The Savage Bees is a 1976 American natural horror television film directed and produced by Bruce Geller and written by Guerdon Trueblood. The film stars Ben Johnson, Michael Parks, Paul Hecht, Gretchen Corbett, and Horst Buchholz. It follows a swarm of killer bees threatening people during Mardi Gras in New Orleans.
Cast
Ben Johnson as Sheriff Donald McKew
Michael Parks as Dr. Jeff DuRand
Paul Hecht as Dr. Rufus Carter
Gretchen Corbett as Jeannie Devereaux
Horst Buchholz as Dr. Jorge Meuller
Bruce French as Police Lieutenant
James Best as Pelligrino
David L. Gray as Coast Guard Lieutenant
Richard Charles Boyle as Coast Guard Chief
Eliott Keener as Freighter Boatswain
Boardman O'Connor as Freighter Captain
Danny Barker as Taxicab Driver
Don Hood as Deputy Churn
Bill Holliday as Deputy Stilt
Carol Sutton as Mrs. Compher
Tiffany Gautier Chase as Julie Compher
Shirl Cieutat as Mrs. Bryant
Release
The Savage Bees premiered on NBC in the United States on November 22, 1976, as part of Monday Night at the Movies. The film was theatrically released in the United Kingdom by Columbia-Warner Distributors on April 23, 1978.
Awards and nominations
Sequel
A sequel, titled Terror Out of the Sky, was directed by Lee H. Katzin and written by Guerdon Trueblood and Doris Silverton. It premiered on CBS in the United States on December 26, 1978.
Cast
Efrem Zimbalist Jr. as David Martin
Dan Haggerty as Nick Willis
Tovah Feldshuh as Jeannie Devereux
Lonny Chapman as Earl Logan
Ike Eisenmann as Eric Mangus
Joe E. Tata as Groves
Richard Herd as Col. Mangus
Charles Hallahan as Tibbles Sr. Bruce French as Eli Nathanson Steve Franken as Paul Gladstone