The idea is not wrong, fight world's hunger, with a lab food.  So far nothing to say. Unfortunately, the product was generated using nuclear energy and the scientist's laboratory, of the Prof.Deemer, is full of giant animals, rabbits, rodents and should know because even a tarantula.

However, the presence of the spider, although a bit 'strange (what it has to do with guinea pigs?), gives us a masterpiece, a sci-fi of 1955 under the direction of the great Jack Arnold with Leo G. Carrol protagonist. A true cult-movie enough to be mentioned (with Michael Rennie of "The Day The Earth Stood Still") in the opening song of "Rocky Horror Show" "I knew Leo G. Carroll was over a barrel When Tarantula Took to the hills. "

Philo monstrous animals and then angry, "Tarantula" is one of the best of the genre thanks to special effects, made with real animals "glued" on film with gigantism. But it does not end here, because the film also has an interesting plot that starts from the news, that for once to create the disaster is bad luck and not the usual mad scientist.

The scientist there is too and of course is the one mentioned at the beginning, namely Prof. Deemer starring a perfect Leo G.Carrol,  who is attacked in his office by a monster. The struggle makes the tarantula, under experiment, can escape from the cage, biting the Prof. and escape in the usual American desert town of  the province, where, become huge, spreading terror and death. To contrast the beast there are Dr. Hastings, the assistant woman Deemer, Stephanie Clayton named "Steve" and even the professor himself now little healthy. What's more, the monster is relentless and perhaps only the Air Force, led by a young and unknown Clint Eastwood can do something.

To enrich an already successful film  also think highly dramatic music composed by Herman Stein, that will work with Arnold in "The Incredible Shrinking Man."

A film that despite being one of the best of its kind and let follow carefully from beginning to end, it has its good defects. Starting from the poster, which shows a scene from in "King Kong" style that there isn't in the movie, but "Tarantula" especially slides on the monster, because the tarantula has more than two eyes, not to mention that the spider used in the film is a common one.

A great Jack Arnold, however, in the midst of his best period, the fifties, the one of the famous masterpieces "It Came From Outer Space", "Creature From The Black Lagoon" and "The Incredible Shrinking Man", which reuses the technique of special effects and even a spider.

The American director then is also fortunate to have a cast that gives the best. Let's start of course by the scientist played by Leo G.Carroll, english actor famous for his work in major productions and especially in several films of Alfred Hitchcock and two successful television series as "Topper" and "The Man From UNCLE" . The female role of "Steve," strange diminutive no doubt about it, is played by Mara Corday, most famous for her beauty than for her acting career. Mara was in fact, model, showgirl, playmate and  less actress. His role in "Tarantula" was the first important and here she meet Clint Eastwood with whom formed a strong friendship.

John Agar closes the trio of main characters. Another actor from the intense life and career as well as being the son of a well-known industrialist, he married Shirley Temple in 1945 and became famous thanks to some western directed by John Ford and John Wayne. Then a drop and then return to the cinema thanks to Jack Arnold who relaunched him "Revenge Of The Creature" and with this film. Over the next several Agar played the hit TV series and again some western.



Technical

Original Title: Tarantula

Alternative Titles: Tarantula (Argentina, Spain), Óriáspók (Hungary), Giftspindeln (Sweden), Insan yiyen örümcek (Turkey), Tarantula, Tarantula, a Giant Aranha (Portugal), Tarantula (Italy), Tarantula - kæmpeedderkoppen (Denmark), Tarantula! (France), The Giant Tarantula (USA), Tromagmeni polity (Greece)

Year: 1955
Country: USA
Directed by Jack Arnold
Cast: John Agar, Mara Corday, Leo G.Carroll, Nestor Paiva, Ross Elliot
Duration: 80 '

Production Company: Universal International Pictures