DAY THE WORLD ENDED

Mike Connors and Adele Jergens

DAY THE WORLD ENDED (1955). Produced and directed by Roger Corman. In SuperScope. Colorized version. 

The world has been mostly destroyed in an atomic war. In a sheltered valley, scientist Jim Madison (Paul Birch) and his daughter, Louise (Lori Nelson of Hot Rod Girl), horde food supplies and mourn the apparent death of Louise's fiance. Over Madison's objections, several people converge on the house: gun-toting crook Tony (Mike Connors); his hard-boiled if slightly soft-in-the-middle moll, Ruby (Adele Jergens); the old prospector Pete (Raymond Hatton of Girls in Prison) and his beloved donkey; handsome geologist Rick (Richard Denning of Assignment Redhead); and Radek (Paul Dubov), a man so contaminated by radiation that he's transforming into a mutant who prefers raw meat. Meanwhile, hovering around the house is a fully-transformed mutation who might have some connection to Louise even as Tony makes a play for Louise, Ruby seethes, and Rick does what he can to protect the frightened young lady from rape.

Day the World Ended is an absorbing melodrama which has some surprisingly adept performances -- even Nelson is better than usual -- and a creepy atmosphere. The monster (Paul Blaisdell) somewhat resembles one of the Zanti Misfits that later turned up on The Outer Limits. The characters could be categorized as types, but Lou Russoff's screenplay adds some dimension to them. It's interesting that the hood Tony never touches alcohol, and ill-fated Ruby is so devoted to her man even though she knows he's a total crumb-bun. Several years before Night of the Living Dead, this movie has man-eating ghouls, although in this case it's the living eating the dead instead of the other way around. As usual there's an interesting score by Ronald Stein. 

Verdict: Low-budget yet intriguing end of the world (more or less) story with Corman's customary cheap flair. ***. 

THE BIG CHASE

THE BIG CHASE (1954). Director: Arthur Hilton. 

Peter Grayson (Glenn Langan of The Amazing Colossal Man) is a new police officer and his wife, Doris (Adele Jergens of Blonde Dynamite) is expecting their first baby and fears complications to her pregnancy. Pete's buddy, Lt. Ned Taggert (Douglas Kennedy of Rockabilly Baby), hopes that his pal will try to become a detective but he has other plans. Meanwhile Brad Bellows (Jim Davis) is planning a payroll robbery before he even gets out of prison. When the day comes for the attack on an armored car, Bellows is accompanied by his wife (uncredited), Kip (Lon Chaney Jr.), and others. Just as Doris goes on the operating table, Pete and his partner are off in pursuit of Bellows and his confederates. This results in a chase sequence that is certainly not as exciting as the film's poster would indicate (someone jumps out of a copter at one point, but no one falls to their death). 

The Big Chase looks cobbled together from TV outtakes, and the two storylines -- Peter and his wife, and the robbery -- never quite jell. The acting is fine, however, and the pace is swift enough so that the running time -- less than an hour! -- doesn't seem padded. Lon Chaney hasn't a line of dialogue and his scenes -- along with half of this movie -- were lifted from an earlier film, a color 3D short entitled Bandit Island. Joe Flynn, the exasperated commander from McHale's Navy, plays a reporter to whom Kennedy tells the story. Langan and Jergens were married for many years in real life. 

Verdict: Not much to recommend in this soggy suspenser. *1/2. 

RUNAWAY DAUGHTERS

Kay, English and Castillo

RUNAWAY DAUGHTERS (1956). Director: Edward L. Cahn.

"Some men are kids at thirty. Some kids are men at twenty." 

Three young ladies have their problems at home. Audrey (Marla English) has overly permissive parents, Ruth (Anna Sten of Let's Live a Little) and George (John Litel). Mary (Mary Ellen Kay) lives with her father (Jay Adler), who fears she will become like her tramp mother who left home, and objects to her wanting to marry her boyfriend, Bobby (Steven Terrell). Angela (Gloria Castillo) is ignored by her unseen mother and has to make do with her horrible brother, Tony (Lance Fuller), who has his eye on Audrey. Fed up with life and parents, the three gals take off in a stolen car and get in a wreck, then decide to go to work at a dance hall run by Tony's gal pal Dixie (Adele Jergens). But can there possibly be a happy ending for any of these young ladies?

