Monster Trailer 1 - Tarantula (1955)

This is the trailer from "Tarantula" (1955), one of the many Fifties fear-of-science movies that fed the public's fear of mankind's inability to control the things they had created. A scientist's new growth formula to solve world hunger works better than expected and turns a spider into a rampaging monster. "Leonard Maltin's Movie Guide" claims this picture is "one of the best giant-insect films, with fast pacing, convincing special effects, and interesting subplot detailing formula's effect on humans".

The film was directed by Jack Arnold, a veteran of Fifties sc-fi movies who also directed "It Came from Outer Space" (1953; "Creature from the Black Lagoon" (1954); "Revenge of the Creature" (1955); "This Island Earth" (1955); and "The Incredible Shrinking Man" (1957). John Agar played Dr Matt Hastings; Mara Corday played his love interest, Stephanie 'Steve' Clayton; and Leo G Carroll played Prof. Gerald Deemer, whose experiments go awry. Clint Eastwood appears in a small uncredited role as the leader of the jet fighter squadron in the final sequence.

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Entertainment

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• corday
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• eastwood