CURSE OF THE UNDEAD

CURSE OF THE UNDEAD (1959). Director: Edward Dein. 

In the old west the Sheriff (Edward Binns of Without Warning!), Dr. Carter (John Hoyt), and Preacher Dan (Eric Fleming) are appalled at the deaths of several young girls whose bodies are drained of blood. When Dr. Carter dies the same way, his son, Timmy (Jimmy Murphy of Wall of Noise), and daughter, Delores (Kathleen Crowley), are convinced that the perpetrator is Buffer (Bruce Gordon of The Scarface Mob), a neighbor who coveted Carter's land. Delores hires a gunslinger named Drake Robey (Michael Pate of Thunder on the Hill) to take care of Buffer, but she is unaware that it is Robey who is one of the Living Dead. Now the vampire and the preacher are in combat for the lady's immortal soul. 

Michael Pate carries Kathleen Crowley

Curse of the Undead is, I believe, the first of the horror-westerns. (Jesse James Meets Frankenstein's Daughter and Billy the Kid Versus Dracula came out years later.) The picture has a good story -- although on occasion the script is confusing and inconsistent -- that needs a much stronger directorial hand, but the acting from every single player can not be faulted and is what makes the picture work. Michael Pate may not have possessed Tyrone Power-type looks, but he was still attractive and certainly charismatic in his way, and he gives a very good lead performance in this. He is matched by Kathleen Crowley, whose talent was greater than her TV-B movie origins. Jimmy Murphy also scores as Timmy, and has a particularly good scene when he challenges Buffer to a duel in the local saloon. As for Bruce Gordon, Elliott Ness' nemesis in so many episodes of The Untouchables, he also exhibits his customary charisma while also displaying a more vulnerable side to his character. Eric Fleming makes the most of his role as the preacher. Edward Dein also directed The Leech Woman. 

Verdict: It isn't always easy to be convincing in stories of this type, but all of the actors pull it off. **3/4. 

CONQUEST OF SPACE

effects of acceleration on astronaut Andre (Ross Martin)

CONQUEST OF SPACE (1955). Director: Byron Haskin. Produced by George Pal.

A giant space wheel has been erected above earth whose purpose is twofold -- as an observation post and as a platform to launch a ship to the moon. However, General Samuel Merritt (Walter Brooke) is informed by his superiors that there will be no test flight to the moon, but a direct trip to Mars where it is hoped they will find a way to replenish the earth's diminishing resources and find more land for a growing population. Merritt leads the expedition with his son, Barney (Eric Fleming), as second-in-command. The others on board include Andre (Ross Martin); the crude technical expert Sgt. Siegle (Phil Foster); the Japanese Sgt. Imoto (Benson Fong); and a stowaway, Sgt. Mahoney (Mickey Shaughnessy), who was told he was too old to go along. Trouble begins when the elder Merritt starts wondering if Man has any right to "invade" space, which, in his opinion, is the province of God. Conquest of Space is a more "serious" science fiction film with character-based melodrama substituting for sexy space-babes, giant spiders, and other far-out elements of fifties outer space epics. Although the human drama is not always convincing in this, it does make the picture more entertaining than it might have been. The special effects are quite good considering this was made in a pre-CGI time period, and the science itself, while far from perfect, is more reasonable than in the more outlandish sci fi flicks made around the same time. There are some good actors in this even if it has what might be called a C level cast. Walter Brooke is fine as the general; he was actually only ten years older than Eric Fleming [Queen of Outer Space], who plays his son. As the dead-common Siegle, Phil Foster isn't terrible, but his character and style of acting make him less comedy relief than extreme irritant. Fong and Shaughnessy are pretty much the same as always, and Ross Martin [The Twilight Zone: "Death Ship"], always a very good actor, isn't given enough to do. The best scenes have to do with a humongous asteroid that almost smashes into the spaceship, and the grim sequence when a dead astronaut's body, still attached to the end of its lifeline, floats outside the porthole. Filmed in technicolor,  the Martian landscape is striking. This ambitious picture led the way to the better -- and more macabre -- Forbidden Planet the following year.

Verdict: Highly interesting and well-done early science fiction film. ***.

FRIGHT (1956)

FRIGHT (1956). Director: W. Lee Wilder.

A woman, Ann (Nancy Malone), who witnesses the capture of a deranged killer, Morley (Frank Marth), is comforted by a psychiatrist, James (Eric Fleming), with whom she becomes involved. During hypnosis, Ann reveals a second identity, that of Countess Maria Vetra, who was the ill-fated lover of Crown Prince Rudolph of Austria (see Mayerling). Is this a case of reincarnation, or has Ann been influenced by something else? As Maria's personality takes hold of Ann, James searches for the (real or imagined) reincarnation of the crown prince, and focuses on the crazy Morley, leading to a climax that is nearly as dull as the rest of the movie. This very low-budget picture has a completely idiotic script and presents a lead character who is one of the least ethical psychiatrists I've ever seen in a movie. One unintentionally hilarious scene has a reporter imagining that he'll win the Pulitzer prize for writing a story about Ann! Frank Marth and Nancy Malone aren't bad, but star Eric Fleming (Queen of Outer Space) is wooden, and some of the other actors are amateurish. There is absolutely nothing scary or even especially suspenseful about the movie, making it possibly the worst picture helmed by Wilder, who did several other poor ones but came up with a winner with Bluebeard's Ten Honeymoons. Nancy Malone starred in the "Stopover in a Quiet Town" episode of The Twilight Zone.

Verdict: Watching paint dry could be more exciting. 1/2*.