Attack of the Crab Monsters (1957) Movie Script
And the lord said,
"I will destroy man
whom I have created
from the face of the earth;
Both man, and beast, and
the creeping thing,
and the fowls of the air;
For it repenteth me
that I have made them."
Make that line fast.
Everybody ashore.
Strange.
We can only see a small part
of the island from this spot,
but yet you can feel
lack of welcome,
lack of abiding life, eh?
Yeah, I felt the same when I came
here before to rescue your first team.
I not only knew that
they were gone,
but that they were lost completely
and forever, body and soul.
Please, lieutenant,
some of those men were our
friends from the same institute.
Sorry, Miss Hunter.
I'm not so sure you are
right, monsieur Quinlan.
Maybe their bodies are gone,
but who can tell of
their souls, eh?
Maybe if I call to them
they will answer...
Their ghosts will answer.
McLane!
Hello!
McLane!
Where is the house, lieutenant?
You can't see it from the shore.
It's back in the hills, at
the head of that gorge,
just hidden in the cliff.
How fitting.
Might as well have a look at it.
Well, they're coming in
with the second load of
supplies from the plane.
I'll have it sent right up.
Hold your headway!
You're gonna broach!
Tate, sit down in there!
Well, get him up!
I see him. He's on the bottom.
What's the foul-up there?
God help us.
Cover him.
You know, I wish
they'd get back.
I don't like being out here all
alone with old Tate's rigor mortis.
Sam, how did a nervous guy like you
ever get involved in demolitions work?
Nervous? What do
you mean, nervous?
I'm not nervous, just a little
high-strung, that's all.
Come on... help me get
these pineapples inside.
You know, I don't know what we're
gonna use these for out here anyway.
Unless it's to practice pitching
to those babies out there.
Took his head off... his head?
I'm afraid so.
We're gonna take him back
to Enewetak for burial.
I hope that man's death is not
an omen of things to come.
Frankly, doctor, I wouldn't
care to stay here with you,
but if you run into trouble
or you need extra supplies,
you can always reach
the base by radio.
That is, if this rotten weather will
let us get back to the base at all.
Something in the air is wrong.
Can you tell me what
it is, lieutenant?
Well, I don't know, sir.
Maybe it's because
there's no sound,
no animal noises of any kind.
Well, looks like we got the
dynamite by mistake.
- Looks like it.
- I'll cart it back down to the beach.
Oh, excuse me, doctor.
That's quite all right.
Just call me Martie.
Okay, Martie.
You know, the navy boys
really fixed this place up.
I'm almost gonna
enjoy being here.
Yeah, you'd never think it was a
complete wreck a few months ago.
If you want to see a wreck,
take a look at my back.
Karl, it'll be dark
in a few minutes.
Want to come watch the takeoff?
- I'd like to.
- I'll get the others.
Lieutenant, I don't want to annoy
you again, but nothing was left?
Not a hair, nor a
fingernail clipping?
Only McLane's journal?
Well, that's all, doctor.
That they are dead,
I can believe possible,
but to vanish from the
face of the earth? No!
The navy thinks they
were all at sea
in their small boat
when the typhoon hit.
Lost with all hands
is an old story.
Yes, but...
Everybody okay?
- Yeah, it looks that way.
- You okay, Mac?
Yeah, nothing that getting off
this old pile won't cure.
See you in a month!
- One month, no more, oui?
- Oui!
- We'll watch you from the cliffs.
- Au revoir!
Did you hear those sounds
just before the quake?
What sounds, Mon ami?
A deeper booming and rumbling?
No, I'm afraid not.
Doctor Carson means
the explosions.
We should get up to the cliffs.
Hey, Hank, you're a scientist.
How come they need a demo team
like us on this hunk of dirt?
I'm no scientist.
I'm a technician and a handyman.
So, you still don't
know what's going on?
Well, you remember that
first big H-bomb test?
The one that blew Elugelab
Island right out of the ocean?
Who forgets that?
A tremendous amount of the
radioactive fallout came this way.
A great seething, burning cloud
of it sank into this area,
blanketing the island with hot
ashes and radioactive seawater.
Dr. Weigand's group is here to study
fallout effects at their worst.
Dr. James Carson
is a geologist.
He'll try to learn what's
happening to the soil.
The botanist, Jules Deveroux,
will examine all the plant
life for radiation poisoning.
Martha Hunter and Dale
Drewer are biologists.
He works on land animalism, while
she takes care of the seafood.
Dr. Karl Weigand is a
nuclear physicist.
He'll collect their
findings and relate them
to the present theories on the
effects of too much radiation.
We blow up mountains for
the geologist Carson.
But this is the second bunch
of brains to come out here.
What happened to the first?
They were here,
and a storm hit.
Then they were gone.
That's all anybody knows.
Doesn't anybody wonder?
Everybody wonders.
They just don't like
to talk about it.
Come on, we'll miss the takeoff.
Hank, get to the radio.
There's something.
It's a commercial station,
probably Manila or Samoa.
It's all from beyond the
area of disturbance.
I don't get a thing
on the navy bands.
Keep trying.
All those men killed...
We can't even send word
through this storm.
The navy'll send a
search plane, honey.
No, the navy will assume
that Lieutenant Quinlan
decided to remain here,
rather than risk the storm.
Enewetak's probably getting
as much static as we are.
Probably, which means
we can't do anything
until conditions improve.
So why don't we let
Hank keep trying
while we begin our own working?
We have to go over
McLane's journal
sooner or later, so it
might as well be now.
Then let us go into
the living room.
"Thursday, March 11.
"Today Dr. Ben Diaz'
culture failed to produce
"any sign of bacteria,
"though left for five
days in the open."
"Friday, March 12.
"This afternoon,
Professor Carter found
"a large piece of flesh
having the same composition
"as that of the
common earthworm,
"but measured 24 inches by 8.
"With this section as a measure,
"the wormlike creature would be
more than five feet in length.
"Most intriguing is the
tissue's consistency.
"It proved impossible to cut,
"knives passing
through the flesh,
"leaving no mark.
"Fire was applied to the tissue,
"and the calorie result..."
The journal ends there.
Well, it's getting very late
Why don't we work out tomorrow's
schedule and then get some sleep.
What about that
5-foot night crawler?
Well, excuse me for
being so stupid.
Me and that book you're reading.
We weren't laughing
at you, Hank.
It's just that McLane
didn't really mean to imply
that the flesh was
from a big worm.
He said, "from a
wormlike creature."
You know, it might've
been a sea worm.
They've been known to grow
much longer than 5 feet.
Well, excuse me for
shooting my mouth off,
but the journal didn't say
anything about the sea...
Just talked about worms.
Nothing in my
experience leads me
towards McLane's worm theory.
Nothing.
You would know better than I.
But why, I ask, did
the writer stop
in the middle of a sentence?
Yes, why, Karl?
Unless something really
unusual happened,
I'm sure he would've finished.
We shall find out, I think.
Well, gentlemen,
I will head down
to south valley in the morning.
You know, I haven't seen any
insect life since we arrived.
Shh. Quiet.
Listen.
