History Film / TheCrawlingHand

A 1963 low budget SciFiHorror film directed and co-written by Herbert L. Strock, starring Peter Breck, Kent Taylor, and Rod Lauren.

* JurisdictionFriction: Invoked by the sherriff, but all the scientists want is the severed hand. And a little cooperation from the [[{{Pun}} long arm]] of the law.

Astronauts keep going crazy and blowing up on their way back to the ground, and scientists can't figure out why. The latest astronaut to fall to this mysterious syndrome manages to contact his scientist superiors just before doing himself in; he alternates between pleas to "push the red" SelfDestructMechanism and violent urges to "[[KillEmAll Kill! Kill!]]" Finally the "red" is pushed, the astronaut is [[SpecialEffectsFailure blown to shards]] and the scientists are still stumped.

* KillEmAll: The malevolent entity has this as its raison d'etre.

* TooDumbToLive: And why, pray tell, is Paul so [[{{Pun}} dead-set]] on bringing that severed arm home with him? ForScience?

* SoundtrackDissonance: Paul fights the old Malt Shop owner, they crash into the jukebox... Cue [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-gJtCU0G2Is The Bird's The Word]] by The Rivingtons.

[[quoteright:259:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/crawling_hand.jpg]]

Meanwhile, over in California, young med student Paul frolicks on the beach with his girlfriend when they happen upon the severed arm of the dead astronaut. Against his girl's wishes, Paul returns to the beach and takes the arm home with him (for what reason, [[TooDumbToLive we're not told]]). Soon, it becomes apparent to everyone (in the audience, at least) that whatever malediction had possessed the astronaut [[EvilHand still possesses the arm]], which promptly [[OrganAutonomy goes on a killing spree]] (said spree resulting in a grand total of ONE death). Paul himself is [[ClearMyName a prime suspect in the murder]], but the two scientists arrive with their own theories. Then the mysterious murderous force begins to [[PeoplePuppets infect Paul as well]], and he attacks a MaltShop owner and his own girlfriend. After [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone realizing what he's doing]], Paul takes the hand out to a junkyard with the intent of destroying it, and between a fever of over 100 and some hungry cats, the evil is defeated... [[LamePunReaction er, handily]].

** Also the two scientists, Peter Breck and Faux-[[Series/{{Batman}} Gordon]].

Meanwhile, over in California, young med student Paul frolicks on the beach with his girlfriend when they happen upon the severed arm of the dead astronaut. Against his girl's wishes, Paul returns to the beach and takes the arm home with him (for what reason, [[TooDumbToLive we're not told]]). Soon, it becomes apparent to everyone (in the audience, at least) that whatever malediction had possessed the astronaut [[EvilHand still possesses the arm]], which promptly [[HelpingHands goes on a killing spree]] (said spree resulting in a grand total of ONE death). Paul himself is [[ClearMyName a prime suspect in the murder]], but the two scientists arrive with their own theories. Then the mysterious murderous force begins to [[PeoplePuppets infect Paul as well]], and he attacks a MaltShop owner and his own girlfriend. After [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone realizing what he's doing]], Paul takes the hand out to a junkyard with the intent of destroying it, and between a fever of over 100 and some hungry cats, the evil is defeated... er, [[IncrediblyLamePun handily]].

* ClearMyName

* JurisdictionFriction: Invoked by the sherriff, but all the scientists want is the severed hand. And a little cooperation from the [[IncrediblyLamePun long arm]] of the law.

* OrganAutonomy / HelpingHands / EvilHand
* PeoplePuppets

* ThoseTwoGuys: The bumbling ambulance drivers.

* TooDumbToLive: And why, pray tell, is Paul so [[IncrediblyLamePun dead-set]] on bringing that severed arm home with him? ForScience?
** Also the bumbling ambulance drivers (see TheEndOrIsIt).

Meanwhile, over in California, young med student Paul frolicks on the beach with his girlfriend when they happen upon the severed arm of the dead astronaut. Against his girl's wishes, Paul returns to the beach and takes the arm home with him (for what reason, [[TooDumbToLive we're not told]]). Soon, it becomes apparent to everyone (in the audience, at least) that whatever malediction had possessed the astronaut [[EvilHand still possesses the arm]], which prompty [[HelpingHands goes on a killing spree]] (said spree resulting in a grand total of ONE death). Paul himself is [[ClearMyName a prime suspect in the murder]], but the two scientists arrive with their own theories. Then the mysterious murderous force begins to [[PeoplePuppets infect Paul as well]], and he attacks a MaltShop owner and his own girlfriend. After [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone realizing what he's doing]], Paul takes the hand out to a junkyard with the intent of destroying it, and between a fever of over 100 and some hungry cats, the evil is defeated... er, [[IncrediblyLamePun handily]].

* HeyItsThatGuy:
** [[Series/GilligansIsland Alan Hale Jr.]] as the sherriff (happily, sans [[Film/TheGiantSpiderInvasion open-fronted shirt and mod haircut]]).
** Peter Breck, who not only went on to star in ''Series/TheBigValley'' but also became (in)famous (at least, among [=MiSTie=] fans) for his [[LargeHam scenery-gobbling]] role as Mooney in ''Film/TheBeatniks''.

** [[GilligansIsland Alan Hale Jr.]] as the sherriff (happily, sans [[TheGiantSpiderInvasion open-fronted shirt and mod haircut]]).

* TooDumbToLive: And why, pray tell, is Paul so [[IncrediblyLamePun dead-set]] on bringing that severed arm home with him?

** Peter Breck, who not only went on to star in ''TheBigValley'' but also became (in)famous (at least, among [=MiSTie=] fans) for his [[LargeHam scenery-gobbling]] role as Mooney in ''TheBeatniks''.

For the ''Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000'' episode see ''[[Recap/MysteryScienceTheater3000S01E06TheCrawlingHand here]].

!!The MST3K treatment contains examples of:
* {{Incredibly Lame Pun}}s: Mostly of the "Let's give him a ''hand''" or "''arm'' and dangerous" variety. Groan.
* LargeHam: Joel and the bots spend a segment pretending to be WilliamShatner while being strangled.
* RunningGag: "Tell him I'm smoking."

* {{Incredibly Lame Pun}}s: Mostly of the "Let's give him a ''hand''" or "''arm'' and dangerous" variety. Groan.\

* {{Incredibly Lame Pun}}s: Mostly of the "Let's give him a ''hand''" or "''arm'' and dangerous" variety. Groan.