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Nerve-shattering terror!
Under therapeutic hypnosis, a seemingly well-adjusted young woman tells a fantastic story, verified by lie detector, of her forgotten marriage to a man who disappeared on the day of their honeymoon, and of her search for him which takes her to a lonely mansion in a remote section of swampland tenanted by snakes, alligators, a drunken one-armed lout, a mysterious doctor, and a cold-hearted elderly woman who lives alone in a brooding manse.
Wuchak
Feb 20, 2022 · via TMDB
_**Deep in the Louisiana bog is a cryptic estate with reptilian secrets**_ A woman (Beverly Garland) seeks her missing husband (Richard Crane) deep in the bayous of Cajun Country. She ends up at a mysterious plantation with an unfriendly host, a questionable doctor (Bruce Bennett) and a crazy man with a hook-hand living in the swamp (Lon Chaney Jr.). "The Alligator People" (1959) is a B&W horror/tragedy that starts with Southern Gothic meshed with the set-up of Dracula (a stranger stays overnight at an ominous secluded abode) and builds on that with elements of Frankenstein and The Island of Dr. Moreau. While this was shot in Los Angeles, the filmmakers do a good job of making it seem like the swampy backwoods of Louisiana with the B&W photography helping in the illusion. Lon Chaney Jr.’s cracked character is a highlight, an accident waiting to happen. Sure, the special effects leave something to be desired, but you know that going in. It helps that the cast take the proceedings seriously and the live alligators are a plus. The film runs 1 hour, 14 minutes, and was shot at 20th Century Fox Studios, Century City, California. GRADE: B-
stugood
Mar 21, 2019 · via TMDB
What seems to begin in the southern gothic vein, complete with voiceover narrative by a newlywed (likable Beverly Garland) concerning the sudden and mysterious disappearance of her husband, soon picks up the pace as a sci-fi monster picture, akin to previous year's <i> The Fly. </i> Unfortunately, the last act fully descends into tomfoolery and questionable monster makeup - namely a rubbery alligator suit. Despite its disappointing ending, the 1950s b/w cinematography is nice at times, but the film might have benefited with greater use of close-up shots to add a touch more melodrama to its undeniably laughable story.
User reviews courtesy of TMDB.
Beverly Garland
Joyce Webster, aka Jane Marvin
Bruce Bennett
Dr. Eric Lorimer
Lon Chaney Jr.
Manon
George Macready
Dr. Mark Sinclair
Frieda Inescort
Mrs. Lavinia Hawthorne
Richard Crane
Paul Webster
Douglas Kennedy
Dr. Wayne McGregor
Hal K. Dawson
Conductor
Dudley Dickerson
Porter
John Frederick
1st Male Nurse (uncredited)
Ruby Goodwin
Louann
Boyd Stockman
Alligator-headed Paul
Karl Struss
Director of Photography
Dick Smith
Makeup Artist
Roy Del Ruth
Director
Jul 16, 1959
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Versus
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Watch Your Own Heart Attack
2008
Robin Trower : Living Out Of Time
2006
Sign in to vote
Battle your watched movies head-to-head
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Evil Dead II
1987 · 14 wins
The Dark Knight
2008 · 14 wins
Final Destination
2000 · 12 wins
Top Gun: Maverick
2022 · 11 wins
Joker
2019 · 11 wins
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