The Swarm was one of Irwin Allen's later disaster films where he was forever trying to top what he did in The Towering Inferno. In fact he creates something of an inferno in this film.
African killer bees have arrived in the USA and are proving to be most hardy creatures. Their calling card to the United States is to invade a top secret missile silo in Texas and kill nearly all the personnel stationed there. That's how the film opens up with General Richard Widmark arriving to investigate and coincidentally finding Michael Caine, renowned entomologist there as well.
To make up for the lousy script, both Widmark and Caine take turns shouting at each other throughout the film. Maybe Widmark is jealous because Caine's got lovely Katherine Ross at his side. Anyway they are three of a whole bunch of film names that signed on for this disaster film, took their paychecks and ran.
I remember on the old Dobie Gillis television series, Bob Denver's character Maynard G. Krebs was forever talking about going back to see his favorite film, The Monster That Devoured Cleveland. In this film Richard Widmark is the monster who set fire to Houston after the bees decide to make Houston their home. Actually he was partially on track in how to ultimately fight them.
The Swarm marked the farewell performance of Fred MacMurray. He, Ben Johnson and Olivia DeHavilland have a senior citizen romance thing going as citizens of the small town of Marysville Texas. The bees come there because they are having their annual flower festival. Couldn't resist that if you're a bee.
For fans of disaster films and stargazers only. By the way, does anyone else think Michael Caine sounds an awful lot like the Geico Gecko?
African killer bees have arrived in the USA and are proving to be most hardy creatures. Their calling card to the United States is to invade a top secret missile silo in Texas and kill nearly all the personnel stationed there. That's how the film opens up with General Richard Widmark arriving to investigate and coincidentally finding Michael Caine, renowned entomologist there as well.
To make up for the lousy script, both Widmark and Caine take turns shouting at each other throughout the film. Maybe Widmark is jealous because Caine's got lovely Katherine Ross at his side. Anyway they are three of a whole bunch of film names that signed on for this disaster film, took their paychecks and ran.
I remember on the old Dobie Gillis television series, Bob Denver's character Maynard G. Krebs was forever talking about going back to see his favorite film, The Monster That Devoured Cleveland. In this film Richard Widmark is the monster who set fire to Houston after the bees decide to make Houston their home. Actually he was partially on track in how to ultimately fight them.
The Swarm marked the farewell performance of Fred MacMurray. He, Ben Johnson and Olivia DeHavilland have a senior citizen romance thing going as citizens of the small town of Marysville Texas. The bees come there because they are having their annual flower festival. Couldn't resist that if you're a bee.
For fans of disaster films and stargazers only. By the way, does anyone else think Michael Caine sounds an awful lot like the Geico Gecko?