Burhan on his 76th birthday in our Astoria apartment.

You may or may not have noticed that Concentric Cinema has been on hiatus for the last several weeks. It’s been a difficult stretch for us and we’ve needed some time away. Two weeks ago, my dear father-in-law and Yassmeen’s father Burhan Hamid passed away at the age of 77. Burhan was a curious, creative, and generous soul towards his family and friends. He was a pilot, a painter, a woodcrafter, and a quintessential tinkerer who just loved to figure out how to fix things. He accomplished whatever task he put his mind to, no matter how big or small. Over the years he rebuilt classic cars, took apart and repaired iPhones, sewed dresses for his daughters, and even attempted to build a satellite dish (because, why not?). He was truly one of a kind.

As family and friends continue to grieve and process this loss, they also want to be sure that they celebrate Burhan’s life in the process. I wanted to pay my own tribute to my father-in-law through one of his great joys: the silver screen. Burhan was a long-time devotee of classic movies. Turner Classic Movies (TCM) was his jam, from war dramas to noir to classic comedies. He also relished westerns, possibly his favorite genre. He especially loved American westerns from legendary directors such as John Ford, Howard Hawks, and John Sturges. On the small screen, he was an avid viewer of many an American TV series, but especially The Andy Griffith Show.

Even Stella recognized his love of television and film in this hyper accurate portrait of her jiddo (grandpa) watching TV.

While Burhan on more than one occasion proclaimed that he only enjoyed pre-1960 movies, I learned that this was not a hard and fast rule, as he did appreciate some (slightly) more contemporary films. In fact the last few films we sat down to watch with him were the uniquely meditative western Jeremiah Johnson (1972) and both The Godfather (1972) and The Godfather Part II (1974). The latter two screenings were especially poignant as we sat down as a family—Burhan, his wife, his children, and their spouses—to enjoy these timeless classics together.

As a fan of mid-century American cinema, Burhan also enjoyed science fiction films of the 1950s. He and I shared an affection for several of these movies, such as It Came from Outer Space (1953) and today’s feature, 1954’s Them! I have very fond memories of sitting down with Yassmeen and Burhan to watch this unqualified classic of atomic age science fiction. While it was not a first time watch for any of us, we had so much fun that evening. I will dearly miss my movie buddy, and I will always cherish memories kicking back with Burhan at his home to watch classic films and trade movie trivia.

So, and without further ado, I give you Them! Burhan, this one is for you—may you rest in peace, my friend.

“We may be witnesses to a Biblical prophecy come true - 'And there shall be destruction and darkness come upon creation, and the beasts shall reign over the earth.'”

-Dr. Medford

Strange happenings in the desert

We open in the desert of southern New Mexico as Sgt. Ben Peterson (James Whitmore) and his partner Ed Blackburn of the state police encounter a little girl walking in a trancelike state. The girl, dressed in her pajamas and clutching a doll, is nonverbal and clearly in shock. Ben and Ed subsequently find signs of strange and destructive events nearby, such as a wrecked trailer and general store, and at least one confirmed death of “Gramps,” the proprietor of the general store. Even before forensic analysis, it is obvious that Gramps has met a violent end.

Authorities are baffled at a curious set of clues, including unusual footprints that are neither human nor animal, broken-into structures with walls that were not pushed in but pulled out, and lethal doses of formic acid found in our one victim. In fact, we learn from the medical examiner that while the body was crushed and broken in several places the lethal blow was delivered by enough formic acid to kill 20 people! Fingerprinting also reveals that one of the people missing from the trailer was a local FBI agent that had been on vacation with his daughter, the poor little girl found by Ben and Ed. Adding to the mystery are eerie and ominous chirping sounds mixed with the howling desert winds.

Having lost one of their own, the local FBI office in Alamogordo sends agent Robert Graham (James Arness) to join the investigation. Ben and Robert team up to try and figure out what happened. And while the two hit it off right away, they are coming up empty in terms of piecing together this puzzling case. They are clearly going to need some help.