Adele Jergens and Lance Fuller

Although her part is not huge, Adele Jergens probably gives the best and most vivid performance in the movie, and she is a lot of fun as she verbally spars with Angela in more than one sequence. English makes a better impression in this than she did in her starring role in Voodoo Woman. Mary Ellen Kay is also a bit better than usual, and Castillo is probably the best actress of the three. Lance Fuller scores as Tony, herein given one of his best roles, and John  Litel makes an amiably clueless and borderline alcoholic father. Steven Terrell, who also appeared with  Castillo in Invasion of the Saucer Men, is adept and appealing. Frank Gorshin also makes an appearance as a teen, as does Nicky Blair as dopey Joe. Edward L. Cahn directed in haste. 

Verdict: You might need to runaway from this often silly melodrama. **1/4. 

GIRLS IN PRISON

Joan Taylor

GIRLS IN PRISON (1956). Director: Edward L. Cahn. 

Anne Carson (Joan Taylor) is incarcerated in a woman's prison after being convicted of robbery, although she claims she didn't know that the two men she was with were going to commit a crime. She also claims that she has no idea where the money is, a notion that doesn't sit well with fellow inmates Jenny (Adele Jergens), Melanie (Helen Gilbert), and others. Paul Anderson (Lance Fuller of This Island Earth) goes to see Anne's crusty pop (Raymond Hatton) and the two try to find the stolen money. The prison chaplain, Reverend Fulton (Richard Denning), believes that Anne should be transferred to a prison farm where things will be easier for her, but then an earthquake and a prison break -- not to mention a run for the money -- changes the scenario dramatically, 

Taylor and Jergens on the run

Girls in Prison is a lively, engaging "chicks-in-stir" movie and it's one of the better ones. The prolific Edward L. Cahn also turns in one of his best directorial jobs and the picture moves at a swift, exciting pace. Joan Taylor of Earth vs the Flying Saucers is effective in a sort-of bad girl persona, Denning is typically professional and blandly pious, but of the jailed ladies Adele Jergens gets the acting honors with her vivid portrayal of Jenny; Jergens keeps you guessing as to which side she will ultimately be on. Jane Darwell also makes an impression as the unsentimental but sympathetic wardress. Raymond Hatton nearly steals the movie as Pop Carson, always complaining of assorted trials and tribulations while also hoping he can get his hands on some money. 

Richard Denning

Helen Gilbert scores as Melanie, but the rather obvious hints at her sexuality go unexplored. Phyllis Coates is fine as another inmate who murdered her cheating husband and still thinks her little boy is alive. Laurie Mitchell of Queen of Outer Space has a small role as another nasty inmate. The earthquake sequence is handled quite well on a limited budget, and Ronald Stein's score effectively underlines the busy action. The slight touches of religiosity are silly but brief. Cahn also directed the similar Betrayed Women the previous year. This is not to be confused with the inferior Women's Prison also made the previous year. Girls on the Loose, directed by Paul Henreid, is another entertaining flick about an all-girl gang. 

Verdict: Zesty B movie is well-acted and a lot of fun. ***. 

BLONDE DYNAMITE

Gabriel Dell and Adele Jergens

BLONDE DYNAMITE (1950). Director: William Beaudine. 

Gabe Moreno (Gabriel Dell) has a job as a messenger in a bank, and also has a new girlfriend named Joan (Adele Jergens). Joan manages to steal $5000 from Gabe and give it to head operator Champ Fallon (Harry Lewis), who tells Gabe that he'll get the money back if he gives them the combination to the safe. While this is going on, Louie Dumbroski (Bernard Gorcey) is importuned to take a vacation, after which Slip Mahoney (Leo Gorcey) opens up an escort service in his Sweet Shoppe which employs Sach (Huntz Hall) and the other Bowery Boys as unlikely dates for lonely ladies. Then Champ hits on the scheme of breaking into the bank by digging through the floor of little Louie's shop. 

Escorts? 

Believe it or not, Blonde Dynamite has some genuine laughs in it as the zany story proceeds. A scene with Sach and Whitey (Billy Benedict) taking two older ladies to the opera is a scream, and there's also a funny sequence when Joan hires all of the boys as  escorts to a party to get them out of the way and plans to give them all a mickey. The screenplay makes good use of the comic talents of Slip and his gang, and Gabriel Dell exudes a certain likable charm of his own. Adele Jergens is saucy and vivid as usual as the bad girl who drives the action. Handsome Harry Lewis did mostly television work in the fifties and afterwards and offers a smooth performance in this. 

Verdict: Cute Bowery Boys picture with spirited players. ***.