DANGEROUS AFTERNOON

Ruth Dunning and Gwenda Wilson

DANGEROUS AFTERNOON (1961). Director: Charles Saunders.

Letty Frost (Ruth Dunning) runs the Primrose Lodge boarding house which is home to women who, like her, were once in trouble with the law. Letty was once a notorious jewel thief who escaped from prison some years before. She has a "niece," Freda (Joanna Dunham), who is about to marry her boyfriend, Jack (Howard Pays). Letty hopes that the couple will have a better life than she had and that they will never learn anything of her past, but all that is threatened by the release from prison of Jean Hinton, aka Jean Berry (Gwenda Wilson), who was left behind during the prison break and now wants revenge ... When Dangerous Afternoon first begins, showing us a little old lady shop lifter, Louisa (Nora Nicholson), you wonder if this will turn out to be a senior citizen version of The Belles of St. Trinian's, but despite a few amusing moments (mostly to do with Louisa's penchant for stealing) this picture is more grim than funny. If this had been made in America in say, the 30's, it might have been similar to The House on 56th Street with its theme of mother-sacrifice and men-who-lead-women-to-ruin. But this British film approaches the subject from a more oblique angle, and is quite unpredictable. Unfortunately, its very short running time (about an hour) minimizes the characters' development as well as their back stories. Still, this is well-acted by all.  Charles Saunders also directed Womaneater. Norman Percival's theme music is notable.

Verdict: Another unusual film that\s good enough that you wish it had been better. **1/2.

BLACK ORCHID

Olga Edwardes, Ronald Howard

BLACK ORCHID (1953). Director: Charles Saunders.

Dr. John Winnington (Ronald Howard) has a terrible marriage to the attractive Sophie (Mary Laura Wood). Sophie's sister, Christine (Olga Edwardes), has always had a thing for her brother-in-law, and it turns out that those feelings are returned. Unfortunately John learns that even if he and Sophie are divorced, there is some obscure law that states that a man can't marry his (former) sister-in-law while the wife is alive. Naturally Sophie comes to a bad end ... Black Orchid is like the British equivalent of an especially cheap Republic second feature. A writer friend named Eric Blair is played by John Bentley, while Sheila Burrell [Paranoiac] enacts the role of the maid, Annette. Black Orchid has a running time of less than an hour, but the average episode of Perry Mason is much more entertaining. The whole thing is like a TV production in any case. The actors in this are especially obscure. Charles Saunders also directed Womaneater.

Verdict: Forgettable. **.

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. **.