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For the films of the same name, see Them (2006 film) or Them (film).

Them!
Original film poster
Directed by	Gordon Douglas
Produced by	David Weisbart
Written by	Ted Sherdeman Russell Hughes George Worthing Yates (story)
Starring	James Whitmore Edmund Gwenn Joan Weldon James Arness Onslow Stevens Sean McClory Chris Drake
Music by	Bronislau Kaper
Cinematography	Sid Hickox
Editing by	Thomas Reilly
Distributed by	Warner Bros.
Release date(s)	1954
Running time	94 min.
Language	English
All Movie Guide profile
IMDb profile

Them! is a 1954 black and white science fiction film about man's encounter with a nest of radiation-giganticized ants. It is based on an original story treatment by George Worthing Yates, was developed into a screenplay by Ted Sherdeman and Russell Hughes for Warner Bros. Pictures Inc., which was produced by David Weisbart and directed by Gordon Douglas for the company. It starred James Whitmore, Edmund Gwenn, Joan Weldon and James Arness.

One of the first of the "nuclear monster" movies, and the first "big bug" film, Them! was the biggest moneymaker for Warner's in the year of its release.

Contents 1 Plot 2 Cast 3 Production 4 Postmodern youth-cultural trivia 5 Additional trivia 6 External links

The film begins with New Mexico State Police Officer Peterson (Whitmore) investigating the disappearance of a vacationing FBI agent and his wife, the Ellisons, after discovery of their little girl wandering the desert, mute and in a state of shock. The FBI sends in Ellison's fellow agent Graham (Arness) to assist. The Ellison trailer is found pulled asunder by some great force, with strange, unfamiliar tracks all around the wreckage. The tracks bring the case to the attention of Weldon and Gwenn Medford, a father/daughter team of entomologists. The elder Professor Medford arrives on the scene with a theory, but will not disclose it until he tries an experiment on the Ellison girl, having her smell the contents of a vial of formic acid, which frees her from her state of near-catatonic withdrawal, screaming "Them! Them!" Returning to the desert with Peterson, Graham and his daughter, Medford has his theory dramatically given its final proof when the group encounters a patrol of foraging ants, mutated by atomic radiation to the size of automobiles.

A company of the US Army is brought in, led by General O'Brien (Stevens), which locates the ants' nest and exterminates the inhabitents with poison gas, but not before two young queens hatch and fly away to establish new nests. One ends up on board an ocean-going freighter, which is overrun by the ants, then sunk by the military. The other sets up her nest in the Los Angeles sewer system, forcing the Army to declare martial law and launch a major assault. Peterson rescues two young boys trapped by the ants in a sewer tunnel, at the cost of his own life. The nest's queen and egg chamber are destroyed with flamethrowers, but the senior Dr. Medford issues a grim warning that the atomic genie has been let out of the bottle, and further horrors may await mankind.

Actor	Role
James Whitmore	Sgt. Ben Peterson
Edmund Gwenn	Dr. Harold Medford
Joan Weldon	Dr. Pat Medford
James Arness	FBI Agent Robert Graham
Onslow Stevens	Gen. O'Brien
Sean McClory	Maj. Kibbee
Chris Draker	Ed Blackburn
Sandy Descher	Ellinson girl
Mary Ann Hokanson	Mrs. Lodge
Don Shelton	Trooper Captain Fred Edwards
Fess Parker	Alan Crotty
Olin Howlin	Jensen, the drunk
Leonard Nimoy	Army Sergeant at command headquarters (one short scene)

Other actors who appear in small parts include John Beradino, Willis Bouchey, Booth Colman, Richard Deacon, Lawrence Dobkin, Ann Doran, Douglas Spencer, Dub Taylor, and Harry Wilson.

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 section spliced into each print. Both the VHS release in 1985 and the current DVD release retain the original color title.

Joe Dante's 1993 movie Matinee, starring John Goodman, parodies both Them! and the lifestyle of horror movie director William Castle. Elaborate and deliberately hokey special effects are shown. Another parody is an unfinished episode of Invader Zim called "Those!".

The film was the inspiration for 'We are THEM!' (2005), by visual artist Mark Hatter. The project used miniature stage sets, creating a satire of an ant-sized world, claiming to "Educate and Improve" the common black garden ant.

The film inspired a Misfits song of the same name which appeared on their Famous Monsters album.

Them! has inspired a number of games:

• the easter egg "Ant Missions" in Counterstrike, the expansion to the game Command & Conquer: Red Alert. When starting the first Ant Mission, a small animation shows an ant crawling up a hole, with the words: "They Came From Red Alert!"
• a classic computer game called It Came From the Desert.
• the video game Zombies Ate My Neighbors, in which the characters battle giant ants.
• It is also mentioned by Para-Medic in Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater during a radio transmission.
• The film is also indirectly referenced in an Xbox 360 cult classic game titled Earth Defense Force 2017, in which the player battles giant ants that take over cities. There are multiple levels in which the player goes inside the giant ant colony to destroy the queen ant. Other references included in the game are the weapons that the player can use to destroy the ants, such as rocket launchers and flamethrowers, both of which were used in the film. In addition, the sound that the ants make in the game is very similar to the sound effect in the film.
• The film was #72 on Bravo's 100 Scariest Movie Moments.
• The Wilhelm scream sound effect can be heard six times in the film. The first is by the ill-fated telegraph operator aboard the ant-infested ship, the second is by Peterson as an ant grabs him, and the third by a soldier injured by collapsed shoring timbers in the sewers under the city.
• The distinctive, shrill giant ant sound effect would be used in the 2006 film The Ant Bully.

• When casting his planned Davy Crockett episode of the Disneyland television show, Walt Disney viewed the film to see James Arness who had been recommended for the role. However, Disney was impressed by a brief scene of Fess Parker insisting that he saw the giant flying ants despite being held in an institution. Disney realized he had found his Crockett.^{[citation needed]}
• In Sweden, the movie title was translated to Spindlarna, which means The Spiders.

• How To Steal A Scene, by James Whitmore
• The Thunder Child Them! Sourcebook
• Suite of the film score re-recorded on "Monstrous Movie Music" label