Enter two U.S. Department of Agriculture scientists, Dr. Harold Medford (Edmund Gwenn) and his daughter Dr. Patricia Medford (Joan Weldon), who are flown in from Washington D.C. Harold Medford is an occasionally cranky but mostly genial older man, who is best described as an absent-minded professor type. Patricia is collegial, kind, and very focused on both supporting her father and lending her own expertise to the investigation. Going forward we will be referring to the former as “Dr. Medford” and the latter as “Pat” since that is how they are addressed in the movie.

Specialists in biology and entomology, the father-daughter team views the unfolding events as a scientist’s dream while also recognizing the need to help Ben and Robert crack the case. The two hit the ground running as they gather scientific evidence and discuss possible theories to explain the extraordinary events in the desert. At one point Pat rebuffs Robert when he tries to convince her that as a woman, she needs to stay out of harm’s way—it is a true “you go girl!” kind of moment. It’s quite clear that Pat will not be deterred from her important work and Robert is compelled to respect her position.

Robert, Pat, Dr. Medford, and Ben discuss the evidence.

An existential threat revealed

We now come to the first of several standout sequences as Dr. Medford, Pat, Ben, and Robert are scouring the scene of a wrecked trailer and searching for more clues. Dr. Medford explains to Ben and Robert the extraordinary phenomena taking place in these deserts. Pat is crouched down just below a tiny rise to look at a new footprint when suddenly a giant ant the size of car appears over the rise, sending Pat tumbling backwards in sheer terror. This is a famous sequence, often featured in clips promoting the movie or 1950s science fiction cinema. Fortunately Ben and Robert are able to take down the ant with a handgun and machine gun fire.

While Ben and Robert stand incredulous over the slain ant, Dr. Medford explains that this beast represents a “fantastic mutation” caused by lingering radiation from the first atomic bomb tests at the Trinity site in White Sands, New Mexico in 1945. We learn that the ants are of a desert variety, ranging in size from 9-13 feet with giant mandibles and stingers that deliver deadly formic acid. We also come to understand that the strange chirping we have been hearing is the ants communicating with each other via stridulation. How do we know all of this? Dr. Medford delivers the information in one of several thoroughly charming mini science lessons scattered throughout the film.

*Robert, Pat, Ben, and Dr. Medford examine the ant carcass*

The Medfords, Robert, Ben, General Gen. Robert O'Brien (Onslow Stevens), and other personnel set out in a couple of helicopters searching the desert in the hopes of finding a nest. They eventually spot a giant hill with a circular entryway from which an ant is emerging with a human rib cage in its mandibles. It is a ghastly sight as it drops the rib cage and we watch it roll down into a pile of discarded bones. While the military and law enforcement are anxious to obliterate the nest, the Medfords recommend waiting until the hottest part of the day when all the ants will be in the nest.

Ben, Robert and Pat enter the labyrinthian nest with its elaborate tunnels and multi levels to ascertain whether any queens have escaped. Once they reach the queen’s chamber, Pat very quickly sizes up the situation: two queens have escaped with at least a few male consorts on their “wedding flight,” as Dr. Medford describes it. This is very bad news, because while the males will soon die off, the queens live on with the capacity to lay thousands of eggs over the course of years from just one mating, prompting this exchange:

Robert: “And I thought today was the end of them.”

Dr. Medford: “No. We haven't seen the end of them. We've only had a close view of the beginning of what may be the end of us.”

All signs point west

A critical emergency briefing in Washington D.C. is held with military and scientific leaders, where Dr. Medford and Pat convey the existential threat to humanity that these ants represent. It’s at this time that a short film is screened, accompanied by Dr. Medford’s description of ants’ biology, formidable strength belying their size, and ingenuity. He characterizes these ants—even before they were mutated—as industrious, savage, courageous fighters and chronic aggressors, and the only species, besides man, that wages war. Dr. Medford’s science lesson made such an impression on me that even now when Stella spots ants on the ground I spout the information I gleaned from this film. Is it 100% accurate? I have no idea, but I share it nonetheless.

What follows is a flurry of activity as the military, the FBI, and local law enforcement monitor potentially relevant wire news reports of missing persons, homicides, and break-ins/thefts involving sugar (these are ants after all). Pat and Dr. Medford have also tracked dead male ants farther west towards California suggesting a western trajectory. Mounting scientific evidence and on-the-ground reports suggest that the two queens have staked out a nest in the Los Angeles area.

