Beginning of the End

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In Beginning of the End (1957) — when grasshoppers attack! The classic monster movie with the invasion of giant grasshoppers against Chicago!

Beginning of the End (1957) starring Peter Graves, Peggy Castle

In short, Beginning of the End is an enjoyable, cheesy 1950’s giant monster movie. Bert I. Gordon (Mr. B.I.G.) specialized in these kinds of movies. The special effects, courtesy of B.I.G., are bad — but the acting, story, etc. are fairly good.

Product Description

A small town demolished to the ground. Dozens of innocent people mysteriously missing. A monstrous secret covered up by the military. Lovely reporter Audrey Aimes (Peggy Castle) smells a scoop, and with the aid of Dr. Ed Wainwright (Peter Graves), the truth behind a titanic terror growing in the Illinois heartland is soon uncovered! Department of Agriculture experiments with radiation have created giant, man-eating grasshoppers, and now the oversized horrors are hopping their way to Chicago! Can this menace be stopped before the Windy City becomes another casualty? Or is this the Beginning of the End for mankind?

This atomic drive-in favorite from mutant monster expert Bert I. Gordon (Village of the Giants, Earth vs. the Spider) delivers non-stop entertainment packed with creepy-crawly critters. Newly transferred from the original negative, this beautifully restored presentation brings all the big bug action bursting off your television screen like you’ve never seen it before!

Audrey Aimes: “The sheriff thinks in terms of ‘crime and publicity’. You’re a scientist; you think in terms of ’cause and effect’; maybe you’ll see something the sheriff missed.”

Dr. Ed Wainwright: “You know I’m not given to hysteria and you’ve got to listen to me with an open mind!”

Dr. Ed Wainwright: “Won’t you at least check it out? Or have you found an answer?”

Col. Tom Sturgeon: Where do I get off asking the Regular Army for help with a bunch of oversize grasshoppers?

Dr. Ed Wainwright: Annihilation. The beginning of the end.

Dr. Ed Wainwright: You can’t drop an atom bomb on Chicago!

And, of course, they need a live giant locust for Ed to test his “duck call” theory on …

Cast of characters

Peter Graves (Mission Impossible, Red Planet Mars) … Dr. Ed Wainwright. Project director and etymologist. He’s in charge of the experiment, using radiation to increase the size of plant life. Unknown to him, some locusts have gotten in and eaten some of the plants, and are also growing rapidly …
Peggie Castle (Invasion U.S.A.) … Audrey Aimes. The intrepid young reporter and photographer. She’s on her way to another story, when she runs into a roadblock …. And a town, that’s no longer there. She begins investigating, which leads her to Ed and Frank.
Morris Ankrum (Earth vs the Flying Saucers) … Gen. John Hanson
Than Wyenn (Being There) … Frank Johnson. The deaf/mute man, a botanist working with Ed. He lost his hearing & voice due to a radiation accident last year. The first-onscreen victim of the giant locusts.
Thomas Browne Henry (Blood of Dracula) … Col. Tom Sturgeon. The first military man that Ed & Audrey report the giant locusts to. Despite his misgivings, he leads a group to ten soldiers I investigate. But their hand weapons are no match for a giant locust.
Richard Benedict (It! The Terror from Beyond Space) … Cpl. Mathias
James Seay (Killers from Space) … Captain James Barton. He disappears midway through the movie, and is presumed eaten. He’s replaced by:
John Close … Major Everett. “You know, I’m 37 years old, and I’ve just realized how much I’ve taken life for granted.” Whenever a movie character gives that kind of speech, you know what’s going to happen shortly …
Don C. Harvey … Illinois Highway Patrolman
Larry J. Blake (Earth vs the Flying Saucers) … Illinois Highway Patrolman
Frank Wilcox (Million Dollar Duck, The Greatest Show on Earth) … Gen. John T. Short