Superman and the Mole Men (1951) – Review

While Superman made his live-action debut with the Kirk Alyn-led theatrical serials it was George Reeves and his interpretation of the “Man of Steel” that would cement how the character would be perceived for decades to come, and even though this “movie” clocks in at a meagre 58-minutes it is still considered to be Superman’s first full-length feature.

Directed by Lee Sholem and featuring George Reeves as the Man of Steel, Superman and the Mole Men presents a simple yet captivating story that resonates with themes of tolerance, empathy and understanding, which are things you may find surprising to have existed in the 1950s. The film opens with Clark Kent (George Reeves), the mild-mannered reporter of a great metropolitan newspaper, and his courageous co-worker Lois Lane (Phyllis Coates) visiting the small rural town of Silsby. Their assignment is to cover the drilling of the world’s deepest oil well – why, who knows, maybe it’s a slow news day – but little do they know that this innocuous event will set the stage for a much larger adventure. Turns out that beneath the town a subterranean humanoid species, mole men if you will, aren’t at happy about being disturbed by the drilling and this activity has forced them to emerge into the world above. Needless to say, their appearance shocks the townspeople, leading to fear, mistrust and the usual panic you get from ignorant yokels. This prompts a powerful reaction from the townsfolk, who are prepared to meet the mole men with violence, and it’s up Superman to mediate the situation as he embodies the essence of truth, justice and the American way.

 

“Why don’t you go and hound Frankenstein’s Monster?”

At its core, Superman and the Mole Men is a simple yet engaging narrative that showcases the titular hero’s unwavering commitment to protecting all life, even those considered by most as outsiders, and this core attribute is what makes Superman one of the great heroes. The film’s action sequences, though limited by the era’s special effects technology, still manage to capture the excitement and thrill of Superman’s heroic deeds and George Reeves delivers a convincing performance as both Clark Kent and Superman, showcasing the duality of the character and the moral compass that guides him. His charisma and commanding presence as Superman are evident, captivating audiences and cementing him as the quintessential Superman for years to come. This entry in the history of Superman media is probably most noteworthy for having no true villains, unless you count angry towns person Luke Benson (Jeff Corey) who riles his neighbours into a murderous mob, as the mole people are simply two confused and misunderstood creatures who have a little problem with personal boundaries.

 

Guilty of peeping and trespassing.

Stray Observations:

• Phyllis Coates would continue to play Lois Lane for the first season of The Adventures of Superman, with co-star George Reeve, but she’d be replaced by Noel Neill who had played Lois Lane in the Superman serials.
• As of today, this remains the first of only three live-action theatrical “Superman” films not to feature his arch-nemesis Lex Luthor. The others are Superman III in 1983 and 2013’s Zack Snyder epic Man of Steel.
• For some reason The Daily Planet’s Editor-and-Chief Perry White and cub reporter Jimmy Olsen fail to appear in this movie, these characters would later return in The Adventures of Superman and be played by John Hamilton and Jack Larson.
• The Mole Men in this movie are more akin to the Munchkins from The Wizard of Oz rather than the monstrous creatures from the Universal Picture’s The Mole People.
• Just how low was this film’s budget? The Mole Men’s weapon was nothing more than a 1950s vacuum cleaner with extra pieces stuck to it.

 

“We’re here to clean up this town.”

Obviously, the biggest criticism that can be laid against Superman and the Mole Men is that with a running time of under an hour it makes the claim of “The All-Time Ace of Action in his First Full-Length Feature Adventure” to be a bit of a stretch.  This is not helped by the knowledge that it was intended as a pilot for a proposed Superman television series. In fact, its theatrical release was originally planned only as a last resort to recoup the production budget if the networks passed on the project, it would later be split in half and used as a two-parter for the television series that would follow. This piece of Hollywood shenanigans aside, the film’s focus on character development and storytelling rather than elaborate visual effects makes it an engaging experience for viewers of any age and makes me a little more forgiving. The tension between the townspeople and the mole men serves as an allegory for societal intolerance and the importance of compassion in the face of the unknown, and that’s not something you’d find in most media aimed at the younger demographic. The film’s screenplay by Richard Fielding also does an admirable job of balancing action with thoughtful dialogue, making it accessible to audiences who may not be familiar with the Superman comics.

 

“Hey, are you an illegal alien?”

George Reeves’ portrayal of Superman remains memorable and is the best part of this incarnation, and the movie’s themes of tolerance and acceptance are still relevant today, and while Superman and the Mole Men may not have the grandeur of today’s superhero blockbusters it id help pave the way for the countless adaptations that would follow. Its influence on future Superman iterations is undeniable and its status as a trailblazer in the superhero genre cannot be overstated. Director Lee Sholem also did an excellent job of quickly building sympathy for the tiny mole people while illustrating how easily even supposedly “good Americans” could turn into Nazi Storm Troopers if given the right push – Superman’s stance against idiots with guns makes him a clear opponent of the NRA – and when some rightfully pissed off mole people return to rescue their fallen comrade we know which side is in the right.

