Seeing Ed Wood's name as screenwriter, I flapped my arms like a fly drawn to fly-paper. Expecting a whirl through 1950's cheeze land, for which Wood was infamous, I instead got something I wasn't expecting. Not that the flick's either good or cheezy in the conventional senses: it's not. But the 78-minutes does manage to be a little different.
Back in the mid-50's, a Colorado housewife (Bridey Murphy) claimed a regression through hypnosis to a former life as a 19th century Irish girl. It became a hot public story at the time. People liked to imagine, I suspect, what previous lives they too might have had. Anyhow, I expect Murphy's story inspired this episode of movie regression.
Overall, the flick's plot is oddly flatlined by too much African stock footage that pads rather than develops; plus a leading man (Fuller) whose face remains frozen regardless the level of danger. Too bad he couldn't get interested, but then this cheapo was a comedown for his rising career. Then too, the loose gorilla suits that badly need a fitting don't help. Together, these elements unfortunately drain rather than promote the story's unusual potential.
On the other hand, tbere's leading lady Austin's sterling performance, more worthy of an A-production than a cheapo. Catch her beautifully shaded expressions in a role that could easily have gone over the top. Too bad her career was so brief. Then too, the ending came as a big surprise to me. All in all, it's an exceptional climax for the conformist 1950's.
Anyway, the movie's an obscurity for good reason, unless, that is, you like a lot of big cats pointlessly running around stock footage jungles. Nonetheless, writer Wood does manage to come through in the end. So thanks Ed for the memorable last touch.
Back in the mid-50's, a Colorado housewife (Bridey Murphy) claimed a regression through hypnosis to a former life as a 19th century Irish girl. It became a hot public story at the time. People liked to imagine, I suspect, what previous lives they too might have had. Anyhow, I expect Murphy's story inspired this episode of movie regression.
Overall, the flick's plot is oddly flatlined by too much African stock footage that pads rather than develops; plus a leading man (Fuller) whose face remains frozen regardless the level of danger. Too bad he couldn't get interested, but then this cheapo was a comedown for his rising career. Then too, the loose gorilla suits that badly need a fitting don't help. Together, these elements unfortunately drain rather than promote the story's unusual potential.
On the other hand, tbere's leading lady Austin's sterling performance, more worthy of an A-production than a cheapo. Catch her beautifully shaded expressions in a role that could easily have gone over the top. Too bad her career was so brief. Then too, the ending came as a big surprise to me. All in all, it's an exceptional climax for the conformist 1950's.
Anyway, the movie's an obscurity for good reason, unless, that is, you like a lot of big cats pointlessly running around stock footage jungles. Nonetheless, writer Wood does manage to come through in the end. So thanks Ed for the memorable last touch.