The Savage Bees

The Savage Bees is a 1976 American natural horror television film directed and produced by Bruce Geller and written by Guerdon Trueblood. The film stars Ben Johnson, Michael Parks, Paul Hecht, Gretchen Corbett, and Horst Buchholz. It follows a swarm of killer bees threatening people during Mardi Gras in New Orleans.

Cast

 * Ben Johnson as Sheriff Donald McKew
 * Michael Parks as Dr. Jeff DuRand
 * Paul Hecht as Dr. Rufus Carter
 * Gretchen Corbett as Jeannie Devereaux
 * Horst Buchholz as Dr. Jorge Meuller
 * Bruce French as Police Lieutenant
 * James Best as Pelligrino
 * David L. Gray as Coast Guard Lieutenant
 * Richard Charles Boyle as Coast Guard Chief
 * Eliott Keener as Freighter Boatswain
 * Boardman O'Connor as Freighter Captain
 * Danny Barker as Taxicab Driver
 * Don Hood as Deputy Churn
 * Bill Holliday as Deputy Stilt
 * Carol Sutton as Mrs. Compher
 * Tiffany Gautier Chase as Julie Compher
 * Shirl Cieutat as Mrs. Bryant

Release
The Savage Bees premiered on NBC in the United States on November 22, 1976, as part of Monday Night at the Movies. The film was theatrically released in the United Kingdom by Columbia-Warner Distributors on April 23, 1978.

Sequel
A sequel, titled Terror Out of the Sky, was directed by Lee H. Katzin and written by Guerdon Trueblood and Doris Silverton. It premiered on CBS in the United States on December 26, 1978.

Cast

 * Efrem Zimbalist Jr. as David Martin
 * Dan Haggerty as Nick Willis
 * Tovah Feldshuh as Jeannie Devereux
 * Lonny Chapman as Earl Logan
 * Ike Eisenmann as Eric Mangus
 * Joe E. Tata as Groves
 * Richard Herd as Col. Mangus
 * Charles Hallahan as Tibbles Sr.
 * Bruce French as Eli Nathanson
 * Steve Franken as Paul Gladstone