407 - THE KILLER SHREWS
(original title; 1959; NR; 70m)

a.k.a. ATTACK OF THE KILLER SHREWS (re-release)
a.k.a. LAS RATAS ASESINAS (Mexico)

released with 402-THE GIANT GILA MONSTER

Shown with Short: 407S-Junior Rodeo Daredevils

Ad: "All That Was Left After...The Killer Shrews" (picture of woman's shoe)

Ad: "Giant Killer Shrews Imperil Mankind!"
(fake newspaper headline)

Ad: "They Had to Eat 3 Times Their Body Weight Each Day...
OR STARVE!"

Plot: A handful of heavy-drinking people are trapped in a house surrounded by giant hungry dog-like shrews.

Prod: Ken Curtis and George McClendon (both/402; also actors)
Dir: Ray Kellogg (*402; My Dog Buddy; The Green Berets)
Scr/Sto: Jay Simms (402; Panic in Year Zero)
Cin: Wilfred Cline (402; The Tingler; Calamity Jane)
Ed: Aaron Stell (402; 517-Beginning of the End)
M/U: Corrine Daniel (402)
PMgr: Ben Chapman (402; stuntman/803-The Mole People)
ADir: Louis Caldwell (402)
Set: Louise Caldwell (402; 623-The Amazing Transparent Man)
Sound: Earl Snyder (402/623; 106-The Crawling Hand; Cat Ballou)
Sound FX: Milton Citron (402)
Score: Harry Bluestone (Mara of the Wilderness)
Score: Emil Cadkin (The Devil's Bedroom)

Thorne Sherman / James Best*
Ann Craigis / Ingrid Goude
(Never Steal Anything Small; was Miss Universe of 1957)
Jerry Farrell / Ken Curtis*
Dr. Radford Baines / George McLendon (402; also prod)
Dr. Milo Craigis / Baruch Lumet
(The Pawnbroker; director Sidney Lumet's father)
Rook Griswold / Judge Henry Dupree (My Dog Buddy)
Mario / Alfredo DeSoto

Trivia: Born Curtis Gates, character actor and two-time producer KEN CURTIS (1916-1991) was most reknown for his role as Festus Haggen on TV's Gunsmoke from 1963 to 1975. He was featured mostly in Westerns. Some of his films are: 1945-Song of the Prairie; 1955-Mister Roberts; 1956-The Searchers; 1957-The Wings of Eagles; and 1964-Cheyene Autumn.

Actor JAMES BEST, first cousin of the musically talented Everly Brothers, grew up in Indiana. After WWII, while he was a contract player at Universal-International Studios, Best performed in 1951's Air Cadet (with Rock Hudson and Peggie Castle). His shadow can be seen on the movie poster for 1951's Abbott and Costello Meet the Invisible Man. When Universal released him, Best worked mostly on Westerns, but he did star in some sci-fi movies including The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms; Riders to the Stars; and Forbidden Planet. THE KILLER SHREWS was actually made on location on an island in Texas, and disguised coon dogs were used as the killer shrews. Years later, Best got the role of Roscoe Coltrane on TV's The Dukes of Hazzard, and he became recognizable everywhere. Now James Best is more-or-less retired from acting in front of the camera, but runs an acting school in Florida. Believe it or not, he's currently working on a script to the sequel of THE KILLER SHREWS. Quick! Call PETA!

Last Updated: 6/23/1999