Our team eventually identifies the nexus of ant activity to be the Los Angeles city limits, specifically the 700 miles of tunnels and sewers under the city that serve as storm drains into the concrete-based Los Angeles River. The authorities finally issue a broadcast to let people in on the looming threat to the city and beyond. Further upping the stakes are two missing boys who may or may not be trapped somewhere in these tunnels, if they are alive at all.

Meanwhile a state of Martial Law has been put into place, while city officials attempt to forestall a panic among the public. Pat, Ben, Robert, and military units move into the giant storm drains to locate and destroy the nest, find the boys, and confirm whether any queen ants have escaped. I won’t spoil the latter part of the film but will only add that it features a suspenseful, exciting, and satisfying climax.

Publicity stills

My two cents

Them! takes its rightful place among the great science fiction films of the 1950s, such as The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951), War of the Worlds (1953), It Came from Outer Space (1953), Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956), Forbidden Planet (1956), The Incredible Shrinking Man (1957), and The Fly (1958). Honestly the list goes on and on as the decade was packed with memorable titles under the broad sci-fi banner. 1954 alone was a spectacular year for creature features with the releases of Them!, Gojira, and Creature from the Black Lagoon—what a monstrous trifecta!

Them! is also a seminal film in that niche sub-genre beloved by most monster kids, the big bug movie. It is the first and arguably the best of this string of films released in the 50s. It was followed by Tarantula in 1955, and 1957 alone saw the release of three movies featuring marauding creatures crawling or flying across theater screens, including The Deadly Mantis, Beginning of the End, and my favorite of that bunch, The Black Scorpion. While the quality of these films varies widely, they each offer at least some bit of fun (there is something about giant rampaging critters that just tickles us here at Concentric Cinema).

Them! is also one of several films of the era that tapped into the anxieties associated with nuclear weapons testing. Other films that play into these fears include the Beast from 20,000 Fathoms (1953) and, of course, Gojira.

The film works on so many levels: science fiction thriller, police procedural, horror film, and monster movie. The film unfolds briskly through its 94-minute run time, though it never feels rushed. Information and plot are deftly shared with the audience through a variety ways, including wire transmissions and morse code transcripts, witness questioning and official briefings, and forensic investigations.

Production design and practical special effects are top notch here. Most notably are the ants themselves, with their spindly legs, glittery eyes with tiny pupils, patchy bits of dark hair, rough textured bodies, extra-long antennae, and jagged mandibles. I am not sure if their look is realistic per se (I have never seen an ant the size of a minivan) but they are effectively scary—they creeped me out as a child and honestly, they still do. The ants’ movements were all captured on camera using puppetry, animatronics, and other practical effect techniques. What further solidifies these ants as iconic monsters are the haunting sounds of their stridulations, which overlay multiple scenes in the film. In fact, the sound design is excellent throughout, as the echoes of the LA sewer tunnels, the blasts of flame throwers, and sounds of the ants tunneling their way through earthen walls are crisp and impactful.

Another element that lifts this film a notch above many of its contemporaries is the extremely likeable and competent cast of characters, pretty much from top to bottom. While character affability is not necessarily a prerequisite for me to enjoy a movie, it is one of the reasons I come back to this film more than some of the others. None of the performances are saccharine or overly affected; they just feel grounded, accessible, and warm.

James Whitmore plays the brave yet unassuming Sgt. Ben Peterson, a genuinely good and easy-to-root-for kind of guy. Edmund Gwenn’s performance as Dr. Harold Medford offers up equal parts charm, humor, and gravitas. He serves as the film’s quasi narrator, delivering scientific insights and grave warnings with dramatic flair that never veers into the melodramatic. Joan Weldon is equally excellent as the astute and thoughtful Dr. Patricia “Pat” Medford. As I said earlier, it was quite refreshing to see her buck the trend of the time by not playing a damsel in distress or two-dimensional love interest.

