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| The hand runs amok |
Captain Lockhart (Ashley Cowan) is the latest in a line of astronauts who are taken over by some strange kind of force while out in space. Lockhart's ship explodes, but his severed arm is found on a beach by Paul (Rod Lauren of The Young Swingers) and his girlfriend, Marta (Sirry Steffen), who freaks out. Inexplicably, Paul takes the arm home, where the hand strangles his landlady, Mrs. Hotchkiss (Arline Judge). Then whatever affected Lockhart in space begins affecting Paul. Will Sheriff Townsend (Alan Hale Jr. of Thunder in Carolina) be able to get Paul under control after he attacks Marta or will he have to shoot him?
The Crawling Hand has some interesting elements and could have been turned into a fairly good movie, but it goes in all the wrong directions and is never as creepy as intended. Probably the most interesting thing about it is the cast, which includes the Skipper from Gilligan's Island, former star Richard Arlen, old-time actress Arline Judge, Kent Taylor [The Crimson Key] and Peter Breck as scientists, and Allison Hayes of 50 Foot Woman fame, criminally wasted as a secretary with only a couple of scenes. Tristram Coffin of King of the Rocket Men also shows up for one sequence as a security chief. Rod Lauren gives an uneven performance, but Steffen showed promise; she only had six other credits, though. Herbert L. Strock also directed Gog.
Sirry Steffen and Rod Lauren
Verdict: Had possibilities, but this doesn't really work. **.
Yes, interesting cast and worth a look.
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Apparently this is a fairly well-known movie to genre fans but I only became aware of it recently. Who knew?
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