 

Will the mole men ever return?

In conclusion, Superman and the Mole Men remains an essential watch for fans of classic cinema and superhero enthusiasts alike. Its timeless themes, solid performances and historical significance ensure its place as a beloved entry in the Superman legacy. Whether you’re a die-hard Superman fan or simply curious about the roots of the superhero genre, this film is a must-see.

Atom Man vs. Superman (1950) – Review

The 1948 Superman serial was an incredible success for Columbia Pictures, so successful that it was even released in theatres not known for showing serials, which meant a sequel was pretty much a foregone conclusion. And while that first one featured the nefarious plotting of the femme fatale known as the Spider Lady, who was an original villain created for the serial and not from the comics, this entry would include Superman’s comic book archenemy, Lex Luthor.

With Atom Man vs. Superman, Columbia Pictures and producer Sam Katzman would bring together two legendary characters from the DC universe, Superman (Kirk Alyn) and his archenemy Lex Luthor (Lyle Talbot), in an epic battle of good versus evil that would span 15 thrilling chapters. Directed by Spencer Gordon Bennet this second action-packed serial captures the essence of the Superman comics, providing a captivating exciting adaptation of one of the most popular comic book characters ever created. And once again, intrepid reporter Lois Lane (Noel Neill) and cub reporter Jimmy Olsen (Tommy Bond) will find themselves knocked unconscious, captured, and nearly killed on a fairly constant basis.

 

A Superman’s job is never done.

The main plot to this serial kicks off when Lex Luthor threatens to destroy Metropolis if the contents of a major bank are not handed over, he even destroys a bridge with a devastating ray gun to prove he has the capability, needless to say, Metropolis is not destroyed as Superman is able to capture Luthor in time and the evil genius is sent to prison. Unfortunately, the legal system of the 1950s isn’t much better than it is today and Luthor is given parole by offering the United States government a scientific breakthrough.  But that’s not the only bad thing in the offing as some helmeted villain calling himself “Atom Man” is masterminding several capers involving high-tech weaponry, okay, Atom Man is simply Lex Luthor wearing a stupid helmet and anyone in Metropolis who thinks Luthor has gone legit is an idiot.

 

Atom Man, winner of the Most Embarrassing Disguise award.

But what exactly is Luthor’s diabolical plan? Turns out good ole Lex has developed a disintegrating machine that can reduce people to their basic atoms and then reassemble them in another place, which allows him to teleport his henchmen out of Superman’s clutches at the last minute, but at the heart of his plan is the desire to use the machine dematerialize Superman and then scatters his atoms across the universe in something he calls the “Empty Doom.” Of course, that doesn’t quite work out as expected, Superman becomes an immaterial ghost for a while but he is eventually returned to full dimensionality, so Luthor will have to rely on standard backup plans like finding kryptonite and holding Lois Lane hostage.

 

He’s an evil genius who likes the classics.

What makes Atom Man vs. Superman such fun to watch is the mental chess game that Superman and Lex Luthor engage each other with, constantly employing various ruses to lure each other into some form of trap, and while most of these fail – we have 15 chapters to fill – some of them are quite clever and shows that even though Lex is an evil genius the Man of Steel is no slouch in the brain department. As to be expected, we will also get some suspense surrounding the “will she or won’t she” aspect of whether or not Lois will figure out Clark Kent and Superman are one and the same, but even Perry White (Pierre Watkin) comes to the conclusion that Kent is Superman when after the Man of Steel is sent to the “Empty Doom” all of a sudden Clark is missing as well. What is odd is that Lois and Jimmy worked together to fool Perry into believing that Clark was off working on a big scoop.

 

Instead of wandering the Empty Doom.

I will give Sam Katzman and Columbia Pictures a lot of credit for their creative and brilliant use of stock footage, such as Luthor’s destruction of a “Metropolis” bridge utilizing the footage of the famous Tacoma Narrows Bridge undulating and collapsing, but it’s not just Lex Luthor/Atom Man’s attacks that cause grief as Superman must also save people from stock footage of floods and oil refinery fires, but these moments of amazing feats of super heroics are not primary examples of what you will find in these serials as the most common “super-act” depicted in these outings consists mostly of Superman lifting the backend of a car up so that the villains can’t drive away and then grabbing the occupants, often bumping their heads together and then leaving them for the police.

 

I wonder if Lex’s men have medical benefits.

