After Comic:
Now you see why I keep my popcorn close and my windows closed. I don't mind sharing a snack, but when a bird breaks through my window to get it, we're no longer discussing hospitality. We're discussing a repair bill!
That's my Bootleg Comics welcome to The Giant Claw, a 1957 monster movie starring Jeff Morrow and Mara Corday, directed by Fred F. Sears. It was originally released in black and white; the version in my player is colorized. Its enormous, scruffy bird looks to me like it woke up angry and skipped its morning coffee.
Mitch MacAfee
Sally Caldwell
Director
Five Things You Might Not Know About The Giant Claw
The actors hadn't seen their feathered co-star.
During filming, the cast wasn't shown even a drawing of the creature, which was being constructed in Mexico. They had to act terrified before knowing what they were supposed to fear. I'd have requested a photograph before agreeing to open my window.
Jeff Morrow got an uncomfortable surprise at the preview.
Morrow later recalled sinking down in his seat when the audience laughed at the monster. That's a rough evening for an actor who played the danger seriously. Imagine giving your best performance and having the bird steal the show for all the wrong reasons.
The filming schedule was remarkably short.
According to Turner Classic Movies, filming took just nine days, and Los Angeles's Griffith Park stood in for the New York–Canadian border. Hollywood could change a park's address faster than I can find my car keys.
Both stars already knew their way around monster movies.
Morrow had appeared in This Island Earth and The Creature Walks Among Us. Corday had starred in Tarantula. They brought experience to the picture, even if this particular creature probably needed a better agent.
The movie originally had a different title.
It went into production as Mark of the Claw. That sounds mysterious. The Giant Claw sounds like something my insurance company would rather not hear about.
For me, this is the fun of an old monster movie: serious faces, impossible danger, and a creature you won't forget. Enjoy the movie below and decide whether that bird is frightening, funny, or simply having the world's worst hair day.
I'll be here with my coffee and popcorn. Next time, though, I'm closing the curtains.
—BJ
Sources and photo credits
Film information: Turner Classic Movies and AFI Catalog.
Jeff Morrow and Mara Corday: Columbia Pictures trailer images via Wikimedia Commons (Morrow; Corday). Fred F. Sears: portrait via Cinema.be / TMDB.
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