WOMANEATER

WOMANEATER (1958). Director: Charles Saunders. NOTE: U.S. title was The Woman Eater. 

"What are these worthless lives compared to what I'm giving to the world?" 

Dr. Moran (George Coulouris, light years from Citizen Kane) travels to the amazon in search of a formula that can revive the dead, and somehow manages to come back with a full-grown native man, Tanga (Jimmy Vaughn), and a big limbed plant that likes to snack on full-grown females. Moran is of the opinion that after the creature snacks on a woman, he can use the sap for his formula to bring back the dead. Sally Norton (Vera Day) is a pretty ex-carnival worker who finds new employment at the doctor's, much to his housekeeper, Margaret's (Joyce Gregg), displeasure. Moran, who considers himself a genius, supposedly falls in love with Sally, who seems to have the brains of a mouse. Tanga practically writhes in orgasm each time the plant-monster feeds. The tree is covered with hair or fur and has many wriggling arms or trunks. This movie should be fun, and it's watchable, but somehow it lacks that certain sensationalistic aura that might have made it memorable, and the "feeding" scenes aren't very well done. The performances are good for the most part and there's an undeniable amusement value to the film. Jimmy Vaughn is quite vivid as Tanga but he never made another movie. 

Verdict: A good double-bill with the equally mediocre From Hell It Came. **.