Mesa of Lost Women (1953)

A mad scientist named Arana is creating giant spiders and dwarfs in his lab on Zarpa Mesa in Mexico. He wants to create a master race of superwomen by injecting his female subjects with spider venom.

Directors:

Ron Ormond, Herbert Tevos

Writer:

Herbert Tevos (written for the screen by)

Stars:

Jackie Coogan, Allan Nixon, Richard Travis

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jackie Coogan	...	Doctor Aranya
Allan Nixon	...	'Doc' Tucker
Richard Travis	...	Dan Mulcahey
Lyle Talbot	...	Narrator (voice)
Paula Hill	...	Doreen Culbertson (as Mary Hill)
Robert Knapp	...	Grant Phillips
Tandra Quinn	...	Tarantella
Chris-Pin Martin	...	Pepe (as Chris Pin Martin)
Harmon Stevens	...	Dr. Leland J. Masterson
Nico Lek	...	Jan van Croft
Kelly Drake	...	Lost Woman
John Martin	...	Frank
George Barrows	...	George (as George Burrows)
Candy Collins	...	Lost Woman
Dolores Fuller	...	Blonde 'Watcher in the Woods' (as Delores Fuller)

Storyline

A mad scientist named Arana is creating giant spiders and dwarfs in his lab on Zarpa Mesa in Mexico. He wants to create a master race of superwomen by injecting his female subjects with spider venom.

---

Plot Keywords:

spider | dwarf | mad scientist | giant spider | fire | 

---

Taglines:

Super Women Who Kissed and Killed!

---

Genres:

Drama | Horror | Mystery | Romance | Sci-Fi | Thriller

---

Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

17 June 1953 (USA)

Also Known As:

Attack of the Spider Women

Filming Locations:

Red Rock Canyon, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Ron Ormond Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

70 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Hoyt Curtin's original music score - consisting solely of guitar, bass and piano - was recycled by director Edward D. Wood Jr. for his film Jail Bait.

---

Goofs

Rear shots of Frank's jeep show a man wearing a fedora in the passenger seat, but close-ups show Pepe in the passenger seat, wearing a sombrero.

---

Quotes

Dr. Leland J. Masterson: [referring to Tarantella dancing] You like her?
Jan van Croft: Very pretty... Fascinating... As a dancer, of course!

---

Connections

Featured in Horror Incorporated: Mesa of Lost Women (1953) (2003)

User Reviews

An amazingly inept movie that must be seen to be believed.

I didn't recall seeing this as a kid, but finally got around to watching it the other night after several tries (falling asleep in front of the TV each time). Having endured this singularly bad film, there's not much to add to what's been written already. This is one of the most inane pieces of grade Z film making ever achieved! It truly is 'so bad it's good'. Hilarious. The worst acting, the worst giant spiders, an incredibly bad 'spider dance' by Tarantella (pronounced 'Tarantula'), and the riotous site of Harmon Stevens (as Dr. Masterson) grinning like an idiot at everyone. I could not watch him without busting out laughing. And, as others note, one of the most grating soundtracks imaginable. A Mexican guitar jangling a couple of chords interspersed with jarring, discordant piano plinking (loudly, too) made the whole thing nearly unbearable. What a mess.