Stray Observations:

• Lyle Talbot was the first actor to ever play the character of Lex Luthor, but unlike Noel Neill, neither he nor the character of Luthor would be appearing in the television series The Adventures of Superman.
• Fans of the 1949 Batman serial may also have recognized Lyle Talbot as Commissioner Gordon, a role where he wasn’t forced to wear a bald cap.
• We are to believe that Superman’s archenemy Lex Luthor is this brilliant evil scientist, who can invent amazing death rays, but if he’s so brilliant why does he try and shoot Superman with a regular gun?
• Clark Kent gets a slight upgrade in this serial, while still being considered a coward by Lois he is finally allowed to win a few fights with henchmen, as opposed to throwing every fight as he did in the previous serial.
• Jimmy Olsen is punched unconscious so often that it’s surprising he doesn’t suffer from permanent brain damage.
• Lex Luthor has synthetic kryptonite that is only missing one element to make it the real thing, which is eerily similar to what Richard Pryor created for Superman III.

 

“I hope this at least turns you evil.”

One of the major strengths of this serial is its ability to capture the essence of Superman’s character as Kirk Alyn was able to perfectly embody the role of the Last Son of Krypton with an unwavering sense of justice, courage, and compassion. His portrayal of Superman and Clark Kent showcases a remarkable duality, allowing audiences to connect with both aspects of the iconic character. In fact, every cast member in this serial provides excellent performances, from Noel Neill’s scoop-obsessed Lois Lane to the random henchman Luthor sends out to pillage and plunder Metropolis, Atom Man vs. Superman brings to life the adventures found in Action Comics in surprisingly convincing ways.

 

You will believe a man can ride an atomic missile.

As was the case with the first serial, the special effects in Atom Man vs. Superman might seem rudimentary by today’s standards but as they were trying to pull off adapting a comic book with an incredibly small budget one must look at the end result with forgiving eyes. The filmmakers continued to use animation to create Superman’s flight sequences, making him appear to soar through the skies, and while these moments can seem jarring it also kind of makes this serial rather unique – I still prefer the flying technique utilized in The Adventures of Captain Marvel – but not all of the effects in this movie even meet the standards of nostalgic forgiveness, at one point, towards the end of the serial, Lex Luthor launches a flying saucer at our heroes and to say the end result was less than convincing would be the understatement of the century.

 

War of the Worlds this is not.

Sam Katzman’s Atom Man vs. Superman is a noteworthy piece of cinematic history that contributed to the popularization of superheroes on screen. Although the film may not hold up to modern blockbuster standards, it remains an enjoyable watch for fans of vintage sci-fi and those curious about the early portrayal of iconic characters like Superman and Lex Luthor. Unfortunately, despite it being one of, if not the most successful serials released, this was the era in which television was making headway and the end of the serial format was nigh, but the nostalgic charm these things have and the enduring legacy of the Man of Steel makes it worth a watch for any ardent superhero enthusiast.

Superman: The First Serial (1948) – Review

There have been many adaptations of Superman over the years but it was Columbia Pictures who brought the world its first “live-action Superman” to theatres – Max Fleischer at Paramount was technically the first one to bring Superman to the big screen but his was an animated version – and while Columbia’s superhero serial was not quite on par with Republic Pictures’ The Adventures of Captain Marvel it remains one of the more successful entries of its time.

The first chapter of the serial does an economical job of retelling Superman’s origin story, with Jor-El (Nelson Leigh) being ignored by the Kryptonian Council when he warns them that their planet is doomed. He and his wife Lara (Luanne Walters) place their infant son in a rocketship and send him to Earth where he is found by a kindly farm couple Sarah (Virginia Carroll) and Eben Kent (Edward Cassidy), who are noticeably amazed at his remarkable abilities.  Once they pass away, the now adult Clark Kent (Kirk Alyn) decides to become a reporter – this is so that he can learn swiftly where and when he is needed as Superman – and he lands a job at The Daily Planet by scooping Lois Lane (Noel Neill) on a mining disaster, much to her annoyance and the delight of the paper’s gruff editor Perry White (Pierre Watkin), a man who sends his reporters into danger on a constant basis.

 

Can you guess which one is Clark Kent?

After stunning the world with his many rescues, Superman is tasked by the government with guarding a top secret weapon called the Reducer Ray, which is supposedly more powerful than the atomic bomb, unfortunately, The Spider Lady (Carol Forman) “Queen of the Underworld” wants the device so that she can…I don’t know, rule the world or something like that.  But when Superman thwarts her first efforts to steal the Reducer she declares that she’ll find a way to stop Superman from interfering with any further plans. Of course, the real question is  “How can she hope to stop a man who is as fast as a speeding bullet, is more powerful than a locomotive, and can leap tall buildings in a single bound?” Well, it turns out that a kryptonite meteorite conveniently lands on Earth the very next day. Is this providence or prophecy? Now it’s only a matter of getting some of her men to steal the meteorite and unleash its deadly rays against Superman.

