THE NEANDERTHAL MAN

Robert Shayne

THE NEANDERTHAL MAN (1953). Director: Ewald Andre Dupont. 

"The restoration of dormant cells of the mind of man."

Professor Clifford Groves (Robert Shayne of The Giant Claw) is either demented or an asshole. He neglects his pretty fiancee, Ruth (Doris Merrick of Sensation Hunters), and is rude to his daughter, Jan (Joyce Terry), while he continues his rather pointless experiments in regression. He has already managed to turn a kitty cat into a sabretooth tiger (although when we see it roaming about the countryside in long shot it seems quite normal), and excoriates a scientific board for not recognizing that the brains of Neanderthal men were as large as modern man's (no one argues that it wasn't Neanderthals who built civilization, wrote Shakespeare's plays, composed Wagner's music and so on). When Groves stupidly injects himself with his formula, he turns into one of the silliest-looking monsters on record and seems mildly upset when he learns that he's killed friends of his while under the influence, so to speak. Which would not make him less culpable in the eyes of the law, although his dumb daughter might disagree.

Doris Merrick and Richard Crane

There have been a lot of mad scientists in horror films, but the one in The Neanderthal Man is one of the stupidest and most immoral. Without her knowledge or permission, Groves drugs the mute maid (Tandra Quinn) and injects her with his formula. (His daughter should be appalled but she still sticks up for him.) Richard Crane plays a scientist who comes to town to investigate reports of the sabretooth; Robert Bray is a rancher and victim; and Beverly Garland -- knocking one out of the ballpark yet again -- is a waitress who witnesses Groves murder her date and who is carried off by him. While the time-lapse photography of Groves' transformation is acceptable, his fright mask and wig are unintentionally hilarious. The true purpose of Groves' ridiculous experiments is never really explained. Robert Shayne's performance is hammy and unmemorable and the direction is completely uninspired. 

Verdict: A regression you can do without. **. 

SURF PARTY

Bobby Vinton and Patricia Morrow

SURF PARTY (1964). Director: Maury Dexter. 

Terry (Patricia Morrow) and her friends Sylvia (Lory Patrick) and Junior (Jackie DeShannon) drive out to California and the surf district in their camper and encounter the friendly shop owner, Len (Bobby Vinton), who teaches them about surfing. Terry's brother Skeets (Jerry Summers) lives in a ritzy beach house that is actually owned by his paramour Pauline (Martha Stewart). While Terry is getting closer to Len and Junior is cuddling up to the nerdy Milo (Ken Miller) -- who is injured surfing near pilings -- Sylvia is falling for Skeets, not knowing that he is kept by a cougar. Sgt. Neal (Richard Crane) casts a suspicious eye on all of them. 

Jerry Summers and Lory Patrick

DeShannon and Vinton were both very popular pop singers of the sixties and later. Vinton doesn't just sing a song or two in this, he is the full-fledged male lead, and I have to say I think I like his very credible acting a bit more than his singing. One wishes he had had a bigger acting career although he did appear in a couple of westerns, as well as TV shows, sometimes playing himself. (His son played Vinton in Goodfellas.) Jerry Summers is also notable as the aging gigolo; Summers started out as a stunt double then became an actor with a long list of credits. Starting out as a child actress, Morrow eventually appeared on more than one Peyton Place TV series. Martha Stewart had appeared in a few well-known movies but had only one more television credit after this movie. Jimmie Haskell's surprisingly somber score (for the dramatic scenes) is good and there are some bouncy song numbers: "Never Comin' Back;" "Pearly Shells;" and "If I Were an Artist." Maury Dexter also directed The Young Swingers. Released by 20th-Century Fox. 

Verdict: Not as bad as I expected although there are a couple of dull stretches. **1/2.