The Killer Shrews (1959)
“Sentenced to death by giant shrews!”
Streamed free from the Internet Archive · no signup, no cost — this film is in the public domain.
Synopsis
Shot back-to-back with The Giant Gila Monster by producer-star Ken Curtis, this Texas-made creature feature traps its cast in a storm-lashed island house while overgrown shrews gnaw through the walls. The legendarily cheap monsters, coonhounds in shag carpeting plus a few hand puppets, only deepen its drive-in charm.
Cast
About the Director
Ray Kellogg — Ray Kellogg was a veteran Hollywood special-effects man making his directorial debut here and on its sister film. He stages the siege with surprising tension despite the threadbare monsters, leaning on confinement and rising panic.
Why It’s Free: The Public-Domain Story
Public domain in the United States: the original copyright on the 1959 film was never renewed during its 28th-year renewal window, so protection lapsed. It is listed in Wikipedia's List of films in the public domain in the United States.
Behind the Scenes
McLendon Radio Pictures, run by Dallas broadcaster and drive-in magnate Gordon McLendon, financed the film as a co-feature for his theater circuit. Ken Curtis produced both Texas creature pictures before becoming famous as Festus on Gunsmoke.
Did You Know?
- The shrews in long shots are coonhounds draped in carpeting and fur, with close-up bites done by hand puppets.
- Producer Gordon McLendon, a pioneering Top 40 radio executive, also acts in the film as Dr. Radford Baines.
- Lead James Best later became beloved as Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane on The Dukes of Hazzard.
Reception & Legacy
Critically dismissed on release, it has endured as a beloved so-bad-it's-good staple of drive-in and late-night TV. Modern viewers prize its earnest tension and gloriously unconvincing monsters, and it remains a frequently cited cult title.
War of the Satellites
The Giant Gila Monster
The Brain Eaters
The Hideous Sun Demon