 

I hope he’s packed his lead-lined underwear.

The bulk of this serial’s fifteen chapters consists of numerous nefarious plots by the Spider Lady to steal the Reducer and when that fails eventually she tries to have a duplicate manufactured. Her initial step involves breaking a criminal scientist (Charles Quigley) out of prison so that he can both weaponize the kryptonite and maximize the destructive power of the Reducer Ray. Then she has the inventor of the ray, Doctor Graham (Herbert Rawlinson), kidnapped, and through mind control, he is forced to build a duplicate of his most destructive invention. Through all of this Clark, Lois, and cub reporter Jimmy Olsen (Tommy Bond) will tangle with various henchmen as they try to discover the secret location of the Spider Lady’s lair.

 

I would also love to find out where she lives. Wowzers!

Kirk Alyn’s portrayal of Superman exudes charm and embodies the duality of the character and his charisma shines through as both the mild-mannered reporter Clark Kent and his super alter-ego, while Noel Neill’s brings a delightful blend of intelligence and tenacity to the character of Lois Lane, making her a strong counterpart to Superman. The chemistry between Alyn and Neill is one of the highlights of the serial, adding depth to their on-screen dynamic and that makes the pairing so great. Then there is Caroll Forman’s performance as the Spider Lady and she knocks the part out of the femme fatale out of the park. Packed with suspenseful cliffhangers, this first Superman serial keeps viewers eagerly awaiting each new chapter and despite some predictable plot elements, at least by today’s standards, this serial paved the way for the popularity of the superhero genre.

 

“This looks like a job for Superman.”

Stray Observations:

• Poor Kirk Alyn didn’t get an on-screen credit for this first outing because the studio wanted the kiddies to believe they’d actually hired Superman to be in this movie. You know, because kids are dumb.
• Noel Neill would go on to play Lois Lane in the third of the television series The Adventures of Superman, replacing actress Phyllis Coates who left the role after only one season.
• Both Kirk Alyn and Noel Neill have cameos as the parents of young Lois Lane in the 1978 Richard Donner version of Superman: The Movie.
• Fans of Superman may find it weird that his Smallville parents are named Sarah and Eben, instead of Jonathan and Martha, but Sarah and Eben had been used in several incarnations during Superman’s early adventures in books and on television.
• Like many incarnations of Superman’s origin story, we see Clark Kent wearing glasses before deciding to take on a secret identity, which doesn’t make a lot of sense considering he has super-vision.
• The cave featured in Chapter 4 “Man Of Steel” is the same one that was used as the Bat Cave in the Adam West Batman series.
• Clark Kent gets into several fights with The Spider Lady’s henchman, many of who land solid punches on Clark’s square jaw, but as he’s the Man of Steel shouldn’t their knuckles have broken for their efforts?
• The Spider Lady announces over the radio that she plans on stealing the kryptonite from the museum but for some reason Superman doesn’t fly over there immediately to move the kryptonite somewhere safer.

 

“I may be faster than a speeding bullet but I’m not all that quick on the uptake.”

What makes the Superman serials from Columbia Pictures unique was their decision to utilize animation to depict Superman in flight, often orchestrated by having Kirk Alyn suddenly leap up and transform into an animated version of Superman that would fly up into the sky, and while this looks a little goofy it does have its own charm and makes this incarnation of Superman just a little more interesting. And as was the case with most serials of the time, the budgets were limited so Superman was relegated to fighting underworld goons in ill-fitting suits and not armies of robots or rampaging dinosaurs as would be found in the Max Fleischer Superman animated shorts.

 

“It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s a cartoon!”

This serial also ran into much the same problem Republic Pictures had with The Adventures of Captain Marvel, which would be “How can you create a suspenseful cliffhanger when your protagonist is super strong and invulnerable?” For Captain Marvel, they simply had Billy Batson gagged so he couldn’t yell “Shazam!” but in the case of this Superman serial, they mostly had Lois or Jimmy in danger with Superman arriving in the nick of time to save them. And sure, there were some “Oh my god, they’ve got kryptonite” moments but that tactic couldn’t be utilized all that often as kryptonite is quite lethal to Superman. To have him survive an encounter with it more than once relied on the bad guys being completely moronic – I did like that in Chapter15 “Superman in Danger” where the idiot goon throws the kryptonite at Superman and misses,  but it then lands inside a furnace and turns into kryptonite gas that incapacitates our hero. Talk about being both dumb and lucky. Then there is the Spider Lady’s web of destruction, which is as cool as it is deadly.

