ferbs54
On a recent TCM special presentation entitled "Cruel Beauty," four great actresses of the film noir genre--Marie Windsor, Audrey Totter, Jane Greer and Coleen Gray--were brought together for a fascinating discussion of this most American of cinematic contributions. And in the case of Nebraska-born Coleen Gray, her credentials for inclusion were impeccable, having previously starred in such noir classics as "Kiss of Death," "Nightmare Alley," "Kansas City Confidential" and "The Killing." But noir, of course, wasn't the only film genre to which Coleen lent her considerable skills. In 1957, she appeared in the difficult-to-see American film "The Vampire" (not to be confused with the 1957 Mexican film entitled "The Vampire"!) and, three years later, played what almost might be considered three roles in "The Leech Woman." Released in May 1960, the film in question turns out to be a hugely entertaining and well-acted bit of hokum from Universal Studios; one that, despite its lampooning on an "MST3K" episode, holds up very nicely today.In the film, Coleen plays the part of June Talbot, the embittered, rich, alcoholic wife of endocrinologist Paul Talbot (played with nasty verve by Phillip Terry). The unhappy couple is on the verge of divorce when Malla, a woman who looks more like a mummy and who claims to be 152 years old (an excellent performance here from Estelle Hemsley), arrives in Talbot's office with a sample of a substance called "nipe," which she claims has been prolonging her life. Spurred to overriding curiosity, Paul convinces June to go on an expedition with him to Tanganyika, where, Malla says, the substance originates; what's more, the nipe, when combined with another substance, supposedly has the power to also REVERSE the aging process! Thus, in the film's first half, the Talbots do journey to deepest, darkest Africa on their quest, assisted by guide Bertram Garvay (John van Dreelen, a kind of poor man's George Sanders). The men, unfortunately, do not survive the journey, thanks to June's machinations. In the picture's second half, June--having been rejuvenated by the nipe combined with the pineal secretions extracted via a particularly nasty finger ring--pretends to be her fictitious niece "Terry," in an effort to steal her hunky-dude lawyer Neil Foster (Grant Williams, who many will recall from the 1957 sci-fi classic "The Incredible Shrinking Man") away from his fiancée Sally (Gloria Talbott, whose list of horror credits is almost as impressive as her sweater profile, including as it does "Daughter of Dr. Jekyll," "The Cyclops" and, most especially, "I Married a Monster From Outer Space"). But trouble soon looms, when June's youthful appearance reverts to an even more aged one than before, requiring her to secure pineal secretions with greater frequency....In a film with surprisingly many features to commend to potential viewers' attention, for me, the most outstanding are the makeup effects by Bud Westmore on both Coleen and Ms. Hemsley. Coleen, who was only 38 when she made this film, looks convincingly dowdy when we first encounter her June Talbot character; a nice-looking woman gone to seed. It is only after June is rejuvenated by the nipe do we remember what a stunning-looking actress Coleen was, and indeed, I have never seen her look better. But even more impressive are the makeup FX on Malla, who truly resembles a desiccated mummy when we first see her, her face a prunelike mass of corrugations and wrinkles. Not since Jack Pierce's work on Boris Karloff in 1932's "The Mummy" has a human visage looked so convincingly ancient! But the film has lots more to offer than just expert makeup. Director Edward Dein (who had helmed the notorious cowboy/vampire hybrid "Curse of the Undead" a year earlier) manages to bring his film in tautly (the entire affair runs to only 77 minutes), while the lensing of DOP Ellis W. Carter (who had previously shot, in 1956 and '57 alone, such sci-fi/horror classics as "The Mole People," "The Incredible Shrinking Man," "The Deadly Mantis," "The Land Unknown" AND "The Monolith Monsters"!) keeps things nice and moody. The film features some of the wildest and most frenzied native dancing that this viewer has ever seen (including that in 1933's "King Kong"), and that (studio-shot) African ambiance is further enhanced by the seemingly obligatory stock footage of