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Joan Weldon as Dr. Patricia Medford

A blue-eyed, chestnut-haired beauty, Joan Weldon trained to be a singer, and made her professional debut as a member of the San Francisco Opera Company.

While appearing with the Los Angeles Civic Light Opera Company, she came to the attention of Warner Brothers, who took her out of grand opera and put her in horse operas (The Command (1954), Riding Shotgun (1954)), a crime drama (The System (1953)) and, most famously, the biggest and best of the "Big Bug" movies, 1954's Them! (1954).

Amidst her movie roles, all of them dramatic, non-singing parts, Weldon sang at the Hollywood Bowl, on her TV series "This Is Your Music" (1955) and on tour in "The Music Man" (on tour for three years as the repressed Marian the Librarian). She now resides in New York with her husband and child.

Following her film career, which faded with the end of the Hollywood studio system, she returned successfully to the musical stage. She starred as Marian the Librarian in the original national tour of "The Music Man" opposite Forrest Tucker, and played the lead in a Lincoln Center revival of "The Merry Widow." On Broadway she co-starred with Alfred Drake in "Kean" (1961).

She made a rare appearance in March of 2004 at a 3-D screening of The Stranger Wore a Gun (1953). In her salad days, she joined the chorus of the San Francisco Grand Opera Company (the youngest to ever be placed on contract) and later sang with the Los Angeles Civic Light Opera Company.

It was during a performance with the latter that she was spotted for films by 20th Century Fox. They subsequently passed on her but she eventually signed with Warner Bros. Her salary for Them! was $250.00 per week.

Weldon on Them: "I didn't think much of [the movie] Them! (1954) when I read the script. I just knew that [my character] was a scientist, and I was hoping that somewhere along the line there would be some romance or love interest. But [director] Gordon Douglas didn't want to refer to any kind of romance whatsoever. It was totally devoid of any interplay with anybody. The ants were supposed to be the star."

Later, they are in a Field Office at the Alamogordo FBI building.

GRAHAM: Now this is where the Ellison car and trailer were found. And twelve miles down this road is Johnson's store.

H. MEDFORD: Thank you.

Harold is going over the reports, Patricia is examining the print mold.

GRAHAM: So how come the FBI office in Washington sent that print to the Department of Agriculture?

P. MEDFORD: They weren't able to identify it. Sgt., you found only the one print, the one this cast is made from?

PETERSON: That's right, Miss.

GRAHAM: Have you indentified it?

Harold seems to ignore the question, instead, directs his attention to Patricia.

H. MEDFORD: Look at the medical examiner's report on Mr. Johnson, we were certainly wrong to even consider this might be a hoax. Read that, Doctor.

Harold turns to Graham.

H. MEDFORD: Tell me, in what area was the atomic bomb exploded? I mean, the first one back in 1945?

Graham turns towards the map and points.

GRAHAM: It was right here in the same general area, White Sands.

Harold's attention back to Patricia.

H. MEDFORD: Hmm, 1945, that's nine years ago. Yes, genetically, it's certainly possible.

Graham is getting aggravated at Harold ignoring them.

GRAHAM: Now look, we're grown up. There's no need to play footsy with us. As a matter of fact, we resent it. Now if you people know what this thing is, Doctor, I would suggest you tell us. We're assigned to this case too, you know!

H. MEDFORD: Mr. Graham, we cannot tell you until we are absolutely certain of our theory. Now, I would first like to stop off at the drug store and then go and see the little Ellison girl.

PETERSON: She's still in shock, Doctor. She hasn't talked yet.

Harold disregards Peterson's comment.

H. MEDFORD: And after the girl, I want to examine the territory where you found the print.