Just the wind.
You nearly frightened
me to death.
Well, now, I couldn't very well
announce myself
underwater, could I?
Besides, you looked
scared down there.
I was scared...
And lost too.
You know, Dale,
it's funny, but...
I was using a big black
rock as a landmark,
but when I swam back,
the rock was gone.
Well, I did see something
move near you.
You did?
I wonder what it could've been?
I don't know.
Just a big black shape
moving through the kelp.
Land crabs and seagulls.
Everything else is dead.
Dale! Martha!
What's the matter, Carson?!
Come up the path!
We'll meet you!
They must have found something.
Come on, hon.
Oh, hold it.
- That ridge will drop right off.
- Off what?
Come. See for yourself.
But only this morning I came along
this path on my way to the beach.
And it wasn't there.
You mean this pit
wasn't here before?
It has only appeared in
the last 20 minutes.
And it's at least 50 feet deep.
- Nothing but land crabs.
- I want to go down there.
- No.
- Why not?
You are a geologist. You know
that a second disturbance
would cause a cave-in that would
crush anybody down in the pit.
- He seems pretty definite, Jim.
- Is he right about a cave-in?
He could be,
assuming this was caused
by a disturbance.
Why, it's glazed, as though
it had been fired in a kiln.
Sommers, you and fellows
better put a couple
of your lanterns
around this pit so
as to keep any of us
from falling in in the
middle of the night.
Come on, honey, let's
go back to the house.
Martha.
Awake.
Martha Hunter.
Awake.
Awake, Martha.
It is McLane.
Awake.
McLane?
Martha, come to me.
Help me.
Help me.
Martha.
Martha Hunter.
Help me.
Help me.
Martha, help me.
Help me.
Martha.
Come to me.
Jim, but.. what...?
I thought...
So you heard it too?
Yes, it was awful.
McLane's voice.
He called me as plain as day.
Strange, because I only
heard him call my name.
How could the navy
search this whole island
and miss a survivor?
If he is a survivor.
What does that mean? You
heard him as well as I.
Someone could've been
imitating his voice.
Well, who would do that?
I don't know, but I do
know that McLane's dead.
Maybe, maybe not.
I'm going to find out for sure.
Jim, you're not
going down there.
- Yes, I am.
- But Karl's against it.
He's afraid of cave-ins.
I'm not.
Keep this on me till
I'm out of sight.
Jim, you don't know
what's down there.
What could be other than earth,
water, and a few land crabs?
Jim?
Jim.
I see her.
Martha.
Martie.
Oh, she has fainted, no more.
Wh...?
It's all right, honey.
It's all right.
Where's Jim?
He's in the pit.
He went into the pit.
I saw the rope go slack.
He must've fallen
during the quake.
I warned him.
Carson!
Can you hear me?
- Are you alive?
- Dr. Weigand!
My knee, it's broken!
We are coming for you!
Don't try to move!
- No, Jules.
- But we must go down to him.
Not this way.
The rope may be too short.
Then how?
Through the caves.
The great caves to the sea.
But how do you know the
caves connect with the pit?
Gentlemen, for reasons
I have guessed...
Dr. Carson also...
These caves must join the pit,
because the pit was
created from below,
not from the surface.
Dale, take Martha
back to the house.
The rest of us will
look for Dr. Carson.
Dale, I'm all right. They'll
need you with them.
If we can bring Dr. Carson
out, two of us are enough.
If we can't, a whole
army will do us no good.
Are you hiding something
from us, doc?
A theory perhaps?
Maybe.
Come. We must hurry.
You all right?
Just a little shaky.
Let's get back to the house
and get some coffee.
Oh, I thought you
were the boogeyman.
I thought we heard a girl
screaming during the quake.
Did part of the cliffs
fall away into the sea?
Part of them? Well, it was
pretty dark where we were,
but it looked like the whole
island was coming down.
The boulders almost
crashed us in the tent.
The whole island, yes.
We must go faster. There
is very little time.
Little time for what?
That is Dr. Weigand's
small secret.
Let us catch him and find out.
Doctor, why did you try to stop
me from throwing that rock?
I just don't like
to kill anything,
even such ugly
creatures as these.
Poor helpless things.
Helpless nothing.
You ever see a bunch of them
start on a wounded marine?
They finish him off
in five minutes.
That's all the more reason
to get Jim out of that pit.
Yes, all the more reason.
Now, what do you want with
McLane's journal now, honey?
I just thought I'd
look through it
and see what it was Mac said
about those great caves
appearing in the
sides of the hills.
Well, he didn't say much,
except that it always
happened at night.
It was right in here.
There it is again.
- Another quake.
- No, the other sound.
I heard it at the pit.
You know if we both
hadn't heard it,
I'd swear it was my
own imagination.
Dale, what can it be?
I don't know, but
I'm gonna find out.
- Now, stay here, Martie.
- Don't go in there.
Put out the lights.
- There's light ahead.
- It's coming from the pit.
- Carson, we are near you!
- Quiet.
Come quickly.
He's still alive.
So let's get him out of here.
We can get him out,
but we must move with caution.
Why?
Do not call to him.
Why not, doctor?
Blood.
Where could he drag himself?
We will not find him tonight.
We had better return
in the morning
when there is more light.
I don't like the idea of leaving him
here all night with a busted leg.
Nor do I. Up the rope...
quickly.
We might as well go
back through the caves.
No! Up the rope.
Dr. Weigand...
You are a great
nuclear physicist
while I am a simple
provincial botanist,
but there are things
I do not understand...
There are many things that I do
not understand also, Jules.
You had better climb.
Our tent's just outside the cave.
We don't have to go up the rope.
Up the rope!
That's what I was afraid of.
It stopped.
Whatever it was must've
damaged the wiring.
Light one of the kerosene
lamps, will you, honey?
Here's your motive.
Food.
But not much, considering the size
of the thing that did all of this.
I guess there's no point in
waiting for the rest to get back.
The storm should've let up enough for
me to get through to the navy now.
Come on.
Oh, Dale.
Whatever it was that did this
deliberately
destroyed the radio.
It had to be deliberate.
Every piece of wiring has been
ripped out and chopped to bits.
Look.
Every tube has been
sliced neatly in half.
And it had to reach
way inside to do it
without wrecking these cabinets.
Well, all I can say is,
why wasn't I invited
to the party?
Not funny, eh?
Well, that's as it should be.
Do you think you can fix it?
Fix it?
I'll need a whole new
outfit from the bottom up.
You have parts?
Enough to build a new one?
I don't know.
Why do you suppose it didn't
come through the door
and get us, Karl?
I don't know.
I can only guess.
It would take considerable power
to keep the intruder
behind this door.
There is power in the
lighting in the living room.
You mean it's afraid
of electricity?
I think so.
Have you any other ideas?
Once upon a time,
there was a mountain.
Hmm?
Yesterday, when we
came to this island,
there was a mountain out there.
Today there's no mountain.
I am not surprised.
You're not surprised at
anything, are you, doctor?
I suppose you can tell us what
tore up this room last night.
No, I cannot tell you that.
