The first feature is THE SHE CREATURE from AIP in 1956. This is one of my favorite films from my childhood. Chester Morris is Lombardi, a master hypnotist who has a young woman accompany him. Her name is Andrea, and Lombardi controls her completely.
He brings a reincarnation of her very first form from millions of years ago and uses the monster to kill people. Sexy Marla English is Andrea and every scene she is in is well worth watching.
The monster is a sight to behold and a magnificent creation of Paul Blaisdell. Tom Conway, Lance Fuller, Cathy Downs and Ron Randall round out a great cast. Good Saturday afternoon fun and a Halloween staple, at least for me.
The second film is TARANTULA from 1955, and one of my all time favorite 50's sci-fi films.
Leo G. Carroll is Prof. Deemer, a scientist working on a formula to help feed the world. His experiments get out of hand and his deranged assistant attacks him and knocks him out. In the fight, a tarantula injected with the growth serum escapes and so out story is set.
John Agar and lovely Mara Corday are terrified by the ever growing monster that stalks the countryside eating people and cattle.
Jack Arnold handled the directing chores and I don't think movies come any better than this. Again, good Halloween fun.
Lastly we have RETURN OF DRACULA from 1958. This just came out on Blu-ray, but I still have my standard DVD. This is a very understated film.
Francis Lederer is Count Dracula. he kills an artist heading from a communist country and coming to the US and assumes his identity. He moves in with the dead man's family in a small California town.
The family writes off his strange behavior as nothing but adjusting to life in America, but soon things start happening that they just cannot ignore.
The family cat is found dead and rained of blood, a young blind girl in a parrish house dies mysteriously. Rachel thinks that her "Uncle Bellac" is a nice guy until she learns the real truth.
The relationship between Rachel (Norma Eberhardt) and her "Uncle Bellac" is explored here and turns very twisted, which is something most people miss when watching the film.
This is a fun film and one well worth pulling out on Halloween.
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