 

A shocking end to her enemies.

As mentioned, Clark would often find himself in a fight with one of the Spider Lady’s henchmen, which he’d have to lose to maintain his secret identity, but he’d often end up looking dazed as if actually hurt, which confused the hell out of me because it’s one thing to put on an act but another to carry things on too far. I also couldn’t help but think “Damn it, Clark, even a regular guy can throw a decent punch. Why not let yourself win at least one fight?” Sadly, Kent in this incarnation is pretty much useless and he must be left alone so that he can run off-screen so that he can come back as the more action-orientated Superman. Of course, this is good for Lois and Jimmy as they spend a good amount of these fifteen chapters in the clutches of the Spider Lady’s goons.

 

“We’ll just leave you here alone, what are the odds of Superman showing up?”

Produced by Sam Katzman, the 1948 Superman Serial remains a timeless gem in the history of cinema, standing tall as one of the earliest and most influential portrayals of the beloved Man of Steel. This 15-chapter serial, directed by Spencer Gordon Bennet and Thomas Carr, not only captivated audiences of its time but also laid the groundwork for the superhero genre to come. Despite its age, this serial stands the test of time and serves as a testament to the enduring legacy of the superhero genre. It not only laid the foundation for future Superman adaptations, comic book movies, and television shows to come it also proved that a strong character with a compelling narrative could captivate audiences for generations. “Up, up, and away!”

The Atomic Submarine (1959) – Review

Hollywood has produced quite a few alien invasion movies over the years and while most of them dealt with UFOs in the traditional style of those found in films like Ray Harryhausen’s Earth vs the Flying Saucers it was Allied Artists who took a different tack with their science fiction entry The Atomic Submarine. This time out it would be a USO (Unidentified Submerged Object) threatening mankind, thus we don’t get your typical outer space creature feature but a more watery encounter.

The plot of The Atomic Submarine is very simple, someone or something is sinking ships up near the Arctic Circle, including seven military submarines, and thus the government tasks the captain of the atomic submarine Tigershark, Commander Dan Wendover (Dick Foran), to ready his crew for a perilous mission to investigate these “disasters” and put an end to whatever is threatening this all-important trade route. This film goes out of its way to state how much shipping goes through the northern channels and I’m not entirely sure how accurate that is but I guess that particular plot element is needed to get things moving.  Of course, no mission is complete without a crew of stock characters to plug into the script and to spice things up; this will include womanizing Lieutenant Commander Richard “Reef” Holloway (Arthur Franz), the Tigershark’s executive officer who must put up with pacifist Dr. Carl Neilson Jr. (Brett Halsey) as a bunkmate, and these two idiots will provide more actual conflict than the one we get from the alien threat.

 

“Will you two just kiss and make up?”

Much of the film’s short running time is spent with the crew of the Tigershark sailing all over the Arctic Circle as they chase after what turns out to be an underwater saucer-shaped craft, with a sole light atop its upper dome that results in them dubbing the enemy Cyclops. After surviving an electrical attack from this extraterrestrial threat they go on the offensive – that this later involves the Captain ordering the Tigershark to ram the alien, which is but one of many ridiculous tactics this movie employees – but I will give the film credit when it comes to onscreen violence because when the crew venture aboard the “Cyclops” two of them are melted by some kind of heat ray and another is crushed by a closing hatchway.

This was not typical for a genre film of this era. The Atomic Submarine employs a classic science fiction motivation to their alien, it has come to Earth as a scout ship looking for a plant to colonize, but what is surprising is that we soon learn that it plans on taking Holloway and several other specimens back to its home planet for further study so they can alter their own physiology to a better life on Earth. I must say, that this is another thing you don’t find to often in your average science fiction flick of this period. Lucky for us, our heroes don’t take that kind of shit from alien scum.

 

“Set phasers on stun!”

Stray Observations:

• James Cameron would later tackle the idea of a “Close Encounter of the Watery Kind” in his film The Abyss, only his aliens were slightly less dickish.
• Sir Ian Hunt is introduced as the winner of the Nobel Prize for oceanography but as there is no such Nobel Prize in this field I’d double-check his credentials to make sure he wasn’t an alien spy.
• The Tigershark deployed their frogmen to check out the damage they received after being hit by an underwater electric storm but they are in simple wet suits and would not survive the freezing arctic water for more than a couple of minutes.
• The USO returns the North Pole to “recharge its batteries” from the Earth’s magnetic field but Magnetic North Pole is not located under the Geographic North Pole, so I’m not sure what the hell these aliens were doing.
• The Commander orders that the sub be “rigged for silent running” but when they detect the approaching alien craft he proceeds to use the ship’s intercom to bark orders. Does he not understand what “silent running” means?
• Our heroes deduce that the “Flying Saucer” always returns to the North Pole between attacks but instead of simply waiting for its inevitable return they spend weeks chasing it all over the Arctic Circle. And this is the Navy’s idea of top men?

