Directed by Fred F. Sears and produced by Sam Katzman for Columbia Pictures, The Giant Claw premiered in June 1957 as part of a double feature with The Night the World Exploded. It’s a 75-minute science fiction monster film that has earned cult status for its audacious creature design and earnest performances. Starring Jeff Morrow, Mara Corday, and Morris Ankrum, the film is a textbook example of 1950s atomic-age paranoia—wrapped in a bird-shaped package.
Plot Overview
During a radar test flight near the Arctic, aeronautical engineer Mitch MacAfee (Jeff Morrow) spots an unidentified flying object “as big as a battleship.” When radar fails to confirm the sighting, he’s dismissed as a crackpot—until aircraft begin mysteriously disappearing. Soon, the military discovers the culprit: a gigantic, buzzard-like creature from an antimatter galaxy, impervious to conventional weapons.
As the monster wreaks havoc across North America, Mitch teams up with mathematician Sally Caldwell (Mara Corday) to devise a counterattack. The solution involves a particle beam capable of penetrating the creature’s antimatter shield, leading to a final confrontation in the skies above New York.
Cast
- Jeff Morrow as Mitch MacAfee
- Mara Corday as Sally Caldwell
- Morris Ankrum as Lt. Gen. Edward Considine
- Robert Shayne, Clark Howat, and Edgar Barrier in supporting roles
Production Notes
- The film’s monster was originally intended to be designed by Ray Harryhausen, but budget constraints led Katzman to outsource the creature to a Mexican effects team, resulting in the now-infamous marionette buzzard with googly eyes and a mohawk
- Actor Jeff Morrow reportedly walked out of the premiere, embarrassed by the creature’s appearance, which undermined the film’s otherwise serious tone
- The screenplay by Samuel Newman and Paul Gangelin plays it straight, with Cold War themes of technological vulnerability and interstellar threats
- Cinematographer Benjamin H. Kline and editor Anthony DiMarco worked within tight constraints, using stock footage and minimal effects to stretch the budget
- The film’s narration by director Fred F. Sears adds a pseudo-documentary tone, common in 1950s sci-fi
- Despite its flaws, the film was financially successful, thanks to its double-bill release strategy and drive-in appeal
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