Attack of the Giant Leeches (1959) is an American black‑and‑white science‑fiction horror film directed by Bernard L. Kowalski and produced by Gene Corman. Set in the Florida Everglades, the story follows game warden Steve Benton as he investigates a series of disappearances near a swamp. Locals blame alligators, but Steve and a local doctor uncover the truth: a colony of gigantic, intelligent leeches, mutated (as characters speculate) by atomic radiation from nearby Cape Canaveral.
The leeches drag victims into an underwater cave, keeping them alive while slowly draining their blood. The film was released by American International Pictures as a double feature with A Bucket of Blood and became part of the 1950s wave of Cold War “creature features.”
Film Details
Title: Attack of the Giant Leeches
Year: 1959
Genre: Horror / Science Fiction
Director: Bernard L. Kowalski
Screenplay: Leo Gordon
Produced by: Gene Corman
Starring: Ken Clark, Yvette Vickers, Jan Shepard, Bruno VeSota
Cinematography: John M. Nickolaus Jr.
Editing: Carlo Lodato
Music: Alexander Laszlo
Production Company: Balboa Productions
Distributed by: American International Pictures
Release Date: October 1, 1959 (US)
Runtime: 62 minutes
Country: United States
Language: English
Budget: $70,000 (estimated)
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