The Black Scorpion
          
Director: Edward Ludwig
Year: 1957
Rating: 6.5
One of the main decisions a director has to make in these Giant Monster films is how long do you wait for the monster to make an appearance. Do you slowly build up the suspense with hints or do you bring out the monster early in the film. It is the money shot and you want it to be impressive. Once the monster shows up, how often do you keep bringing it back. Part of that might be a financial decision. These films were generally made on a budget that was the equivalent of gruel and special effects could be relatively expensive and time consuming. Especially if they are done with stop-motion as they are here. Stop-motion was a pain-staking methodology and could take months to finish while the rest of the film was already in the can. To this film's credit, once the giant scorpions make their entrance, they just keep on coming. There are multiple set-pieces in this film with lots of scorpions attacking humans. And each other. Most of these films have one monster, this one has dozens and often all moving at the same time.  Their feet clattering on the ground, their jaws and tails working, their mouths drooling. Some of it looks a little rough at times but there are some terrific scenes. Not unexpected as the man behind the stop-motion was Willis O'Brien who had done King Kong.



The film is directed by Edward Ludwig who was a veteran director going back to the silents of the 1920s before getting into features once the thirties rolled around. This came near the end of his career with him primarily only doing television after this. The pacing feels a little awkward at times in particular with the necessary romance thrown in that serves no purpose. All these Giant Monster films seem to have had one - there is always a pretty girl in there and the hero and the girl take to each other like peanut butter and jelly. It is like the best way to get laid back in the 1950s was to be around a giant monster and a girl. The women interestingly in these films are often professionals - scientists, reporters - as brave as the men. But in the end, it has to be the man that brings down the monster. We would accept no alternative.



The film is shot in Mexico - with Warner Brothers as the distributor - and in an isolated area of the country volcanos have erupted cutting off villages and towns. Two men from Mexico City are making their slow way to a small town with the aim of studying the volcanos. These are Hank Scott (Richard Denning) and his friend Artur (Carlos Rivas who was also in the recently viewed The Beast of Hollow Mountain, also filmed in Mexico. Over his career Rivas played Latinos, Native Americans and most interestingly a Thai in The King and I). The town they reach is in chaos with stories of finding dead bodies or families that disappeared. Nevertheless, they go out to explore and find themselves a treasure - Senorita Alvarez - who has fallen off her horse. She runs the biggest ranch around and immediately makes eyes at Scott leaving Artur high and dry. She is played by Mara Corday who appeared in a few of these films - Tarantula and The Giant Claw. In Tarantula she became good friends with Clint Eastwood who has a small part and years later he brought her on for small roles in The Gauntlet, Sudden Impact, Pink Cadillac and The Rookie.



Then at about the 30-minute mark the giant scorpions show up and they seem pissed about something - chasing after everyone. Catching them in their pincers and crushing them. First the ranch, then the town. Good scenes of people running with the scorpions right behind them. Three more fine scenes are ahead - Hank and Artur volunteer to go down into a vast cavern where the scorpions sleep in the daytime - a child has stowed away with them - the same brat who was also in The Beast from Hollow Mountain. Maybe this time the monster will get him if we are lucky. Later the scorpions attack a train and finally the military takes on the King Scorpion. I love watching stop-motion and trying to figure how difficult it was. There is a lot here.