But I can tell you this:
Everything that has happened
from the death of
the first sailor
to the destruction of our radio
must be somehow related.
They are too far from the
normal scheme of things to be
separate accidents.
If there is a single cause,
then that cause is outside
of nature as we know it.
Yes, that is why I insisted on
caution entering the caves.
We are unquestionably on the
brink of a great discovery.
It is not likely that that discovery
will be of a pleasant nature.
That is the sum of my knowledge.
If you need more, I suggest
you ask Dr. McLane,
when next his voice
calls in the night.
Now, let us again
seek Dr. Carson.
I don't understand this.
We've covered every exit
in the base of the pit.
Wounded as he was, he couldn't
have crawled this far.
Yet, still no sign of him.
Nor will be, eh, Karl?
Deveroux! Get close
to the walls!
- Something to tie it with.
- Top of my pack, Karl.
Here, you'll need
a tourniquet too.
Hello, there. Anybody alive?
He all right?
How did you know
we were in here?
We didn't; We were on the
other side of the island.
Well, what used to be the
other side of the island.
Most of it's fallen to
the drink, already.
So we run in here when
we heard you call.
Call... We didn't call you.
Whose voice did you hear?
Well, it sounded
like the other guy.
You know, the fellow
who fell into the pit.
So he is still alive.
If we do not move fast,
Jules will not be alive.
Come. Give us a hand.
This will help you sleep, Jules.
Thank you, Martha.
I could use some sleep.
Merci, madame.
Je voudrais presenter
UN inspection.
Give me two.
Here's two.
And I'll take...
One.
Bet you ten.
Okay, I bet you ten,
and I'll raise you ten.
If you're not careful, you'll
raise us both 10 feet.
What's the matter, nervous?
What do you mean, nervous?
Okay, what do you got?
Three queens.
Well, big deal, so you
finally won a hand.
I'm still 100 sticks of dynamite and
one wild explosion ahead of you.
What's that?
Sounds like a kid
dragging a stick
across a Pickett fence.
We ain't got no Pickett
fence out here.
Professor Deveroux.
Professor Deveroux.
Who is there?
Seaman Ron Fellows.
And Sam Sommers.
We found Dr. Carson.
Where are you?
We're outside.
We can take you to Dr. Carson,
but you got to be quiet...
Very quiet.
Will you come?
Yes.
Come down the path
toward the big pit.
We'll meet you there and
lead you to Carson.
I will be there.
Fellows?
Sommers?
We're right here, professor.
Sounded like Jules.
Deveroux?
Yes, what is it?
- I am here.
- Are you all right?
Yes.
The pain is less.
Keep talking.
We thought we heard you cry out.
I have been asleep.
Perhaps you were
talking in your sleep.
UN-huh. Yes.
Then I hope I did not
blemish the reputations
of any fair ladies
I may have known.
You didn't mention any names.
I never asked any names.
Tell me of this cry you heard.
It sounded like you...
Like you would've sounded
in your death agonies.
It could hardly have
been me, doctor,
when I have been
here all the time,
dreaming of all the things
I might learn to do
with only my left hand.
And though even it was
fixed with a hook,
and when I...
Congratulations, Dr. Weigand.
Where are you?
Where all of you soon will be.
I shall be back tomorrow night.
Bon soir.
Deveroux! Deveroux!
What does it mean, doctor?
- He is dead.
- But he spoke, Karl.
This supposed to
be a ghost story?
No...
No, I do not believe in ghosts.
We are dealing with
a man who is dead,
but whose voice and memory live.
How this can be, I do not know.
But its implications
are far more terrible
than any ghost could ever be.
But what happened to
their bodies, Karl?
They were eaten.
Even the bones?
The bones are, I think, hidden.
Most of the dynamite is gone.
Huh, dynamite?
But not the grenades.
I don't understand it.
I don't understand it.
Well, we may as well
pick up what's left.
Yes, we shall need them.
We shall have to stay away
from the beach hereafter.
Come, Hank. We still have
the radio to repair.
Tonight we will wait for
Jules to speak to us.
Well, it's long after dark.
We should've heard him by now.
We will hear. Be patient.
Good evening, mes amis.
I am glad you are
all still with us.
Be not shocked that
the weapon speaks.
I transmit, so
I must be received.
Hearken to all things metal,
for I may be in them.
What do you want?
First I want to reassure you
that I am of sound mind,
if not of body.
Something remarkable
has happened to me.
I would like all of you to
come and see for yourselves.
- Where are you, Jules?
- In the caves,
at the bottom of Carson's pit.
- And what about Carson?
- I'm here too.
My leg no longer troubles me.
It's all most exhilarating.
- Will you come?
- Yes.
- Wait for us.
- We'll wait.
- Let's go.
- Dale!
We shall need the equipment.
We must go. We
have to find out.
We are here!
Show yourself!
Get back here!
- I killed it.
- Yes!
By the sheerest luck.
Why didn't the grenades hurt it?
Remember what the journal
said about the worm?
Yeah, that a knife passed
through it like water.
The stone penetrated its
brain or motor area...
or whatever keeps
the thing alive.
I think if we remove the stone,
the crab would return to life.
Oh, let's just leave it be, huh?
We will bury it.
If a blade passes through it
like a finger through mercury,
then like a river of mercury,
we should be able to
sever a part of it
by completely separating it
from the rest of the body.
Thusly...
There. Now we have a specimen.
Fetch your dynamite, Hank.
Do you have any
theories, doctor?
Perhaps.
All I can tell you now is that
this is a male land crab,
which you as a biologist
will know better than I.
Yes, Karl, I...
I know the species
appears to be that
of an ordinary land crab, but...
Out! Quickly!
Down!
You have destroyed McLane
and all of his party.
You have destroyed them
and tried to destroy me.
This, mes amis, was
one grave mistake.
Well, doctor...
This is ridiculous.
Molecular structure of this
crab is entirely disrupted.
There's no cohesion
between the atoms.
- I don't understand.
- Nor do I.
Apparently we have one of
those biological freaks
resulting from an overdose
of radiation poisoning.
The way to explain it is...
Look. Electricity.
The free electron in the
copper atom breaks off
to circle the next atom,
taking the charge
along the wire.
Do you follow me, Hank?
I think so.
The free electrons
jump from atom to atom
along the copper at
the speed of light.
I remember that
from high school.
Yes, atom to atom.
Well, something like that
has happened to our crab.
But instead of free electrons,
the crab has free atoms...
All disconnected.
It's like a mass of liquid...
with a permanent shape.
Any metal, therefore,
that the crab eats
will be assimilated in his
body of solid energy,
becoming part of the crab.
Like the bodies of the dead men?
Yes.
And their brain tissue,
which, after all,
is nothing more than
a storage house
for electrical impulses.
That means that the crab can
eat his victim's brain,
absorbing his mind
intact and working.
It's as good a theory as any other
to explain what's happened.
But, doctor, that
theory doesn't explain
why Jules' and Carson's minds
have turned against us.
Preservation of the species.
Once they were men,
now they are land crabs.
Okay, professor, how are the
crabs blowing up the island?