 

I wouldn’t trust these guys to operate my bathtub toys.

This science fiction entry from Allied Artist was clearly on a shoestring budget, with approximately 30% of what we see consisting of stock footage, and even the other 10% of original special effects were also recycled heavily throughout the film’s running time, but despite budgetary limitations it did manage to pull off an interesting story about man’s first encounter with an alien visitor – something akin to what viewers would find on an episode of Outer Limits – and it did inspire Irwin Allen’s Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea which would hit theatres a couple of years later. The one element that stands out as somewhat unusual for the period is the inclusion of the “pacifistic scientist” and even more interesting is the fact that the script doesn’t deride him as being some kind of commie coward and we even get a pretty intelligent debate between Neilson and Holloway. Now, the movie ends with the realization that sometimes you do have to shoot the enemy in the face, especially if he’s an ugly cyclops sonofabitch.

 

Say what you will about the film’s budgeted effects the alien did look cool.

Overall, The Atomic Submarine is a better-than-average science fiction thriller, one that overcame the danger being  nothing more than a collection stock character types and every overused trope from the genre – all of these films have to have your standard scientist onboard to explain things as well as at least one brash idiot who wants to shoot everything in sight – and if you can look past the stilted acting and bargain basement props the core idea of a submarine performing a manhunt – or alien hunt if you will – under the Arctic Circle, is a pretty cool idea. Director Spencer Gordon Bennet did his best with the tools he had on hand and while this film may not have the fun adventurous spirit of Disney’s 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea or the social-political themes illustrated in such classics as The Day the Earth Stood Still that doesn’t stop this entry from being a decent enough B-Movie and well worth checking out.

The Leech Woman (1960) – Review

In an attempt to combine elements of science fiction, adventure and exploitation into a single bizarre and perplexing package – and who wouldn’t want that – Universal Pictures brought to the world one of their more off-beat entries in the form of The Leech Woman, a film that delved into the dark realms of obsession, eternal youth and the consequences of tampering with nature. You know, the usual.

Directed by Edward Dein, The Leech Woman takes us on a journey into the dark realms of a mysterious African tribe and the even darker realm of the human psyche. Where we are first introduced to endocrinologist Dr. Paul Talbot (Phillip Terry) and his alcoholic wife June (Colleen Gray) who have become rather estranged due to June being ten years older than Paul, and now showing her age. Paul is clearly ready to trade her in for a newer model but when recent research into the aging process results in the visit from a mysterious old woman named Malla (Estelle Hemsley), who claims to have been brought to America 140 years ago as a slave, things get interesting. She offers him the secret to a powerful elixir that can not only halt the passage of time but, when combined with a secondary element, it can reverse the aging process altogether. All Paul needs to do to receive such a reward is provide her with enough money so that she can return home to her tribe in Africa. Needless to say, things are a bit more complicated than that.

 

Skull decorations are a big red flag.

Paul manages to con his poor wife into joining him on this safari into Darkest Africa but his conniving nature is soon revealed, which is the fact that June was only brought along as “a guinea pig who could talk” and his heart remains as cold and hard as ever. They are allowed to witness the secret ceremony of the Nando tribe who utilizes orchid pollen and a sacrificial male’s pineal gland secretions. The secretions, extracted from the back of the neck via a special ring and mixed with the pollen, temporarily transform Malla into a young and beautiful woman. Unfortunately, this is to be the last thing our group of intrepid heroes will witness as they are quickly informed that they will be killed the following day, but when they are offered one final boon June agrees to be the guinea pig, only to then chose her louse of a husband as the sacrifice in a nice bit of revenge.

 

“Honey, this is a great opportunity for you to get rid of me.”

The most inciteful moment in the film is when Malla gives this nice monologue before the ritual is performed, where she explains to Paul and June “For man, old age has rewards. If he is wise, his grey hairs bring dignity and he’s treated with honour and respect. But for the aged woman, there is nothing. At best, she’s pitied. More often, her lot is of contempt and neglect. What woman lives, who has passed the prime of her life, that would not give her remaining years to reclaim even a few moments of joy and happiness and to know the worship of men?” And that’s the Monkey’s Paw element of this ritual as this miraculous youth-giving process is only temporary and requires the victim to take the life essence of men by literally leeching off their energy.

 

What price beauty?

