The Black Scorpion (1957)

I mentioned the other day that I'd recently watched this one on a double bill with Monster That Challenged the World.  In many ways The Black Scorpion is a pretty standard fifties Hollywood monster movie, with giant prehistoric arachnids on the rampage.  Where it differs from many of its contemporaries is in its Mexican setting (it was a US/Mexico co-production) and the fact that the title monsters are released from an underground cave system by a volcanic eruption, rather than being awakened or mutated by nuclear tests.  The film's main distinguishing feature, though is the fact that the stop-motion effects for the scorpions was supervised by Willis O'Brien, creator of King Kong. Interestingly, some aspects of the film - principally the investigations into cattle disappearances from a local ranch which leads to the discovery of the monsters - is vaguely reminiscent of another Mexican-filmed monster move: the previous year's Beast of Hollow Mountain, which was based on an earlier Willis O'Brien story idea, although he didn't provide the special effects.  There, it turns out to be a living dinosaur that is eating the cattle, rather than giant scorpions (the story concept was reworked again as the basis for 1969's Valley of the Gwangi, where O'Brien's one-time protege provided the animated prehistoric creatures).

But to return to the effects work in The Black Scorpion: for what is essentially a low-budget monster movie, they are surprisingly good, (although compromised in some sequences by the money running out before production was complete).  The scorpions themselves are pretty convincing and there is great sequence in their underground lair featuring them fighting with what look like giant clawed worms.  A giant trap-door spider type thing also puts in an appearance.  The whole scene is reminiscent of the Skull Island segment of King Kong, where Kong battles various prehistoric beasts.  The scene where the scorpions attack a train is also quite impressive, until you notice that the locomotive has 'Lionel Trains' on its tender (which is also the wrong way around), making it all too obvious that it is just a model train.  While, perhaps, not as well remembered as other fifties monster movies, like Beast From Twenty Thousand Fathoms and Them! (both fellow Warner releases name-checked in the trailer), The Black Scorpion remains a worthwhile watch, particularly for fans of Willis O'Brien who, despite the success of King Kong, found it increasingly difficult to set up productions which could fully utilise his talents.