I am not sure.
But I imagine they are able
to send out arcs of heat.
They are packed with it.
The sides of the pit were glazed
as if the rock were melted.
They can melt and fuse
parts of the caverns,
explode the materials contained
and bring about the slides.
- Why?
- To get at us, of course.
Looks like we're on the
verge of a blessed event.
What's that?
What's that?
Or is this the one you killed?
No, it is still alive.
We did not kill it.
Notice the belt of yellow fat
around the base of the shell?
It would indicate that she's
in a very delicate condition,
and pretty close too.
I, for one, should not
like to be around
to hear the patter of
so many tiny feet.
- Then we've got to kill it.
- Kill it?
It's easier said
than done, Hank.
Now wait. This needs
some thought.
Doctor, you're not going to suggest
that we save it for science.
That would be suicide.
No, thank you, Martha.
I have no ambition toward
becoming a mad scientist,
But I do think we ought to
try and capture the thing.
Would you not like to
examine a live specimen?
Certainly, I would.
But I had a chance to
see how the specimen
examined the lab
wall last night.
Hey, take a look at this.
You said something about the crab
being afraid of electricity, doctor.
Let's find out.
Ashes!
The electricity destroyed the
leg in less than a second.
That proves that the crab
is negatively charged.
Yes.
Then, Hank, you must create
a trap of positive energy.
Ha! It works!
Well, sure it does, doctor, easier
to build than a model airplane.
The charge must be
just strong enough
to DE-energize the crab,
long enough for us to remove
the claws and cage it,
but not strong enough
to kill the thing.
That's fine, Karl, but how do we
get the crab to step into it?
Apparently the creature
sleeps by daytime.
We must take the
arc and place it
in one of the well-traveled
cave routes.
He has eight legs with which
to step on the plate.
I am sure he will manage.
Yes, but you better select a
new approach to the cave.
The beach entrance is
completely under water,
and the pit is...
He is using the dynamite.
We must hurry.
You've already lowered the
electric eyes into the cave?
Yes, you must place them either
side of one of the upper caves.
The lower caverns will
be flooded by now.
Use the underwater channels
to the ocean as you escape.
We'll try to attract his
attention from up here.
Take care, honey.
We might as well get to work.
I'll plant this one.
You take the other.
All right.
Lonesome in here.
It's lonesome everywhere.
You know, I bet you could
even be lonesome in a crowd.
Yeah.
Unless, of course, you found
that special someone.
Found him yet?
Why do you ask?
Because I...
Behind that wall!
This might be the perfect time to
collect some of Dr. Weigand's mercury.
If I can't make it back, you get
out of here as fast as you can.
Hank, you...
Get in to the water!
The water's down that tunnel!
Dale, they just ran across the
bottom of the pit into another cave.
Martha!
Let's get down to
the sea entrance.
It's no good shooting, Dale.
The bullets pass through
it just like X-rays.
So, you have wounded me.
I must grow a new claw
Well and good,
for I can do it in a day.
But will you grow new lives
when I have taken
yours from you?
Do you think it'll
work now, Hank?
It should. Everything's
put together.
The generator's always worked.
All we have to worry about is
the strength of our signal.
That is, if
Dr. Deveroux and Carson
will leave us alone long
enough to try it out.
I'm afraid they won't.
Rather than our receiving
radio signals,
they would prefer to receive us
in that great common
stomach of theirs.
Well, come on, Karl, let's go out
and see what's left of this rock.
I hope there is still something
left upon which to stand.
Well, I guess it's about
time I fixed us some food.
There used to be ridges
there for maybe two miles.
Now there's less than
half a city block.
Soon we will have
nowhere to run.
That's the idea, isn't it?
The path is still there.
Yes, Karl, but where
does it lead?
To the pit and to the sea.
At least to the sea.
We'll soon find out.
Aloha, Malihinis.
This is your favorite disc
jockey, Pineapple Joe.
Listen now to Mukakima
and his Ola'Kai boys
playing Muana Loa Lover.
It's working.
Only the receiver.
Not the transmitter.
Well, can you fix it?
I don't know.
Maybe with this telegraph
key and a Morse code setup.
Well, we don't have to worry
about the pit any longer, Karl.
No. Shall we go?
Might as well.
It's not wasting any time.
The sound came from over there.
Let's go.
Oh Hank, I don't know what
we'd have done without you.
Where did you ever learn
to fix all these things?
In the navy during the war.
And I knocked around a lot in the
radio and the TV repair business.
Ended up in the south pacific?
Yeah.
How'd you get here?
Well, after Dale
and I graduated,
we stayed on at the
Institute in research.
- You've been together ever since?
- UN-huh.
And when his promotion
comes through,
we'll be making it a
lifetime partnership.
Yeah.
Well, let's go
find Karl and Dale
and tell them this thing works.
All right.
Is that not oil?
Yes, it is, Karl.
I've never heard of oil being found
on the pacific islands before.
The detonations must've opened
a source deep in the island.
But look, it seems to be
coming from two sources.
I suggest we trace them.
You want to follow
this oil underground?
I feel we must.
But the crab, Karl.
The crab is like a rattlesnake.
It can be heard long
before it can be seen.
I believe we can keep out of its
way if we only remain alert.
He knows this better than we do.
That is why he is trying
to reduce this island
to a small corner, from
which we cannot escape.
All right.
But at the first
sound of a rattle,
get out of there, eh?
All right. Don't worry.
Don't worry.
You follow this stream, and I
shall follow the other one.
- Dale, what is it?
- Karl's down in the caves!
- Why did he go?
- Never mind!
The crab is heading
straight for him.
We've got to get him out
before it's too late.
Then let's go!
Stay there, Martie!
Martha!
Get out of here!
- Keep going!
- Dale, no!
I'm gonna light the
oil back there.
Come on. He knows
what he's doing
Come on!
Did you kill it?
No.
He can avoid the main stream.
Of all of us, I thought
Karl would be the one to...
That fire won't
hold it very long.
I don't think it matters
much anymore, Hank.
Well, just so it holds it long enough
for me to get one message away,
- just one more S.O.S.
- Hank you've got the radio?
That was quick thinking, Dale.
The pity is that all fires
must one day burn out.
You getting through, hank?
How should I know? I'm not on
the other end of this thing.
Oh, Hank, you must get through.
I know it.
It's gone dead
I am afraid that won't
help you, Hank.
By the time ships and
planes can arrive,
this island will have vanished
beneath the waves of the sea.
But you will not drown.
You will be a part of me.
And as with McLane, there
will be no evidence
of how you vanished
or of my existence.
We will rest in the caves
and plan our assault
upon the world of men!
No! Run!
Get out of here!
Look!
The water's rising.
Come on! Climb!
Hank, you got any fight left?
What for? It's only
wasted energy.
Sure, I got fight left.
I don't know what good
these will be now, Hank,
but I got two grenades left.
How about you?
I got four.
Let's see what's in the toolbox.
Transmitter's still working.
Here, this looks good.
Dale!
Go!
Let's try and blast him, Hank.
Foolish.
Very foolish.
Watch it, Hank.
Hank!
