The Crawling Hand
| The Crawling Hand | |
|---|---|
 One-sheet | |
| Directed by | Herbert L. Strock |
| Produced by | Joseph F. Robertson[1] |
| Written by |
Joseph Cranston Bill Idelson Herbert L. Strock Robert M. Young |
| Starring |
Peter Breck Kent Taylor Rod Lauren Alan Hale Jr. Allison Hayes Sirry Steffen Arline Judge |
| Music by | Marlin Skiles |
| Cinematography | Willard Van der Veer |
| Edited by | Herbert L. Strock |
| Distributed by | Donald J. Hansen Enterprises |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 89 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $100,000 (estimated)[2] |
The Crawling Hand is a 1963 science fiction horror film directed by Herbert L. Strock, and starring Rod Lauren, Peter Breck, Allison Hayes, and Alan Hale, Jr.[3] It was later featured on the television shows Mystery Science Theater 3000 (MST3K) and The Canned Film Festival.[4]
Plot
The hand of an exploded astronaut takes on a life of its own. Near a spacecraft crash site, a naive young med student discovers a disembodied hand and takes it home as a grisly souvenir. He is not aware that the hand is possessed by a strange, murderous alien who gradually begins to take over the hapless med student. One by one, townsfolk are found mysteriously strangled to death. In the end, a heroic and hungry cat saves the rest of the town.
Cast
- Peter Breck as Steve Curan
- Kent Taylor as Dr. Max Weitzberg
- Rod Lauren as Paul Lawrence
- Alan Hale Jr. as Sheriff Townsend (as Alan Hale)
- Allison Hayes as Donna
- Sirry Steffen as Marta Farnstrom
- Arline Judge as Mrs. Hotchkiss
- Richard Arlen as Lee Barrenger
- Tris Coffin as Security Chief Meidel (as Tristam Coffin)
- Ross Elliott as Deputy Earl Harrison
- Stan Jones as Funeral Director (as G. Stanley Jones)
- Jock Putnam as Ambulance Attendant
- Andy Andrews as Ambulance Attendant
- Syd Saylor as Soda Shop Owner
- Ed Wermer as Prof. Farnstrom
- Ashley Cowan as Mel Lockhart
Production
Burt Reynolds screen-tested twice for the role as teen character Paul Lawrence, but reportedly performed so woodenly that he was not chosen.[5]
The Utter-McKinley-Strother Mortuary where Curran and Weitzberg view the body of Mrs. Hotchkiss either is, or is named after, the mortuary where the funeral of Bela Lugosi was held in 1956.[5]
This was the last film of veteran character actor Syd Saylor.[5]
Home video
- The Crawling Hand was featured in Episode 6 of Season 1 of the TV series Mystery Science Theater 3000. This episode was released on VHS by Rhino Home Video in October 1999 and on DVD in June 2002, including the uncut film as a bonus feature.
In other media
Rick Moody's novel The Four Fingers of Death, released in July 2010 by Little, Brown and Company, is a metafictional novelization of a 2025 remake of The Crawling Hand (which means that Moody's fictional 'novelization' is set in a future very different from that of the 1963 film).[6]
References
- ↑ Vandergriff, Rick (September 5, 1990). "Aspiring Mogul Back in Action Film". Los Angeles Times. p. F1. Retrieved December 6, 2010.
- ↑ Internet Movie Database
- ↑ Robinson, Johnny (November 2, 1963). "Next Week's Films". Lewiston Evening Journal. p. 4-A. Retrieved December 6, 2010.
- ↑ Margulies, Lee (June 10, 1986). "'Canned Film Festival' on TV, Worst of the Big Screen On Its Way". Los Angeles Times. p. 10. Retrieved December 6, 2010.
- 1 2 3 Internet Movie Database Trivia
- ↑ Martin, Clancy (August 6, 2010). "Book Review - The Four Fingers of Death - By Rick Moody". The New York Times.
External links
Mystery Science Theater 3000
- "Mystery Science Theater 3000" The Crawling Hand (TV episode 1989) at the Internet Movie Database
- Episode guide: 106- The Crawling Hand