elephants, monkeys, antelopes, lions, snakes, crocodiles, hippos, a charging leopard, and jungle birds that squawk "ooo ooo, ah ah ah ah !" Any number of memorable scenes crop up, my favorite being the one in which June stabs Garvay in the neck with that fanged ring as he slowly sinks into a quicksand pool. Surprisingly, the film can also be viewed as having a feminist subtext, best expressed by cronelike Malla, when she declares that men only grow more dignified with age, while older women are cast aside and have nothing. And indeed, the three men who June does away with in this film (Paul, Garvay and, back home, a con man played by Arthur Batanides, who many will recall from the classic "Star Trek" episode "That Which Survives") had all tried to exploit her, or rejected her when her beauty faded, or tried to steal from her (even Sally, who is shockingly exterminated by June toward the film's end, had held her at gunpoint). This sympathetic viewpoint--of the unfortunate plight of the aging, no longer conventionally beautiful woman--is a fairly enlightened one, and helps to lift the film a few notches higher. But basically, "The Leech Woman" just wants to entertain, and at that, it succeeds marvelously. And Coleen Gray, whether playing it dowdy or beautiful, as June or as Terry, is responsible in large part for the film's success....
Woodyanders
Much more thoughtful and intelligent than its misleading title implies, this film transcends its B movie quickie roots to offer plenty of startlingly incisive and provocative spot-on commentary on Amercia's obsession with staying forever young at any cost and our society's shallow overemphasis on attractive physical appearances. Coleen Gray gives a strong and sympathetic performance as June Talbot, a bitter and unhappy middle-aged woman who's stuck in a lousy marriage with the mean and uncaring Dr. Paul Talbot (well played by Phillip Terry). After discovering a rare compound on a jungle expedition that enables her to become young again, June soon discovers that its effects are only temporary and that she has to continue killing folks for a certain fluid in the human body that makes the compound work. Director Edward Dein and screenwriter David Duncan treat the potentially hokey premise with unexpected and hence refreshing taste and smarts; they eschew the standard cheap scares in favor of concocting a tragic parable on the harsh spiritual price one must pay in the ruthless pursuit of immortality. The uniformly sound acting from the able cast further elevates the overall solid quality of this movie: Gray excels in the lead, with bang-up support from Grant Williams as handsome and lustful attorney Neil Foster, Gloria Talbott as Neil's pretty and jealous nurse girlfriend Sally, John Van Dreelan as suave, but untrustworthy jungle guide Betram Garvay, Estelle Hemsley as the nice and wizened Old Malla, Kim Hamilton as the gorgeous, yet wicked Young Malla, and Arthur Batanides as slimy heel conman Jerry. Both Ellis W. Carter's sharp cinematography and Irving Getz's spare and unobtrusive score are up to speed. Kudos are also in order for the excellent and convincing make-up. A neat little sleeper.
babeth_jr
This movie has gotten a bad rap, I think mainly because of the inane title. It conjures up a ridiculous image of a giant leech with a purse and high heels on. This movie is actually pretty good, given it's low budget. Coleen Gray, a very pretty and capable actress in her day, gives a great performance as June Talbot, the alcoholic, middle aged woman married to Dr. Paul Talbott (portrayed as a total heel by Phillip Terry, better known as Joan Crawford's 4th husband). Dr. Talbott is a scientist who is trying to find a serum to counter aging and is willing to sacrifice his wife in order to find the answer. The performances by Gray and Terry are solid, as is Gloria Talbott who plays Dr. Talbott's assistant and Grant Williams, Dr. Talbott's lawyer and Gloria's boyfriend who falls under the spell of "The Leech Woman". Estelle Hemsley is also good as an old African woman who looks like a human prune and offers to show the good doctor the secret to turn back the effects of aging, for a very steep price, of course. I thought the make up of the Leech Woman was very affective, pretty scary stuff for it's day. Don't let the title of this movie keep you from watching...it's very entertaining, from start to finish.