This movie may depict the horrible lengths to which a woman would go to reclaim her youth, willing to commit multiple acts of murder, but it also shows the male of the species in a rather poor light. Not only is June’s husband a sadistic asshat, who certainly deserved to die in the jungle, but their guide attempts to abandon her when she suddenly ages, and later June is able to seduce her lawyer Neil Foster (Grant Williams) in a matter of moments despite the fact that his fiancée Sally (Gloria Talbot) is right outside waiting in their car. Later we have June wandering around town flashing jewels and money so as to lure a greedy and murderous suitor to his death like a spider into her web, basically, there aren’t a lot of nice people in this movie of either sex.

 

The OG Black Widow.

Stray Observations:

• The process to turn a woman young again involves the tapping of the pineal gland for hormones by stabbing the sacrifice at the back of the neck with a short sharp instrument, but the pineal gland is actually located deep within the brain so I’m not sure what exactly they were tapping into.
• The interior set of the Talbots’ ranch house living room was also used in the 1958 Universal horror flick The Thing That Couldn’t Die (1958).
• Much of the stock footage was taken from the jungle adventure Tanganyika (1954).
• This film’s portrayal of Africa is fairly typical of Hollywood in this era, with “savages” doing mystical rites and dancing to jungle drums, but the character of Malla is intelligent and well-spoken which is not typical of horror films of this era.
• Whether you are watching Tarzan swing through the jungles of Africa or The Creature of the Black Lagoon swimming in the Amazon River, you will hear the call of the kookaburra, which is a bird found only in Australia, and its cry is dutifully heard in the jungles of this movie.

 

“Look, there goes Tarzan now.”

The film’s concept is undeniably intriguing and plays nicely with the idea of immortality and the lengths people would go to achieve it, unfortunately, The Leech Woman fails to fully explore the moral and philosophical implications of such a theme and devolves into melodrama instead. The plot lacks depth and sophistication, often resorting to predictable twists and turns that leave little room for genuine suspense or thought-provoking moments but the film’s biggest shortcoming lies in its execution. The pacing is inconsistent, with more than half the film spent simply setting up the rejuvenation gimmick and these slow and tedious moments drag the story down, making it difficult to maintain interest.

 

“If I shoot you now, then we can all go home early.”

The performances from most of the cast are generally lacklustre, failing to inject the necessary energy and emotional depth into their characters and the dialogue is often clunky and stilted, making it challenging to connect with the film on an emotional level. I will credit the film for some genuine moments surrounding the violent bickering between our married protagonists, which has a very Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? feel to it, and as this film came out years before that Richard Burton/Elizbeth Taylor drama I’d like to believe Mike Nichols was inspired by this movie. Sadly, these moments of inciteful screenwriting are all too brief and are overshadowed by the film’s poor special effects, which can be described as rudimentary even by the standards of the time. The transformation scenes are handled behind either a cloud of smoke or off camera, saving a pretty penny on visual effects, and while one could argue that the low-budget nature of the film contributes to its charm, it does hinder the overall impact of the story.

 

We do get a nice classic E.C. Comic ending.

Despite its flaws, The Leech Woman has some redeeming qualities. Coleen Gray delivers a commendable performance as the aging June, effectively portraying her desperation and obsession with reclaiming her youth as well as her doomed marriage, and the film’s climax while somewhat predictable, manages to build suspense and delivers a satisfying resolution to the story. That a low-budget horror film would take a somewhat serious look at ageism and sexism in America was a surprise and while the overall end product may be on the weak side there are some noteworthy elements that should not be overlooked. It’s just too bad these elements aren’t enough to raise the film above its genre class.

 

Note: The film may have aged poorly but not the subject matter.

Ultimately, The Leech Woman is a product of its era, embodying the low-budget, B-movie charm that many cult film enthusiasts appreciate. It also serves as a time capsule, showcasing the cheesy and sometimes campy nature of 1960s horror cinema. While this film may hold nostalgic value for some fans of vintage horror, its lacklustre execution, underdeveloped plot, and mediocre performances prevent it from achieving greatness, sadly, its message of sexism and ageism remains pertinent to this day.

The Wasp Woman (1959) – Review

The Wasp Woman is a prime example of classic B-movie horror that captivates audiences with its quirky charm and relentless suspense, directed by the legendary Roger Corman, this film takes us on a thrilling journey into the world of science gone awry and the terrifying consequences that follow, and by consequences I mean someone is definitely going to be turned into a monster.

The plot revolves around Janice Starlin (Susan Cabot) an ambitious owner of a failing cosmetics company who is troubled by the decline of her company and is desperate to regain her youth and beauty in her personal appearance.  She turns to a maverick scientist, Dr. Eric Zinthrop (Michael Mark), who was fired from his last job because he claimed to have discovered a rejuvenation formula derived from wasp enzymes, something he claims will not only keep you young but also reverse the aging process. Eager to reclaim her former glory, Janice agrees to become a test subject unaware of the monstrous consequences that await her.

