The Black Scorpion (1957) starring Richard Denning & Mara Corday / Z-View

The Black Scorpion (1957)

Director: Edward Ludwig

Screenplay:  Robert Blees, David Duncan

Stars:  Richard Denning, Mara Corday, Carlos Rivas, Mario Navarro.

Tagline: Every horror you’ve seen on the screen grows pale beside the horror of “THE BLACK SCORPION”

The Plot…

An earthquake in Mexico gives rise to a new active volcano.  Geologists Dr. Hank Scott and Dr. Arturo Ramos are sent to ground zero to assess damage.  As they close in on the epicenter, they discover houses and cars destroyed but not from the earthquake or volcano.  Locals believe a demon is killing their cattle and causing the damage.

It’s not demons but prehistoric scorpions that now have a path to the surface.  These monsters are on the loose and hungry!

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Willis O’Brien, who created the stop-motion effects King Kong (1933), supervised the special effects for The Black Scorpion.  Although working with a much smaller budget, most of this movie’s charm is from O’Brien’s work.

The giant trapdoor spider and enormous worm were models left over (and not used) from King Kong (1933).

If the sounds made by the giant scorpions sound familiar, give another listen to the sounds of the ants in Them!.

The Black Scorpion (1957) rates 2 of 5 stars.