The Snow Creature (1954)

Director:

W. Lee Wilder

Writer:

Myles Wilder (story)

Release Date:

November 1954 (USA)

Genre:

Horror

Tagline:

Terrorizes city, abducts women, annihilates men!

Plot:

American botanical expedition in the Himalayas stumbles across a Yeti den, capture one and transport it back to Los Angeles, where it escapes while customs officials are debating whether it is animal or human.

Plot Keywords:

Yeti | Expedition | Himalayas | Creature | Sherpa

Cast

Paul Langton	...	Dr. Frank Parrish
Leslie Denison	...	Peter Wells
Teru Shimada	...	Subra
Rollin Moriyama	...	Leva
Robert Kino	...	Insp. Karma
Robert Hinton	...	Airline Manager
Darlene Fields	...	Joyce Parrish
George Douglas	...	Corey Jr.
Robert Bice	...	Fleet
Keith Richards	...	Harry Bennett
Rudolph Anders	...	Dr. Louis Dupont
William Phipps	...	Lieutenant Dunbar (as Bill Phipps)
Jack Daly	...	Edwards
Rusty Wescoatt	...	Guard in Warehouse
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Lock Martin	...	Yeti (unconfirmed) (uncredited)

Directed by
W. Lee Wilder

Writing credits
Myles Wilder		(story and screenplay)

Produced by
W. Lee Wilder	....	producer

Original Music by
Manuel Compinsky

Cinematography by
Floyd Crosby		(director of photography) (as Floyd D. Crosby)

Film Editing by
Jodie Copelan

Art Direction by
Frank Paul Sylos		(as Frank Sylos)

Production Management
Fred M. Muller	....	associate production supervisor
Mack V. Wright	....	production supervisor

Sound Department
Robert Roderick	....	sound recorder
Larry Aicholtz	....	sound recordist (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Lee Zavitz	....	special effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Bill Neff	....	lighting (as Bill G. Neff)

Music Department
Manuel Compinsky	....	conductor

Production Companies

• Planet Filmplays

Distributors

• United Artists (1954) (USA) (theatrical)
• GoodTimes Home Video (1986) (USA) (VHS) (double feature)
• GoodTimes Home Video (1989) (USA) (VHS)
• VCI Home Video (2000) (USA) (VHS)
• Alpha Video Distributors (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Brentwood Home Video (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Reel Media International (2004) (worldwide) (video)
• Image Entertainment (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Retromedia Entertainment (2005) (USA) (DVD) (on "Sasquatch Horror Triple Feature")
• Mill Creek Entertainment (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• Reel Media International (2007) (worldwide) (all media)
• Amvest Video (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Network Enterprises (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Something Weird Video (SWV) (????) (USA) (VHS)

Runtime:

69 min | 71 min (2005 DVD release)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

USA:Approved (PCA #16975) | USA:G (2005 DVD release)

Filming Locations:

Bronson Caves, Bronson Canyon, Griffith Park - 4730 Crystal Springs Drive, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Planet Filmplays

Trivia:

Director-producer W. Lee Wilder (and his son, the film's screenwriter 'Miles Wilder') deliberately took the name of the police detective, Lt. Dunbar (played by William Phipps) from the name of the prisoner of war played by Don Taylor in the film Stalag 17 (1953), which was written, produced and directed by W. Lee's much more famous brother: Billy Wilder.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Dr.Parrish and Lt. Dunbar are talking with City Engineer Edwards the clock on the wall says 5:50 but when Edwards looks at his watch it reads 3:40.

Movie Connections:

Featured in 100 Years of Horror: Mutants (1996) (V)

Shambling Shag Rug Attacks!! :=8O

Silly, preposterous cheapie from Billy Wilder's incowpetant kid brother, W. Lee Wilder("Killers from Space", "Phantom from Space", "Manfish"). A churlish failed botanist & a drunk photographer lead a group of Japanese actors trying to pass as Tibetans into some poorly designed fake Himalayan sets; a tall shaggy fellow steals one of the "Sherpas" wives, and a merry chase ensues with the "legendary Yeti" to retrieve the wife & bring the Big Hairy Guy back to the States. Once in Los Angeles a debate brews over wether the walking rug is a human monster or mutant DuPont Stainmaster, and therefore cargo. The carpet then escapes, haunts the sewers of L.A., and is given the Final Treatment by the cops. Slow, stodgy, and dumb as a box of Himalayan rocks, this early ABSM(Abominable Snowman)stinker features the single worst snowman costume ever - it's obviously a huge shaggy rug, with a square hole cut out of the face so the "actor" stuffed inside can see/breathe. The poor unfortunate inside can barely moove around, and we even get to see him/her slip on the icy rocks that are supposed to pass for the Himalayans. Wilder's threadbare technique of using the same shots and scenes over and over again to shave moolah off the the film's production costs serve as further hilarity - one shot, of the "snowman" stepping out of the shadows, is shown and reversed over and over and over, some 20 or 30 times. Like a brief glimpse into future Coleman Francis moovies, actors spend much of the non-Himalayan time smoking and/or drinking coffee. You will remember Paul Langton, who plays Botanist Frank Parrish, from such stinkers as "IT:The Terror from Beyond Space", "The Cosmic Man", and "Invisible Invaders", although he may best be remembered for 1957's "The Incredible Shrinking Man", which was actually a pretty good flick. Lock Martin("Invaders from Mars", "The Day the Earth Stood Still", "The Incredible Shrinking Man") reportedly was the poor soul stuffed inside the shaggy rug, a very tall actor known as 50's tv host "The Gentle Giant" and for playing Gort, the robot in "The Day the Earth Stood Still" - kind of a Richard Kiel of the 50's. As for "Snow Creature", well its typical W. Lee Wilder, and that means slow, cheap, and dumb. The MooCow suggests viewing the W. Lee Wilder trilogy ("Snow Beast", "Killers from Space", "Phantom from Space")with yer stinky moovie buddies, and let the silliness ensue. ;=8)