The Satan Bug was released by United Artists on April 14, 1965
Director: John Sturges
The Satan Bug cast: George Maharis, Richard Baseheart, Anne Francis, Dana Andrews, and Edward Asner
Most of the Satan Bug’s 115 minutes take place in the desert east of Southern California proper. As a kid, I spent a lot of time out there and, in retrospect, I find that it was the familiar desert setting that provided the film’s primary appeal. It’s about some megalomaniacs that break into a top-secret government laboratory developing biological weapons and make off with a vile of the Satan Bug virus, which could wipe out all life on earth. It sounds exciting, but only moderately so. It was billed as, “a thinking man’s thriller,” but I think there was too much thinking and not enough action. Even with a solid cast and a top-notch action director, the film comes off as slow and nearly suspenseless.
Featured Califormulants
Bad guys chase good guys, and vice versa, all around the deserts (Joshua Tree, Borrego, and Coachella Valley) surrounding Palm Springs. A mid-level, Palm Springs hotel is featured as well as a few mid-century modern desert homes, and even a typical Palm Springs mobile home park. The interiors (probably sets) are well done in the familiar mod/trad blend. In the final reel, we pass through a deserted downtown Los Angeles en-route to Dodger Stadium where the half-speed action concludes.