- He gave his life.
- I know.
"I will destroy man
whom I have created
from the face of the earth;
Both man, and beast, and
the creeping thing,
and the fowls of the air;
For it repenteth me
that I have made them."
Make that line fast.
Everybody ashore.
Strange.
We can only see a small part
of the island from this spot,
but yet you can feel
lack of welcome,
lack of abiding life, eh?
Yeah, I felt the same when I came
here before to rescue your first team.
I not only knew that
they were gone,
but that they were lost completely
and forever, body and soul.
Please, lieutenant,
some of those men were our
friends from the same institute.
Sorry, Miss Hunter.
I'm not so sure you are
right, monsieur Quinlan.
Maybe their bodies are gone,
but who can tell of
their souls, eh?
Maybe if I call to them
they will answer...
Their ghosts will answer.
McLane!
Hello!
McLane!
Where is the house, lieutenant?
You can't see it from the shore.
It's back in the hills, at
the head of that gorge,
just hidden in the cliff.
How fitting.
Might as well have a look at it.
Well, they're coming in
with the second load of
supplies from the plane.
I'll have it sent right up.
Hold your headway!
You're gonna broach!
Tate, sit down in there!
Well, get him up!
I see him. He's on the bottom.
What's the foul-up there?
God help us.
Cover him.
You know, I wish
they'd get back.
I don't like being out here all
alone with old Tate's rigor mortis.
Sam, how did a nervous guy like you
ever get involved in demolitions work?
Nervous? What do
you mean, nervous?
I'm not nervous, just a little
high-strung, that's all.
Come on... help me get
these pineapples inside.
You know, I don't know what we're
gonna use these for out here anyway.
Unless it's to practice pitching
to those babies out there.
Took his head off... his head?
I'm afraid so.
We're gonna take him back
to Enewetak for burial.
I hope that man's death is not
an omen of things to come.
Frankly, doctor, I wouldn't
care to stay here with you,
but if you run into trouble
or you need extra supplies,
you can always reach
the base by radio.
That is, if this rotten weather will
let us get back to the base at all.
Something in the air is wrong.
Can you tell me what
it is, lieutenant?
Well, I don't know, sir.
Maybe it's because
there's no sound,
no animal noises of any kind.
Well, looks like we got the
dynamite by mistake.
- Looks like it.
- I'll cart it back down to the beach.
Oh, excuse me, doctor.
That's quite all right.
Just call me Martie.
Okay, Martie.
You know, the navy boys
really fixed this place up.
I'm almost gonna
enjoy being here.
Yeah, you'd never think it was a
complete wreck a few months ago.
If you want to see a wreck,
take a look at my back.
Karl, it'll be dark
in a few minutes.
Want to come watch the takeoff?
- I'd like to.
- I'll get the others.
Lieutenant, I don't want to annoy
you again, but nothing was left?
Not a hair, nor a
fingernail clipping?
Only McLane's journal?
Well, that's all, doctor.
That they are dead,
I can believe possible,
but to vanish from the
face of the earth? No!
The navy thinks they
were all at sea
in their small boat
when the typhoon hit.
Lost with all hands
is an old story.
Yes, but...
Everybody okay?
- Yeah, it looks that way.
- You okay, Mac?
Yeah, nothing that getting off
this old pile won't cure.
See you in a month!
- One month, no more, oui?
- Oui!
- We'll watch you from the cliffs.
- Au revoir!
Did you hear those sounds
just before the quake?
What sounds, Mon ami?
A deeper booming and rumbling?
No, I'm afraid not.
Doctor Carson means
the explosions.
We should get up to the cliffs.
Hey, Hank, you're a scientist.
How come they need a demo team
like us on this hunk of dirt?
I'm no scientist.
I'm a technician and a handyman.
So, you still don't
know what's going on?
Well, you remember that
first big H-bomb test?
The one that blew Elugelab
Island right out of the ocean?
Who forgets that?
A tremendous amount of the
radioactive fallout came this way.
A great seething, burning cloud
of it sank into this area,
blanketing the island with hot
ashes and radioactive seawater.
Dr. Weigand's group is here to study
fallout effects at their worst.
Dr. James Carson
is a geologist.
He'll try to learn what's
happening to the soil.
The botanist, Jules Deveroux,
will examine all the plant
life for radiation poisoning.
Martha Hunter and Dale
Drewer are biologists.
He works on land animalism, while
she takes care of the seafood.
Dr. Karl Weigand is a
nuclear physicist.
He'll collect their
findings and relate them
to the present theories on the
effects of too much radiation.
We blow up mountains for
the geologist Carson.
But this is the second bunch
of brains to come out here.
What happened to the first?
They were here,
and a storm hit.
Then they were gone.
That's all anybody knows.
Doesn't anybody wonder?
Everybody wonders.
They just don't like
to talk about it.
Come on, we'll miss the takeoff.
Hank, get to the radio.
There's something.
It's a commercial station,
probably Manila or Samoa.
It's all from beyond the
area of disturbance.
I don't get a thing
on the navy bands.
Keep trying.
All those men killed...
We can't even send word
through this storm.
The navy'll send a
search plane, honey.
No, the navy will assume
that Lieutenant Quinlan
decided to remain here,
rather than risk the storm.
Enewetak's probably getting
as much static as we are.
Probably, which means
we can't do anything
until conditions improve.
So why don't we let
Hank keep trying
while we begin our own working?
We have to go over
McLane's journal
sooner or later, so it
might as well be now.
Then let us go into
the living room.
"Thursday, March 11.
"Today Dr. Ben Diaz'
culture failed to produce
"any sign of bacteria,
"though left for five
days in the open."
"Friday, March 12.
"This afternoon,
Professor Carter found
"a large piece of flesh
having the same composition
"as that of the
common earthworm,
"but measured 24 inches by 8.
"With this section as a measure,
"the wormlike creature would be
more than five feet in length.
"Most intriguing is the
tissue's consistency.
"It proved impossible to cut,
"knives passing
through the flesh,
"leaving no mark.
"Fire was applied to the tissue,
"and the calorie result..."
The journal ends there.
Well, it's getting very late
Why don't we work out tomorrow's
schedule and then get some sleep.
What about that
5-foot night crawler?
Well, excuse me for
being so stupid.
Me and that book you're reading.
We weren't laughing
at you, Hank.
It's just that McLane
didn't really mean to imply
that the flesh was
from a big worm.
He said, "from a
wormlike creature."
You know, it might've
been a sea worm.
They've been known to grow
much longer than 5 feet.
Well, excuse me for
shooting my mouth off,
but the journal didn't say
anything about the sea...
Just talked about worms.
Nothing in my
experience leads me
towards McLane's worm theory.
Nothing.
You would know better than I.
But why, I ask, did
the writer stop
in the middle of a sentence?
Yes, why, Karl?
Unless something really
unusual happened,
I'm sure he would've finished.
We shall find out, I think.
Well, gentlemen,
I will head down
to south valley in the morning.
You know, I haven't seen any
insect life since we arrived.
Shh. Quiet.
Listen.
Just the wind.
You nearly frightened
me to death.
