Bacteria Berserk

The Satan Bug. Panic spreads at Station 3, an imposing desert installation surrounded by barbed wire and watchdogs and spoken of in whispers as "the most secret chemical-warfare establishment in this hemisphere." The chief security officer has been murdered. Dr. Baxter is missing. Dr. Oster is a marked man. Worst of all, some crucial flasks have been pilfered from E Lab. Several contain enough botulinus toxin to wipe out the entire population of Los Angeles. One flask, warns Research Scientist Hoffman (Richard Basehart) is brimful of the "satan bug," a biological doomsday weapon that can launch death on a global scale. In this unpersuasive sci-fi thriller directed by John Sturges (Bad Day at Black Rock, The Great Escape), it is only a matter of time until someone gravely inquires: "How worried are they in Washington?"

They are worried sick, as usual. To hasten an investigation, the Pentagon taps General Dana Andrews who arrives with an anxious look and a portfolio full of top-brass cliches. His comely daughter (Anne Francis), as Bug's resident bunny, does what she can to assist former U.S. Intelligence Officer George Maharis, whose ticklish assignment is to save the world. Before Maharis can track down the crazed millionaire behind the bacilli scare, Florida has been decimated by botulinus. Maharis endures sundry perils prior to a climactic wrestling match in a helicopter high above Los Angeles, and the bulk of mankind survives to enjoy movies like The Satan Bug. Just harmless formula stuff, actually. The effects wear off before the film is half over.

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