Today we have the Horror and Sci-Fi Movies of Gloria Talbott, and although there are only four, they're good ones... Gloria was born in 1931 outside of LA in Glendale, a city co-founded by her grandfather! Growing up in the shadows of the Hollywood studios, she was lured to acting and landed small parts in films like MAYTIME IN 1937, SWEET AND LOWDOWN in 1943, A TREE GROWS IN BROOKLYN in 1945 and ended up with a hefty 117 acting credits.
Mr. BIG hooks Gloria up with
THE CYCLOPS in 1957, her first horror flick (with sci-fi implications), it also stars Lon Chaney, James Craig and Tom Drake.
Her very next role would be in another horror movie,
DAUGHTER OF DR. JEKYLL, this one's directed by Edgar G. Ulmer. She stars with John Agar and Arthur Shields in a story about a young woman who discovers she's the daughter of the infamous Dr. Jekyll, she begins to believe that she may also have a split personality, where one's a murdering monster!
In 1958, Gloria plays Madge, wife of a space invader in the great sci-fi thriller,
I MARRIED A MONSTER FROM OUTER SPACE. I just watched this one again a few days ago, so much fun! It also stars Tom Tyron, Peter Baldwin, Valerie Allen, Ty Hardin and Maxie Rosenbloom.
Last on the list is
THE LEECH WOMAN from 1960. Although it looks like Gloria has the upper hand in the photo, she becomes the next victim in this tale of horror. Also stars Coleen Gray, Grant Williams and Phillip Terry.
That's it kids, that's it for today, Eegah!! is up to bat tomorrow with our last post for June, 2018. Detention for those who are absent or late!
I think she'll be best remembered for "The Wasp Woman," but I think she really excelled in "I Married a Monster from Outer Space." I wish she'd done more horror and science fiction than she did.
ReplyDeleteI very much enjoyed your tribute to a glamorous and talented gal.
ReplyDeleteHey Mick, I like your painting called "Friction Power."
ReplyDeleteOne of my favorite actresses from the 1950's was Gloria Talbot who turned in a good performance in (the horribly titled) I Married A Monster From Outer Space (1958, Paramount). I Married A Monster From Outer Space is one of the more subtle psychological alien invasion stories – which include: It Came from Outer Space (1953), Invaders from Mars (1953) and Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956), among others. These are films where the invasion takes place in people’s minds and that induce a state of paranoia, more so than they do any physical manifestations of saucers and monsters.
ReplyDeleteGloria Talbot's plight is presented entirely through her point-of-view — something unique for Sci-Fi flicks of the 1950's. Usually the lead female character is reduced to a hapless damsel in distress, but not Marge, who becomes a proto-feminist in order to save the world. She’s a new breed of woman — she's a tough-talking, two-fisted gal who would reemerge in such horror classics as Halloween and Alien (1979) twenty years later. Gloria Talbott — most notably seen in Daughter Of Dr. Jekyll and The Cyclops — delivers a compelling emotional performance as the sexually assaulted Marge exhibiting intelligence and a rare combination of strength and vulnerability. The film is shot beautifully, for starters. Excellent use is made of shadow and contrast in the black and white film, and the shot compositions are marvelously put together. Honestly, if you walked into this film and missed the introduction of the aliens, you would think it was a solid Noir film. Despite its lurid confessional title, I Married A Monster From Outer Space delivers the goods in a brisk, compelling manner that transcends the cheapness of production. Whether as an allegory for the “Red Menace,” the individual’s loss of identity in a “braver” new world, or a noir-ish mystery, I Married A Monster From Outer Space is a classic of 1950's paranoia and interstellar lust. Upon its release, I Married a Monster from Outer Space proved to be a hit with audiences and critics. Despite its modest budget and unpretentious production values. The film is a pretty good little rehash of Invasion of the Body Snatchers" with "some nice, creepy moments".