Well, now, I couldn't very well
announce myself
underwater, could I?
Besides, you looked
scared down there.
I was scared...
And lost too.
You know, Dale,
it's funny, but...
I was using a big black
rock as a landmark,
but when I swam back,
the rock was gone.
Well, I did see something
move near you.
You did?
I wonder what it could've been?
I don't know.
Just a big black shape
moving through the kelp.
Land crabs and seagulls.
Everything else is dead.
Dale! Martha!
What's the matter, Carson?!
Come up the path!
We'll meet you!
They must have found something.
Come on, hon.
Oh, hold it.
- That ridge will drop right off.
- Off what?
Come. See for yourself.
But only this morning I came along
this path on my way to the beach.
And it wasn't there.
You mean this pit
wasn't here before?
It has only appeared in
the last 20 minutes.
And it's at least 50 feet deep.
- Nothing but land crabs.
- I want to go down there.
- No.
- Why not?
You are a geologist. You know
that a second disturbance
would cause a cave-in that would
crush anybody down in the pit.
- He seems pretty definite, Jim.
- Is he right about a cave-in?
He could be,
assuming this was caused
by a disturbance.
Why, it's glazed, as though
it had been fired in a kiln.
Sommers, you and fellows
better put a couple
of your lanterns
around this pit so
as to keep any of us
from falling in in the
middle of the night.
Come on, honey, let's
go back to the house.
Martha.
Awake.
Martha Hunter.
Awake.
Awake, Martha.
It is McLane.
Awake.
McLane?
Martha, come to me.
Help me.
Help me.
Martha.
Martha Hunter.
Help me.
Help me.
Martha, help me.
Help me.
Martha.
Come to me.
Jim, but.. what...?
I thought...
So you heard it too?
Yes, it was awful.
McLane's voice.
He called me as plain as day.
Strange, because I only
heard him call my name.
How could the navy
search this whole island
and miss a survivor?
If he is a survivor.
What does that mean? You
heard him as well as I.
Someone could've been
imitating his voice.
Well, who would do that?
I don't know, but I do
know that McLane's dead.
Maybe, maybe not.
I'm going to find out for sure.
Jim, you're not
going down there.
- Yes, I am.
- But Karl's against it.
He's afraid of cave-ins.
I'm not.
Keep this on me till
I'm out of sight.
Jim, you don't know
what's down there.
What could be other than earth,
water, and a few land crabs?
Jim?
Jim.
I see her.
Martha.
Martie.
Oh, she has fainted, no more.
Wh...?
It's all right, honey.
It's all right.
Where's Jim?
He's in the pit.
He went into the pit.
I saw the rope go slack.
He must've fallen
during the quake.
I warned him.
Carson!
Can you hear me?
- Are you alive?
- Dr. Weigand!
My knee, it's broken!
We are coming for you!
Don't try to move!
- No, Jules.
- But we must go down to him.
Not this way.
The rope may be too short.
Then how?
Through the caves.
The great caves to the sea.
But how do you know the
caves connect with the pit?
Gentlemen, for reasons
I have guessed...
Dr. Carson also...
These caves must join the pit,
because the pit was
created from below,
not from the surface.
Dale, take Martha
back to the house.
The rest of us will
look for Dr. Carson.
Dale, I'm all right. They'll
need you with them.
If we can bring Dr. Carson
out, two of us are enough.
If we can't, a whole
army will do us no good.
Are you hiding something
from us, doc?
A theory perhaps?
Maybe.
Come. We must hurry.
You all right?
Just a little shaky.
Let's get back to the house
and get some coffee.
Oh, I thought you
were the boogeyman.
I thought we heard a girl
screaming during the quake.
Did part of the cliffs
fall away into the sea?
Part of them? Well, it was
pretty dark where we were,
but it looked like the whole
island was coming down.
The boulders almost
crashed us in the tent.
The whole island, yes.
We must go faster. There
is very little time.
Little time for what?
That is Dr. Weigand's
small secret.
Let us catch him and find out.
Doctor, why did you try to stop
me from throwing that rock?
I just don't like
to kill anything,
even such ugly
creatures as these.
Poor helpless things.
Helpless nothing.
You ever see a bunch of them
start on a wounded marine?
They finish him off
in five minutes.
That's all the more reason
to get Jim out of that pit.
Yes, all the more reason.
Now, what do you want with
McLane's journal now, honey?
I just thought I'd
look through it
and see what it was Mac said
about those great caves
appearing in the
sides of the hills.
Well, he didn't say much,
except that it always
happened at night.
It was right in here.
There it is again.
- Another quake.
- No, the other sound.
I heard it at the pit.
You know if we both
hadn't heard it,
I'd swear it was my
own imagination.
Dale, what can it be?
I don't know, but
I'm gonna find out.
- Now, stay here, Martie.
- Don't go in there.
Put out the lights.
- There's light ahead.
- It's coming from the pit.
- Carson, we are near you!
- Quiet.
Come quickly.
He's still alive.
So let's get him out of here.
We can get him out,
but we must move with caution.
Why?
Do not call to him.
Why not, doctor?
Blood.
Where could he drag himself?
We will not find him tonight.
We had better return
in the morning
when there is more light.
I don't like the idea of leaving him
here all night with a busted leg.
Nor do I. Up the rope...
quickly.
We might as well go
back through the caves.
No! Up the rope.
Dr. Weigand...
You are a great
nuclear physicist
while I am a simple
provincial botanist,
but there are things
I do not understand...
There are many things that I do
not understand also, Jules.
You had better climb.
Our tent's just outside the cave.
We don't have to go up the rope.
Up the rope!
That's what I was afraid of.
It stopped.
Whatever it was must've
damaged the wiring.
Light one of the kerosene
lamps, will you, honey?
Here's your motive.
Food.
But not much, considering the size
of the thing that did all of this.
I guess there's no point in
waiting for the rest to get back.
The storm should've let up enough for
me to get through to the navy now.
Come on.
Oh, Dale.
Whatever it was that did this
deliberately
destroyed the radio.
It had to be deliberate.
Every piece of wiring has been
ripped out and chopped to bits.
Look.
Every tube has been
sliced neatly in half.
And it had to reach
way inside to do it
without wrecking these cabinets.
Well, all I can say is,
why wasn't I invited
to the party?
Not funny, eh?
Well, that's as it should be.
Do you think you can fix it?
Fix it?
I'll need a whole new
outfit from the bottom up.
You have parts?
Enough to build a new one?
I don't know.
Why do you suppose it didn't
come through the door
and get us, Karl?
I don't know.
I can only guess.
It would take considerable power
to keep the intruder
behind this door.
There is power in the
lighting in the living room.
You mean it's afraid
of electricity?
I think so.
Have you any other ideas?
Once upon a time,
there was a mountain.
Hmm?
Yesterday, when we
came to this island,
there was a mountain out there.
Today there's no mountain.
I am not surprised.
You're not surprised at
anything, are you, doctor?
I suppose you can tell us what
tore up this room last night.
No, I cannot tell you that.
