It Happened at Lakewood Manor

It Happened at Lakewood Manor

Year: 1977

Runtime: 95 mins

Language: English

Director: Robert Scheerer

HorrorDramaThrillerHorror

They’ll Make Your Nightmares Come True. A lakeside resort comes under attack by a seemingly infinite hoard of flesh-eating ants.

Warning: spoilers below!

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Timeline & Setting – It Happened at Lakewood Manor (1977)

Explore the full timeline and setting of It Happened at Lakewood Manor (1977). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

The events unfold over a single crisis-filled day as workers uncover a nest and the hotel is quarantined. The narrative follows the rapid escalation from discovery to a full-blown infestation and urgent rescue attempts. The setting emphasizes a confined, high-stakes environment rather than broad historical context.

Location

Lakewood Hotel, Lakewood Manor

An aging lakeside hotel undergoing construction becomes the battleground for a venomous ant outbreak. The building's closed section hides a massive nest that turns the place into a quarantine zone and a race against time. As the ants advance, guests and workers struggle to find safety amid collapsing corridors and mounting danger.

🏨 Lakewood Hotel 🗺️ Lakeside setting ⚠️ Crisis

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 15:36

Main Characters – It Happened at Lakewood Manor (1977)

Meet the key characters of It Happened at Lakewood Manor (1977), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Mike Carr (Robert Foxworth)

A practical foreman in a relationship with Valerie, Carr anchors the group under pressure. He keeps cool, makes quick tactical decisions, and looks out for his coworkers as the ants close in. His loyalty sustains hope when rescue seems distant.

🛠️ Foreman 💪 Resilience ❤️ Relationship

Valerie Adams (Lynda Day George)

Valerie is the daughter of Ethel and Mike's partner in the unfolding crisis. She shows resolve and warmth amid fear, forming an essential bond with Carr and contributing to the group's survival. Her relationship with Mike adds emotional stakes to the ordeal.

❤️ Romance 🧭 Family ties

Ethel Adams (Myrna Loy)

The elderly proprietor of Lakewood, Ethel resists pressure to sell and serves as a steady, stubborn moral center. She navigates dangerous confrontations with the casino plan and supports residents through the quarantine.

🏠 Owner 🧭 Authority

Gloria (Suzanne Somers)

Gloria is Fleming's partner and accomplice in the casino scheme, driven by greed and self-preservation. She becomes entangled in the hotel crisis, facing danger as the situation spirals.

💰 Greed 🧭 Betrayal

Anthony Fleming (Gerald Gordon)

A unscrupulous real estate magnate determined to turn Lakewood into a casino, Fleming represents the antagonist whose ambitions spark conflict with the hotel’s owners and workers.

💼 businessman 🗡️ Antagonist

Peggy Kenter (Anita Gillette)

A Board of Health inspector who quarantines the hotel on suspicion of a virus, Peggy embodies rational public health concerns amid panic and improvisation.

🧪 Health 🧭 Authority

Tom (Stacy Keach Sr.)

A BOH researcher who discovers the ants are venomous and resistant to insecticides, guiding containment decisions and explaining the nest's unusual nature.

🔬 Scientist 🧠 Strategist

Linda Howard (Karen Lamm)

Linda, Richard's girlfriend, is swept up in the hotel crisis and witnesses the chaos as the survivors seek safety. Her presence underscores the human cost of the outbreak.

❤️ Romance 👥 Survivor

Richard Cyril (Barry Van Dyke)

A hotel employee who becomes part of the group attempting to reach safety; his role contributes to the ensemble's dynamics under pressure.

🧰 Worker 🧭 Survivor

White (Steve Franken)

Peggy's assistant who meets a tragic end as the ants rampage through the hotel, highlighting the deadly stakes of the outbreak.

💔 Victim 🧭 Warning

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 15:36

Major Themes – It Happened at Lakewood Manor (1977)

Explore the central themes of It Happened at Lakewood Manor (1977), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

🧪 Science

Tom, a BOH researcher, identifies the ants as venomous and resistant to common insecticides, shifting the story from panic to explanation. The plot relies on tests and data to guide containment decisions. Peggy also embodies rational investigation as she contemplates a virus scenario before the insect threat is confirmed. Science drives the choices that can save lives.

🔥 Crisis

The hotel is swarmed by millions of army ants, creating immediate danger and chaos. Rescue teams deploy improvised defenses, using water and gasoline, while the ants cross streams on bridges built from ant corpses. The situation tests nerve and teamwork as characters race to evacuate the endangered. Timing and collective action become the differentiators between life and death.

💰 Greed

Anthony Fleming and Gloria pursue converting Lakewood into a casino, prioritizing profit over safety. Their schemes heighten risk for everyone inside the hotel, contrasting greed with the residents' need for security. The pursuit of wealth fuels conflict and complicates attempts to reach a safe resolution. Moral choices clash with self-interest.

🛡️ Heroism

Facing a deadly swarm, Carr, Valerie, Tom, and Peggy coordinate evacuation and containment efforts. The story highlights courage under pressure, improvisation, and the willingness to risk safety for others. Rescuers arrive to extract the survivors, underscoring a communal effort to overcome a deadly anomaly. The theme celebrates resilience and collective action.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 15:36

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Narrative Summary

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It Happened at Lakewood Manor Summary

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It Happened at Lakewood Manor Summary

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It Happened at Lakewood Manor Timeline

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