The She-Creature (1956)

User Rating:

2.4/10   

Director:

Edward L. Cahn

Writers:

Lou Rusoff (screenplay)
Lou Rusoff (story)

Release Date:

August 1956 (USA)

Genre:

Fantasy | Horror

Tagline:

Hypnotized! Reincarnated as a monster from hell!

Plot:

A mysterious hypnotist (Chester Morris) reverts his beautiful assistant (Marla English) back into the...

Plot Keywords:

Reincarnation | Murder | Creature | Monster | Spirit

Cast

Chester Morris	...	Dr. Carlo Lombardi
Marla English	...	Andrea Talbott
Tom Conway	...	Timothy Chappel
Cathy Downs	...	Dorothy Chappel
Lance Fuller	...	Dr. Ted Erickson
Ron Randell	...	Police Lt. Ed James
Frieda Inescort	...	Mrs. Chappel
Frank Jenks	...	Plainclothes Sgt. with Lt James
El Brendel	...	Olaf, the butler
Paul Dubov	...	Johnny, the barker
William Hudson	...	Bob, the ex-fiancé (as Bill Hudson)
Flo Bert	...	Marta, the Maid
Jeanne Evans	...	Mrs. Brown
Kenneth MacDonald	...	Police dr. with Prof Anderson
Jack Mulhall	...	Lombardi's Lawyer

Runtime:

77 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Ryder Sound Services)

Certification:

USA:Unrated (video release) | USA:Approved (PCA #18168) | UK:12

Filming Locations:

Paradise Cove - 28128 Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu, California, USA

Company:

Golden State Productions

Trivia:

In 1956, American International released this film on a double bill with It Conquered the World (1956).

Goofs:

Continuity: At the end of the movie, Tom Conway is "chased" by the She-Creature. It looks like he is using a standard .38 caliber, six shot pistol. He fires the weapon seven times without reloading.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Horrible Honeys (1988) (V)

Should Have Stayed in the Past

Definitely a waste of talent and film. Many people had been waiting years to see Boston Blackie (Chester Morris) and The Falcon (Tom Conway) on screen together. Unfortunately, they got this piece of trash.

To make a long story short, hypnotist Morris fills the room of a local club every night with his predictions of death. To make it happen, he hypnotizes the beautiful Marla English (who does things with sweaters that would rival any of today's starlets) and regresses her to a past life. Of course, this produces the she-creature, a monstrosity with scales, a tail (or tale) and breasts that rampages around a lake resort, somehow getting the drop on unsuspecting people.

Tom Conway keeps Morris on because he likes seeing his resort packed (if you think this is ghoulish, think of all the people who paid to see Lennox Lewis and Mike Tyson just hoping to see Iron Mike bite of a body part).

The only interesting part of this schlock is Paul Blaisdell's creature. It does look authentic, but the suit was way too bulky and the actor inside could only walk at a snail's pace. So, the fact that the creature took people by surprise was all the more unbelievable. The best scene was when the creature somehow sneaks inside a bungalow, surprises a guest reading a book and forcefully folds the bed up into the wall closet. Unfortunately, it wasn't a fold up bed and there was no wall closet, at least beforehand.

Chester Morris hams it up badly. Tom Conway is so wooden you will almost cheer when he unwittingly becomes part of a prediction. Marla English is great, but that's only because she mostly lies flat on her back in a trance or just shows off tight sweaters and skirts. Leading man Lance Fuller is so stiff, he could have been used as a table. He was way better as the brooding alien Brak in the classic "This Island Earth."

The only redeeming value is that somebody remade this in the late 60's and the remake was so bad it makes the original look decent.