But I can tell you this:
Everything that has happened
from the death of
the first sailor
to the destruction of our radio
must be somehow related.
They are too far from the
normal scheme of things to be
separate accidents.
If there is a single cause,
then that cause is outside
of nature as we know it.
Yes, that is why I insisted on
caution entering the caves.
We are unquestionably on the
brink of a great discovery.
It is not likely that that discovery
will be of a pleasant nature.
That is the sum of my knowledge.
If you need more, I suggest
you ask Dr. McLane,
when next his voice
calls in the night.
Now, let us again
seek Dr. Carson.
I don't understand this.
We've covered every exit
in the base of the pit.
Wounded as he was, he couldn't
have crawled this far.
Yet, still no sign of him.
Nor will be, eh, Karl?
Deveroux! Get close
to the walls!
- Something to tie it with.
- Top of my pack, Karl.
Here, you'll need
a tourniquet too.
Hello, there. Anybody alive?
He all right?
How did you know
we were in here?
We didn't; We were on the
other side of the island.
Well, what used to be the
other side of the island.
Most of it's fallen to
the drink, already.
So we run in here when
we heard you call.
Call... We didn't call you.
Whose voice did you hear?
Well, it sounded
like the other guy.
You know, the fellow
who fell into the pit.
So he is still alive.
If we do not move fast,
Jules will not be alive.
Come. Give us a hand.
This will help you sleep, Jules.
Thank you, Martha.
I could use some sleep.
Merci, madame.
Je voudrais presenter
UN inspection.
Give me two.
Here's two.
And I'll take...
One.
Bet you ten.
Okay, I bet you ten,
and I'll raise you ten.
If you're not careful, you'll
raise us both 10 feet.
What's the matter, nervous?
What do you mean, nervous?
Okay, what do you got?
Three queens.
Well, big deal, so you
finally won a hand.
I'm still 100 sticks of dynamite and
one wild explosion ahead of you.
What's that?
Sounds like a kid
dragging a stick
across a Pickett fence.
We ain't got no Pickett
fence out here.
Professor Deveroux.
Professor Deveroux.
Who is there?
Seaman Ron Fellows.
And Sam Sommers.
We found Dr. Carson.
Where are you?
We're outside.
We can take you to Dr. Carson,
but you got to be quiet...
Very quiet.
Will you come?
Yes.
Come down the path
toward the big pit.
We'll meet you there and
lead you to Carson.
I will be there.
Fellows?
Sommers?
We're right here, professor.
Sounded like Jules.
Deveroux?
Yes, what is it?
- I am here.
- Are you all right?
Yes.
The pain is less.
Keep talking.
We thought we heard you cry out.
I have been asleep.
Perhaps you were
talking in your sleep.
UN-huh. Yes.
Then I hope I did not
blemish the reputations
of any fair ladies
I may have known.
You didn't mention any names.
I never asked any names.
Tell me of this cry you heard.
It sounded like you...
Like you would've sounded
in your death agonies.
It could hardly have
been me, doctor,
when I have been
here all the time,
dreaming of all the things
I might learn to do
with only my left hand.
And though even it was
fixed with a hook,
and when I...
Congratulations, Dr. Weigand.
Where are you?
Where all of you soon will be.
I shall be back tomorrow night.
Bon soir.
Deveroux! Deveroux!
What does it mean, doctor?
- He is dead.
- But he spoke, Karl.
This supposed to
be a ghost story?
No...
No, I do not believe in ghosts.
We are dealing with
a man who is dead,
but whose voice and memory live.
How this can be, I do not know.
But its implications
are far more terrible
than any ghost could ever be.
But what happened to
their bodies, Karl?
They were eaten.
Even the bones?
The bones are, I think, hidden.
Most of the dynamite is gone.
Huh, dynamite?
But not the grenades.
I don't understand it.
I don't understand it.
Well, we may as well
pick up what's left.
Yes, we shall need them.
We shall have to stay away
from the beach hereafter.
Come, Hank. We still have
the radio to repair.
Tonight we will wait for
Jules to speak to us.
Well, it's long after dark.
We should've heard him by now.
We will hear. Be patient.
Good evening, mes amis.
I am glad you are
all still with us.
Be not shocked that
the weapon speaks.
I transmit, so
I must be received.
Hearken to all things metal,
for I may be in them.
What do you want?
First I want to reassure you
that I am of sound mind,
if not of body.
Something remarkable
has happened to me.
I would like all of you to
come and see for yourselves.
- Where are you, Jules?
- In the caves,
at the bottom of Carson's pit.
- And what about Carson?
- I'm here too.
My leg no longer troubles me.
It's all most exhilarating.
- Will you come?
- Yes.
- Wait for us.
- We'll wait.
- Let's go.
- Dale!
We shall need the equipment.
We must go. We
have to find out.
We are here!
Show yourself!
Get back here!
- I killed it.
- Yes!
By the sheerest luck.
Why didn't the grenades hurt it?
Remember what the journal
said about the worm?
Yeah, that a knife passed
through it like water.
The stone penetrated its
brain or motor area...
or whatever keeps
the thing alive.
I think if we remove the stone,
the crab would return to life.
Oh, let's just leave it be, huh?
We will bury it.
If a blade passes through it
like a finger through mercury,
then like a river of mercury,
we should be able to
sever a part of it
by completely separating it
from the rest of the body.
Thusly...
There. Now we have a specimen.
Fetch your dynamite, Hank.
Do you have any
theories, doctor?
Perhaps.
All I can tell you now is that
this is a male land crab,
which you as a biologist
will know better than I.
Yes, Karl, I...
I know the species
appears to be that
of an ordinary land crab, but...
Out! Quickly!
Down!
You have destroyed McLane
and all of his party.
You have destroyed them
and tried to destroy me.
This, mes amis, was
one grave mistake.
Well, doctor...
This is ridiculous.
Molecular structure of this
crab is entirely disrupted.
There's no cohesion
between the atoms.
- I don't understand.
- Nor do I.
Apparently we have one of
those biological freaks
resulting from an overdose
of radiation poisoning.
The way to explain it is...
Look. Electricity.
The free electron in the
copper atom breaks off
to circle the next atom,
taking the charge
along the wire.
Do you follow me, Hank?
I think so.
The free electrons
jump from atom to atom
along the copper at
the speed of light.
I remember that
from high school.
Yes, atom to atom.
Well, something like that
has happened to our crab.
But instead of free electrons,
the crab has free atoms...
All disconnected.
It's like a mass of liquid...
with a permanent shape.
Any metal, therefore,
that the crab eats
will be assimilated in his
body of solid energy,
becoming part of the crab.
Like the bodies of the dead men?
Yes.
And their brain tissue,
which, after all,
is nothing more than
a storage house
for electrical impulses.
That means that the crab can
eat his victim's brain,
absorbing his mind
intact and working.
It's as good a theory as any other
to explain what's happened.
But, doctor, that
theory doesn't explain
why Jules' and Carson's minds
have turned against us.
Preservation of the species.
Once they were men,
now they are land crabs.
Okay, professor, how are the
crabs blowing up the island?
I am not sure.
But I imagine they are able
to send out arcs of heat.