Then there is James Arness, who we last met back in December as the titular Thing in The Thing from Another World (1951). His Robert Graham dabbles in some ogling and mansplaining with Pat early on, though soon comes around to give her the respect she deserves as the two become more like partners and colleagues. Arness delivers a solid performance as an FBI agent out of his depth scientifically but dedicated to solving crimes and protecting the public. The year following this film’s release, he began his epic 20-year turn playing Marshal Matt Dillon in the long running western TV series Gunsmoke. Considering his affinity for the genre, something tells me Burhan was very familiar with this show.

Like The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3, which we covered last month, many minor characters in Them! are afforded moments to shine through energetic and charming bits of dialogue that really resonate with audiences.

Them! hits all the right notes for me, striking the perfect balance of suspense, horror, humor, humanity (alliteration unintended), thrills, and exciting monster action. It was one of my formative films growing up, a staple of science fiction/monster movie programming in the 1970s and 1980s. That said, nostalgia will only take you so far. In revisiting this film as an adult on several occasions, I feel the movie holds up quite well.

In the late summer of 2024, I joined my good friends and monster kid brothers from another mother Jeff Owens and Rich Chamberlain (of the Classic Horrors Club) to discuss this film as part of their annual Summer at the Drive-In series. A not-so-spoilery alert: I kinda gush about this movie. Want to know what Jeff & Rich think about Them!? Listen in. P.S. In the episode’s second half, the two discuss another sci-fi classic of the era, 1956’s Invasion of the Body Snatchers. I’d recommend sticking around for that one, as well.

Did you know?

The Joshua trees featured in some of the desert scenes are a tell that the on-location shots were not actually captured in New Mexico but in southern California where these trees are more commonly found.

The film was originally conceived as a color 3-D production, but budget concerns prompted the studio producers to opt for black and white. The one exception is the opening title which is rendered in bright red over a black and white desert scape.

Edmund Gwenn, who gives off warm and fuzzy vibes in this film, was aptly cast several years earlier as Santa Claus in the holiday classic Miracle on 34th Street (1947).

The Los Angeles River, which marks the location of the dramatic conclusion of Them!, has been featured in many films over the decades including Point Blank (1967), It’s Alive (1974), Grease (1978), and Terminator 2: Judgement Day (1991).

Them! was one of Warner Bros. Pictures, Inc.’s highest grossing films of 1954.

According to an entry in wikipedia, the eerie sounds of the ant stridulations were the calls of bird-voiced tree frogs blended with bird calls of a wood thrush, hooded warbler, and red-bellied woodpecker. These were recorded by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

Them! includes an early, albeit fleeting, on-screen appearance of Leonard Nimoy; spot him if you can!

Enjoy a sampling of the excellent score by Bronislau Kaper.

How did I watch?
Warner Brothers Home Video Blu-ray

Cast (abridged)
James Whitmore – Sgt. Ben Peterson
Edmund Gwenn – Dr. Harold Medford
Joan Weldon – Dr. Patricia Medford
James Arness – Robert Graham
Onslow Stevens – Brig. Gen. Robert O'Brien
Sean McClory – Major Kibbee
Sandy Descher – The Ellison Girl
Don Shelton – Trooper Capt. Fred Edwards

Crew (abridged)
Director – Gordon Douglas
Original Story – George Worthing Yates
Screenplay – Ted Sherdeman and Russell Hughes
Music – Bronislau Kaper
Art Direction – Stanley Fleischer
Visual Effects - Dick Smith
Cinematographer – Sidney Hickox
Production Company – Warner Bros. Pictures, Inc.

Running Time: 1h 34m

Recommendations Based on Them!
The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms (1953)
Tarantula (1955)
Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)
The Black Scorpion (1957)

Supplements

70 Years of Them!, the Giant-Ant Invasion Movie that Anticipated the Summer Blockbuster Era

How Them! And the Atomic Insect Movies of the 50s Changed Hollywood Forever

Next Up - We dive back into horror with an unusual arthouse film.

Honoring a Classic Man with a Classic Film: Them!

Blood is the Thing: Ganja & Hess (1973)

The Frozen 13: A Rundown of Wintry Genre Films