CAT-WOMEN OF THE MOON

Susan Morrow, Suzanne Alexander, Carol Brewster

CAT-WOMEN OF THE MOON (1953). Director: Arthur Hilton. Colorized. 

A rocket ship heads for the first ever moon landing. Aboard are the commander, Laird (Sonny Tufts of Serpent Island), second-in-command Kip (Victor Jory of The Shadow), radio operator Doug (William Phipps), Walter (Douglas Fowley of Freddie Steps Out) and biologist Helen (Marie Windsor). Helen seems to not only know that they should land on the dark side of the moon, but exactly where they should go once they disembark. Helen leads the men to an air-filled cavern complete with giant spiders and a bevy of beautiful, black-clad "cat-women." These women are not only able to maintain mind control over Helen, but plan to murder the men and take over the Earth! 

Victor Jory and Marie Windsor

Originally released in 3D, Cat-Women is a middle of the road "babes in space" movie, better than Queen of Outer Space but not nearly as much fun as Missile to the Moon (which is basically a remake). The colorization process is done well in this version, and increases the limited enjoyment level. Some parts of the screenplay were never filmed, and the climax almost occurs off-screen! A decided asset is the score by Elmer Bernstein, who would go on to far superior pictures. The acting in this is possibly better than the movie deserves, with everyone giving it their all no matter how ridiculous the situations. Carol Brewster plays Alpha, the leader of the cat-women; Suzanne Alexander is Beta; and Susan Morrow plays the sympathetic Lambda, who falls in love with handsome Doug and vice versa. Arthur Hilton also directed The Big Chase.

Verdict: Dig that giant spider! **1/2. 

SERPENT ISLAND

Mary Munday and Sonny Tufts

SERPENT ISLAND (1954). Written and directed by Tom Gries. Produced,  photographed, and edited by Bert I. Gordon. 

Pete Mason (Sonny Tufts) is a laid-back sailor who knows a lot about Haiti, and is importuned to sign on as a crew member for the dyspeptic Kirk Ellis (Tom Monroe). He is doing this at the request of Ricki Andre (Mary Munday), who insists that there is a treasure in Haiti that belongs to her family  -- all somebody has to do is find it. The three set sail and have a number of arguments, even as different people keep trying to steal a letter that has clues to the treasure's location. Pete suggests that the treasure is not on Haiti, but on a nearby island, where he re-encounters a woman named Ann Christoff (Rosalind Hayes) and her sinister, machete-wielding companion Jacques (Don Blackman). But then there's also a malevolent boa constrictor to deal with.

Ricki "struggles" with a boa constrictor

Be forewarned that the above synopsis makes Serpent Island sound more interesting than it actually is. In fact for most of its length it's an indifferently photographed (by Bert I. Gordon) travelogue with scenes of supposed Haitian ceremonies that seem to go on forever. The sequence when Ricki wrestles with a large boa is unintentionally hysterical. The acting is actually okay, with a feisty Munday going on to have many more credits. Don Blackman has a striking presence and also had several future credits. Tufts, who became better-known for his off-screen drunken shenanigans than for his acting, is perfectly convincing as the laconic Pete. Bert I. Gordon switched from photography to directing and helmed quite a few movies that are much more entertaining than this. Munday and director Gries were married after filming. 

Verdict: A real stink bomb. *.