They are packed with it.
The sides of the pit were glazed
as if the rock were melted.
They can melt and fuse
parts of the caverns,
explode the materials contained
and bring about the slides.
- Why?
- To get at us, of course.
Looks like we're on the
verge of a blessed event.
What's that?
What's that?
Or is this the one you killed?
No, it is still alive.
We did not kill it.
Notice the belt of yellow fat
around the base of the shell?
It would indicate that she's
in a very delicate condition,
and pretty close too.
I, for one, should not
like to be around
to hear the patter of
so many tiny feet.
- Then we've got to kill it.
- Kill it?
It's easier said
than done, Hank.
Now wait. This needs
some thought.
Doctor, you're not going to suggest
that we save it for science.
That would be suicide.
No, thank you, Martha.
I have no ambition toward
becoming a mad scientist,
But I do think we ought to
try and capture the thing.
Would you not like to
examine a live specimen?
Certainly, I would.
But I had a chance to
see how the specimen
examined the lab
wall last night.
Hey, take a look at this.
You said something about the crab
being afraid of electricity, doctor.
Let's find out.
Ashes!
The electricity destroyed the
leg in less than a second.
That proves that the crab
is negatively charged.
Yes.
Then, Hank, you must create
a trap of positive energy.
Ha! It works!
Well, sure it does, doctor, easier
to build than a model airplane.
The charge must be
just strong enough
to DE-energize the crab,
long enough for us to remove
the claws and cage it,
but not strong enough
to kill the thing.
That's fine, Karl, but how do we
get the crab to step into it?
Apparently the creature
sleeps by daytime.
We must take the
arc and place it
in one of the well-traveled
cave routes.
He has eight legs with which
to step on the plate.
I am sure he will manage.
Yes, but you better select a
new approach to the cave.
The beach entrance is
completely under water,
and the pit is...
He is using the dynamite.
We must hurry.
You've already lowered the
electric eyes into the cave?
Yes, you must place them either
side of one of the upper caves.
The lower caverns will
be flooded by now.
Use the underwater channels
to the ocean as you escape.
We'll try to attract his
attention from up here.
Take care, honey.
We might as well get to work.
I'll plant this one.
You take the other.
All right.
Lonesome in here.
It's lonesome everywhere.
You know, I bet you could
even be lonesome in a crowd.
Yeah.
Unless, of course, you found
that special someone.
Found him yet?
Why do you ask?
Because I...
Behind that wall!
This might be the perfect time to
collect some of Dr. Weigand's mercury.
If I can't make it back, you get
out of here as fast as you can.
Hank, you...
Get in to the water!
The water's down that tunnel!
Dale, they just ran across the
bottom of the pit into another cave.
Martha!
Let's get down to
the sea entrance.
It's no good shooting, Dale.
The bullets pass through
it just like X-rays.
So, you have wounded me.
I must grow a new claw
Well and good,
for I can do it in a day.
But will you grow new lives
when I have taken
yours from you?
Do you think it'll
work now, Hank?
It should. Everything's
put together.
The generator's always worked.
All we have to worry about is
the strength of our signal.
That is, if
Dr. Deveroux and Carson
will leave us alone long
enough to try it out.
I'm afraid they won't.
Rather than our receiving
radio signals,
they would prefer to receive us
in that great common
stomach of theirs.
Well, come on, Karl, let's go out
and see what's left of this rock.
I hope there is still something
left upon which to stand.
Well, I guess it's about
time I fixed us some food.
There used to be ridges
there for maybe two miles.
Now there's less than
half a city block.
Soon we will have
nowhere to run.
That's the idea, isn't it?
The path is still there.
Yes, Karl, but where
does it lead?
To the pit and to the sea.
At least to the sea.
We'll soon find out.
Aloha, Malihinis.
This is your favorite disc
jockey, Pineapple Joe.
Listen now to Mukakima
and his Ola'Kai boys
playing Muana Loa Lover.
It's working.
Only the receiver.
Not the transmitter.
Well, can you fix it?
I don't know.
Maybe with this telegraph
key and a Morse code setup.
Well, we don't have to worry
about the pit any longer, Karl.
No. Shall we go?
Might as well.
It's not wasting any time.
The sound came from over there.
Let's go.
Oh Hank, I don't know what
we'd have done without you.
Where did you ever learn
to fix all these things?
In the navy during the war.
And I knocked around a lot in the
radio and the TV repair business.
Ended up in the south pacific?
Yeah.
How'd you get here?
Well, after Dale
and I graduated,
we stayed on at the
Institute in research.
- You've been together ever since?
- UN-huh.
And when his promotion
comes through,
we'll be making it a
lifetime partnership.
Yeah.
Well, let's go
find Karl and Dale
and tell them this thing works.
All right.
Is that not oil?
Yes, it is, Karl.
I've never heard of oil being found
on the pacific islands before.
The detonations must've opened
a source deep in the island.
But look, it seems to be
coming from two sources.
I suggest we trace them.
You want to follow
this oil underground?
I feel we must.
But the crab, Karl.
The crab is like a rattlesnake.
It can be heard long
before it can be seen.
I believe we can keep out of its
way if we only remain alert.
He knows this better than we do.
That is why he is trying
to reduce this island
to a small corner, from
which we cannot escape.
All right.
But at the first
sound of a rattle,
get out of there, eh?
All right. Don't worry.
Don't worry.
You follow this stream, and I
shall follow the other one.
- Dale, what is it?
- Karl's down in the caves!
- Why did he go?
- Never mind!
The crab is heading
straight for him.
We've got to get him out
before it's too late.
Then let's go!
Stay there, Martie!
Martha!
Get out of here!
- Keep going!
- Dale, no!
I'm gonna light the
oil back there.
Come on. He knows
what he's doing
Come on!
Did you kill it?
No.
He can avoid the main stream.
Of all of us, I thought
Karl would be the one to...
That fire won't
hold it very long.
I don't think it matters
much anymore, Hank.
Well, just so it holds it long enough
for me to get one message away,
- just one more S.O.S.
- Hank you've got the radio?
That was quick thinking, Dale.
The pity is that all fires
must one day burn out.
You getting through, hank?
How should I know? I'm not on
the other end of this thing.
Oh, Hank, you must get through.
I know it.
It's gone dead
I am afraid that won't
help you, Hank.
By the time ships and
planes can arrive,
this island will have vanished
beneath the waves of the sea.
But you will not drown.
You will be a part of me.
And as with McLane, there
will be no evidence
of how you vanished
or of my existence.
We will rest in the caves
and plan our assault
upon the world of men!
No! Run!
Get out of here!
Look!
The water's rising.
Come on! Climb!
Hank, you got any fight left?
What for? It's only
wasted energy.
Sure, I got fight left.
I don't know what good
these will be now, Hank,
but I got two grenades left.
How about you?
I got four.
Let's see what's in the toolbox.
Transmitter's still working.
Here, this looks good.
Dale!
Go!
Let's try and blast him, Hank.
Foolish.
Very foolish.
Watch it, Hank.
Hank!
- He gave his life.
- I know.