Killer Bees

The quick pitch: Gloria Swanson plays Madame Maria von Bohlen, matriarch of a family of South African winemakers. Madame (as her family calls her) controls almost all aspects of the family, the wine business, and even the bees, so integral to the family's success. But when her black sheep son turns-up with a finance in tow, Madame and the bees don't respond too well.

Overall, Killer Bees is about what you'd expect from a 1974 made-for-TV movie - typical made-for-TV cast, poor (and I mean really poor) special effects, and not nearly enough horror for a horror movie (it needed more bee attacks). But one thing Killer Bees has going for it is that final twist in the last act. I'm not going to spoil it - I'll just say that it belongs in a much better movie. It really was a nice finish to what was otherwise a fairly routine film. Nice enough to get a 6/10 from me.

I suppose there are two other things I enjoyed about Killer Bees. First, I always enjoy seeing my favorite of Charlie's Angels, Kate Jackson. Her acting in the final moments of Killer Bees was never better. Second, watching Gloria Swanson in Killer Bees was a real treat. Several times, I thought she was going into full-on Norma Desmond-mode as she overacted her way through this cheap, TV film. Good stuff!

The core concept is outstanding, primed for storytelling in film or TV production. The plot, as written, is pretty great in my opinion. I can honestly say I really like this! It definitely bears the look and feel of a TV movie, however, and in all fairness, I wonder if it wouldn't have been best reserved for a more abbreviated tale in a version of 'The Twilight Zone,' 'The Outer Limits,' or the like. This is true partly on account of the special effects; if made in the 80s onward, with better depiction of the bees, maybe it would have been well suited for such a longer format after all. It's also true that the first scene demonstrates one difficulty of the feature - it's rather difficult to visualize the primary horror element (or at least, it was in the 70s), so much like genre fare of the 1940s, the horror in 'Killer bees' is more thematic than actual. This is no specific major flaw, mind you; plenty of solid pictures have been made of such a tenor. One can readily understand, however, how this may not appeal to all comers, and perhaps hasn't been received well generally.

Make no mistake, the production values have not aged well; in terms of both audio and visual quality, a famous Alka-Seltzer commercial of 1969 ("Mamma mia, that's-a spicy meat-a ball-a!") is the best comparison. Beyond this, some of the dialogue in John William and Joyce Hooper Corrington's screenplay is a little kitschy - geared for Prime Time audiences, maybe, and not best storytelling judiciousness. Yet even recognizing the medium, by and large I think this is written and directed well, including the characters and the plot. By all means this is an example of a genre flick that's "fun-scary" and not "scary-scary," lacking the significant tension, suspense, or atmosphere that would elevate the title to another level. But that's okay if you ask me; not every horror film needs to be chilling or thrilling to succeed. Such as it is, I see plentiful worth in 'Killer bees' as the length progress, and abnormal goings-on accumulate and ramp up.

The cast is solid; Gloria Swanson is unquestionably having a blast as severe Madame Van Bohlen, and Kate Jackson shows swell capability as a lead. Uncomplicated as the whole affair is, I think the contributions of crew behind the scenes are quite fine (again noting the limitations of the special effects in this instance). I find no fault with Curtis Harrington's direction. Truth be told, I don't see any especial weakness here. Are there ways in which the tale could have been made more engaging, compelling, haunting? Yes, absolutely: I love the ending as it is, as delicious as those of some of my favorite horror movies - but to be sure, a longer and more definite character arc would have gone a long way to boosting the picture. All the same, though falling short of its best potential, I had a fantastic time watching 'Killer bees,' and it met my expectations just so. How much favor this finds with other viewers will mostly depend on willingness or ability to engage with TV movies, but if the toned down sensibilities are no obstacle, this is roundly entertaining in my book!

Terrific TV-made vehicle for movie icon Gloria Swanson, a compact and beautifully-shot melodrama-cum-thriller. Gloria plays an outré California oddball living on a vineyard ranch and possessing a strange hold over the bees that hover there. Grandson Edward Albert and girlfriend Kate Jackson (who were dating in real-life at the time) come for a visit and get more than they bargained for. Not "The Swarm", but better; school buses and flower paraders are not interjected, and there is no mass hysteria. Credit director Curtis Harrington with the panache, and Gloria Swanson with the campy kicks--she's mah-vah-loss. It's an atmospheric mood-piece, and the rural locales are refreshing.

After a swarm of mysterious bees attacks and kills trespasser Jack Perkins on a grape field belonging to the "Van Bohlen Winery", handsome Edward Albert (as Edward Van Bohlen) drives into the town of "Von Bohlen" with pretty fiancée Kate Jackson (as Victoria Wells). The couple has been living in San Francisco for two years, and Ms. Jackson is newly pregnant. Although Mr. Albert has advised against it, Jackson is determined get acquainted with his weird and wealthy family.

Most importantly, Jackson meets queenly matriarch Gloria Swanson (as Maria Von Bohlen), who displays an affinity for bees. After both Roger Davis (as Helmut Van Bohlen), and a wayward bee disrupt the couple's first dinner, Jackson begins to regret her visit. Mr. Davis' news about the film's opening bee killing is only the beginning. Before getting out of "Von Bohlen", Jackson intends to tell "Madame" Swanson that, as Albert's pregnant lover, she already considers herself a part of the family.

Gloria Swanson, "Killer Bees", and two "Dark Shadows" alumni make this an irresistible TV movie event.

Swanson did "Bees" and the film "Airport 1975", after a long absence. The movie is, actually, a finer "performance" - but, at this point, it's just nice to see Swanson in anything. - Aside: I met her around this time and she seemed very capable of continuing her career. And, she looked more natural in person (without the gray hair). Swanson advised me against eating sugar; she said, "Sugar is poison." I followed her advice very strictly at first, and still won't add sugar to anything. I think she was correct.

"Angel" watchers note Kate Jackson is the "star" of this movie and is amazingly beautiful during the last act.

Jackson joined "Dark Shadows" during the "1995" storyline, and Roger Davis last appeared during the earlier "Leviathan" storyline; so, they never appeared together on the show. But, if you count the first "Dark Shadows" movie, they were regulars at the same time. Davis had been married Jaclyn Smith, another of "Charlie's Angels", since 1968. Jackson and "Bees" co-star Edward Albert were a great-looking couple who should have considered getting married - see them also in "Death Cruise" (1974). Small world, isn't it?

There seems to have been some confusion about whether to name the main family "Van Bohlen" or "Von Bohlen" - my guess is that the city sign is wrong, and it's supposed to be the more frequently pronounced "Van Bohlen". As far as the film goes, it's done well enough for a limited budget TV movie. How exactly do you direct bees? They can't have been easy, and Curtis Harrington deserves credit for putting some sting in the proceedings. Interestingly, the production design is by Joel Schumacher.

******** Killer Bees (2/26/74) Curtis Harrington ~ Kate Jackson, Edward Albert, Gloria Swanson, Roger Davis

Killer Bees is a pretty rubbish film, with a bland plot and dull characters. The main characters are a romantic couple called Victoria and Edward, two very boring characters, but at least they're both likable people. The special effects in the film are very, very poor, and using the word "special" to describe them is an insult to the word special.

The soundtrack is terrible, the plot is bare-bones and a poor attempt at excitement, and the film's logic is laughable. There are few positives to say about this film, but I appreciated some of the actor's bravery in being covered in real bees. Even if the bees were soothed first, and there was at least an attempt at a plot. Obviously the film having almost zero budget mustn't have helped either.

2/10: It gets a point for an ok performance from Gloria Swanson and the fact that they at least attempted a twist ending.