene in which the military inspect the attacked picnic site and Sir Michael Caine comments on the bees' biting abilities
- several additional scenes of Caine and Katharine Ross driving back and forth between the military bunker and the town and chatting about developments as they do
- the death scene of the little boy whose parents were killed and who subsequently firebombed the swarm - in the short version, he is in the hospital and one assumes he has survived; although he is not seen again. he has a relapse and dies in the long version.
- various extra footage of Caine and Ross going to the HQ in Houston
- when Henry Fonda is killed, there is an additional shot of a huge superimposed bee which he sees at the moment of his death
- an additional subplot near the end of the film in which Ross has a relapse and nearly dies from her earlier bee sting. This is why she is lying in a bed when Caine rescues her from the burning building. This subplot has several short scenes, including one when Bradford Dillman and Richard Widmark see Caine praying by her bed - once he sees that Caine believes in God, Widmark knows he is a good man and instructs Dillman to "Close that dossier" (the dossier had been constantly referred to by Widmark, but was left as an unresolved plot hole in the original theatrical version).
- ConnectionsFeatured in Inside 'the Swarm' (1978)
Featured review
Great fun, depending on which version you see...
THE SWARM
Aspect ratio: 2.39:1 (Panavision)
Sound format: 4-track magnetic stereo
A swarm of African killer bees rampage across America's south-west before descending on Houston, destroying everything in their path.
Contrary to popular opinion, THE SWARM is not the worst movie ever made, and anyone who says otherwise clearly hasn't seen the collected works of Jesùs Franco, Andy Milligan or Woody Allen (just kidding!). Representing the last gasp of the disaster cycle inaugurated by Ross Hunter's big-time adaptation of Arthur Hailey's AIRPORT (1969) and further popularized by the likes of THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE (1972) and THE TOWERING INFERNO (1974) - the latter a bona fide Hollywood classic - THE SWARM encapsulates director Irwin Allen's basic commercial ethos: Big stars, big set-pieces, and big drama.
Taking its cue from previous small-scale entries like THE DEADLY BEES (1966) and TERROR OUT OF THE SKY (1978), Allen's old-fashioned monster movie revels in the destruction of towns, trains, nuclear power plants and the reputations of numerous high-profile actors. However, Stirling Silliphant's script is so hokey, it's difficult to believe he wasn't poking inglorious fun at the entire project: Michael Caine is so obviously miscast (as a 'brilliant' entomologist), and so clearly contemptuous of the material, his expression never changes throughout the entire film, though co-star Richard Widmark gives it everything he's got as a gruff military type who's eager to quell the threat by bombing everything in sight. Henry Fonda rises above the fray as a dedicated immunologist, and Slim Pickens is quietly dignified as a bereaved father, while Olivia De Havilland forms the centerpiece of a gentle romantic subplot (she's courted by Fred MacMurray and Ben Johnson). Richard Chamberlain, Lee Grant, Jose Ferrer, Bradford Dillman and Patty Duke Astin are featured in supporting roles alongside leading lady Katharine Ross, who seems particularly embarrassed by her ridiculous dialogue (get a load of her hysterical reaction to the death of a sympathetic younger character - if you lean forward, you can almost *smell* the ham!).
The film exists in two separate versions: The 116 minute theatrical print, and an expanded 'director's cut' running 155 minutes which pads the narrative with pointless dialogue exchanges, turning a tightly constructed disaster thriller into an endless yak-fest. Stick with the original.
Aspect ratio: 2.39:1 (Panavision)
Sound format: 4-track magnetic stereo
A swarm of African killer bees rampage across America's south-west before descending on Houston, destroying everything in their path.
Contrary to popular opinion, THE SWARM is not the worst movie ever made, and anyone who says otherwise clearly hasn't seen the collected works of Jesùs Franco, Andy Milligan or Woody Allen (just kidding!). Representing the last gasp of the disaster cycle inaugurated by Ross Hunter's big-time adaptation of Arthur Hailey's AIRPORT (1969) and further popularized by the likes of THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE (1972) and THE TOWERING INFERNO (1974) - the latter a bona fide Hollywood classic - THE SWARM encapsulates director Irwin Allen's basic commercial ethos: Big stars, big set-pieces, and big drama.
Taking its cue from previous small-scale entries like THE DEADLY BEES (1966) and TERROR OUT OF THE SKY (1978), Allen's old-fashioned monster movie revels in the destruction of towns, trains, nuclear power plants and the reputations of numerous high-profile actors. However, Stirling Silliphant's script is so hokey, it's difficult to believe he wasn't poking inglorious fun at the entire project: Michael Caine is so obviously miscast (as a 'brilliant' entomologist), and so clearly contemptuous of the material, his expression never changes throughout the entire film, though co-star Richard Widmark gives it everything he's got as a gruff military type who's eager to quell the threat by bombing everything in sight. Henry Fonda rises above the fray as a dedicated immunologist, and Slim Pickens is quietly dignified as a bereaved father, while Olivia De Havilland forms the centerpiece of a gentle romantic subplot (she's courted by Fred MacMurray and Ben Johnson). Richard Chamberlain, Lee Grant, Jose Ferrer, Bradford Dillman and Patty Duke Astin are featured in supporting roles alongside leading lady Katharine Ross, who seems particularly embarrassed by her ridiculous dialogue (get a load of her hysterical reaction to the death of a sympathetic younger character - if you lean forward, you can almost *smell* the ham!).
The film exists in two separate versions: The 116 minute theatrical print, and an expanded 'director's cut' running 155 minutes which pads the narrative with pointless dialogue exchanges, turning a tightly constructed disaster thriller into an endless yak-fest. Stick with the original.
helpful•7810
- Libretio
- Mar 25, 2005
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- Der tödliche Schwarm
- Filming locations
- Houston, Texas, USA(Astrodome / Memorial Park / McKinney Street exit ramp)
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $21,000,000 (estimated)
- Runtime1 hour 56 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 2.39 : 1
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![Olivia de Havilland, Henry Fonda, Michael Caine, Richard Chamberlain, Patty Duke, José Ferrer, Slim Pickens, Katharine Ross, Richard Widmark, Bradford Dillman, Lee Grant, Ben Johnson, and Fred MacMurray in The Swarm (1978)](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BNDU0NGE1YjktZmIyYi00MjEwLWE0NGYtNjZjYWZiMzViODgxXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMjU5OTg5NDc@._V1_QL75_UX90_CR0,1,90,133_.jpg)