Captive Wild Woman (1943)

User Rating:

5.9/10   

Director:

Edward Dmytryk

Writers:

Ted Fithian (story) and
Neil P. Varnick (story) ...

Release Date:

4 June 1943 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

A human form with animal instincts!

Plot:

An insane scientist doing experimentation in glandular research becomes obsessed with transforming a female gorilla into a human...even though it costs human life.

Plot Keywords:

Circus | Experiment | Scientist | Gland | Lion Tamer

Cast

John Carradine	...	Dr. Sigmund Walters
Milburn Stone	...	Fred Mason
Evelyn Ankers	...	Beth Colman
Lloyd Corrigan	...	John Whipple
Acquanetta	...	Paula Dupree
Martha Vickers	...	Dorothy Colman (as Martha MacVicar)
Fay Helm	...	Nurse Strand
Vince Barnett	...	Curly, a rube
Paul Fix	...	Gruen, the handler
Ray Corrigan	...	Cheela the Ape
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Clyde Beatty	...	Fred Mason (in long shots) (archive footage)

Runtime:

61 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

USA:Unrated | Sweden:(Banned)

Filming Locations:

Universal Studios - 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California, USA

Company:

Universal Pictures

Trivia:

The fight between a lion and a tiger in a circus was arranged but was real, and filmed live without editing.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: The same shot of two lions fighting in a circus cage that is used about 12 minutes into the film is re-utilized near the end of the film during the storm sequence.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Dockworker: Clear the dock! Clear the dock!

Movie Connections:

Featured in Coming Soon (1982) (V)

Terrific fun Classic!

This is a terrific fun movie to watch, to see how great Universal Studio was back in the early 40s, when they could whip up this glittering little gem on a very low budget. For one thing, its technical crew and cast were all the very best. Evelyn Ankers shows her classic horror heroine side and her screams are among the best. Cult B-Actress, Fay Helm, plays one of her nurse roles and is fantastic, especially when she defies the mad scientist, John Carradine--also in top form--about the dangers of transfusing human blood into a gorilla. Sultry starlet, Acquanette, says not a word but is wonderful eye candy in her short, sexy skirts. Her transformation into a human gorilla is stunning. Lots of stock footage of animal tamer, Clyde Beatty, although it's supposed to be Milburn STone (later of "Gunsmoke" fame) in the lion cages. Wonderful photography and lighting. Vera West does outstanding job outfitting Ankers, especially in her fur hat and coat in the finale. Ankers supposedly hated making movies, especially the ones that Universal type-cast her in. Her talents were criminally wasted since she proved her talent in Sherlock Holmes "Pearl of Death" where she plays 3-4 roles and especailly "Sherlock Holmes and the Voice of Terror" where she plays the heroic Kitty, the prostitute. Watch her go to town in "Weird Woman" where she plays one of her rare villains. Helm never had big roles but she always made the few minuts on screen really count. She was also "Jenny" in the "Wolf Man" and her greatest role as Margaret Ingston in the horror classic, "Night Monster" where she and another acting great, Doris LLoyd, steal the movie right out from under the hideous "Night Monster."