 

“Worst-case scenario, you turn into a monster and eat your friends.”

Not happy with the slow progress – after a week of injections they’ve only been able to shave off a few years –  Janice breaks into the scientist’s laboratory after hours and injects herself with a concentrated dose of the formula. Things start off rather good, with Janice now looking eighteen years younger, but things quickly make a turn for the worst as Janice delves deeper into the experimental treatment and starts to suffer from headaches, but that’s a minor side effect as opposed to what she is in store for. Good ole crackpot Dr. Zinthrop discovers that one of his test subjects has mutated and turned violent – who didn’t see that coming – and in a fit of despondency he walks into traffic where he is hit by a car and ends up in a coma. If only Janice would be so lucky.  When employee Arthur Cooper (William Roerick) attempts to investigate the strange goings on with Dr. Zinthrop, by breaking into his lab and stealing his notes, he runs into a monstrous half-woman, a half-wasp creature with an insatiable thirst for human blood. It makes quick work of the big snoop.

 

That wasn’t just concentrated wasp enzyme it was concentrated evil.

Trapped in a spiralling nightmare, Janice must grapple with the consequences of tampering with nature and the moral dilemmas that accompany it, and by “moral dilemma” I mean she has no morals at all as she seems completely okay with murdering her staff and hiding the bodies, all the while urging everyone else to come up with marketing plans for this new wondrous miracle product. Basically your typical corporate CEO. Needless to say, none of this makes a lot of sense but The Wasp Woman is the kind of film that thrives on these types of insane plot mechanics and wacky characters as it’s this campy and low-budget aesthetic that makes it an enjoyable watch for fans of vintage sci-fi and horror cinema. With special make-up effects for the Wasp Woman that isn’t so much outdated as they are completely goofy looking, but it’s that kind of thing that adds to the film’s overall charm and appeal.

 

I’m betting this monster got more laughs than screams back in 1959.

Stray Observations:

• Despite the name of the film being Wasp Woman, the opening scene is actually honeybees. Could no one on this production find stock footage of honeybees?
• When cautioned about working with wasps, Dr. Zinthrop states “If you knew about wasps what I know, you’d have no fear of them, my boy.” Too bad the same can’t be said about his knowledge of women.
• When Dr. Zinthrop injects the guinea pigs to make it younger they actually turn into white rats, which makes his formula even more incredible.
• It’s never explained how Janice reverts back to human once she turns into a Wasp Woman. This isn’t like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde where there was an antidote to the serum.
• This movie would make for an amazing double-bill with The Leech Woman, which also dealt with a woman going to extreme lengths to regain her youth and beauty.
• In the 2004 film Catwoman, the wife and face of a cosmetic company turns to a dangerous product to regain her youth and beauty and becomes a supervillain. Could the writers of one of the worst comic book movies also be guilty of ripping off The Wasp Woman?”

 

“I’m going to start a life of crime and fight Batman.”

The film’s one saving grace is actress Susan Cabot who delivers a committed performance as this powerful woman fighting the ravages of time, skilfully portraying a woman driven to extreme measures by societal pressure and her own insecurities and capturing the character’s initial vulnerability and subsequent transformation into a monstrous being. Her portrayal effectively reflects the emotional turmoil and desperation of her character as she grapples with the consequences of her choices. That these choices result in her turning into a half-woman half-wasp, in fact, I could argue this is a case of “This could happen to just about anyone” because when you play around in mad science this shit is just bound to occur.

 

“I’m a mad doctor, what did you expect to happen?”

While The Wasp Woman poses thought-provoking questions about the boundaries of scientific ethics and the human desire for eternal youth, themes that remain relevant even in today’s world of advancements in cosmetic technology, it’s not really the selling point and Roger Corman can only deliver so much on a buck and a half budget and is a testament to Corman’s ability to create engaging narratives on with little to no money. Where it truly shines is in its atmospheric black-and-white photography and cinematographer Harry Neumann really knocks it out of the park in this outing. The film’s moody lighting and eerie set designs contribute to a sense of foreboding and add to the overall tension. Corman’s direction manages to create a palpable atmosphere of dread, even with the limited resources at his disposal.

 

“Are we sitting in the dark because Corman couldn’t pay the light bill?”

In conclusion, this film is a quintessential B-movie experience that will delight fans of vintage horror and science fiction. Its campy charm, combined with Susan Cabot’s dedicated performance and its underlying moral commentary, makes it a noteworthy addition to the cult classic canon. Whether you’re an aficionado of 1950s cinema or just looking for a fun and nostalgic thrill, The Wasp Woman promises an entertaining ride back to the heyday of creature features and drive-in theatres.