Frogs (1972)

Jason Crockett (Ray Milland) is an ageing, grumpy, physically disabled millionaire who invites his family to his private island estate in the Florida swamps for his birthday celebration.

Pickett Smith (Sam Elliott) is a freelance photographer who is doing a pollution layout for an ecology magazine and happens to be paddling his canoe around Crockett’s private island.

Crockett hates nature and poisons anything that crawls on his property.

On the night of his birthday, the frogs and other killer amphibians, birds, insects, and reptiles begin to pay Crockett back.

Despite the film’s title, frogs are not the only killers on display here – in fact, frogs are presented as evil masterminds goading their fellow beasties – giant spiders, snakes, turtles and lizards – toward mayhem.

This was the first of many “eco-horror” films of the ’70s, inspired by the surprise box office success of Willard (1971). It’s terrible tosh but has a certain black humour if you can put up with the creepy-crawlies.

The mansion used for the Crockett family home is known as the Wesley House and is located in Point Washington, Florida.

Many of the 500 frogs and 100 giant South American toads purchased for use in the film escaped during production.

Jason Crockett
Ray Milland
Pickett Smith
Sam Elliott
Karen Crockett
Joan Van Ark
Clint Crockett
Adam Roarke
Bella Garrington
Judy Pace
Jenny Crockett
Lynn Borden
Maybelle
Mae Mercer
Michael Martindale
David Gilliam
Kenneth Martindale
Nicholas Cortland
Stuart Martindale
George Skaff
Charles
Lance Taylor Sr.
Iris Martindale
Holly Irving
Tina Crockett
Dale Willingham
Jay Crockett
Hal Hodges

Director
George McCowan

Video