Monday, March 28, 2022

THE WASP WOMAN In Color - 1959

Here we go with another recently colorized movie that gives some new life to this Corman classic horror film, one Eegah and I saw together back in the day. It has a terrific cast including Susan Cabot,  Anthony (Fred) Eisley, Barboura Morris, Michael Mark, William Roerick, Frank Gertsle and small parts with Bruno VeSota, Frank Wolff, Gene Corman and Roger Corman. The screenplay is written by Leo Gordon, who also wrote the original story and screenplay for ATTACK OF THE GIANT LEECHES, another Corman movie Eegah and I saw together, we wuz lucky kids, man!

It's all about Janice Starlin, she's the head of a cosmetics company and experiments on herself with a youth serum made from royal jelly extract... From Wasps! What could go wrong?!

After being let go from his beekeeping job, Eric Zinthrop contacts Janice Starlin about a youth formula. During their first meeting he shows her what it can do, he picks up a guinea pig, injects it with the serum, minutes later, it's a rat! Don't ask me, but, it means that the animal got younger! So, now what? Well, he wants to experiment with the formula a little more before he's ready to use it on humans...

In his new in house lab, Zinthrop is pressured to give Janice an injection before he's finished with his tests, and she gets her first injection... This widescreen print looks great.

And of course Janice double dips after everyone goes home, she wants it to work faster.

When she shows up the next day, she looks fabulous! Everyone is amazed at how young she looks, and can't stop gawking at her.

Back at the lab though, Zinthrop discovers that the cat has turned into a wild beast and it attacks him. He ends up killing and destroying it. He's in a daze as the leaves the  room.

Arthur Cooper, who works there, is suspicious about what's going on in the lab, he watches the confused Zinthrop get into the elevator, and so, goes into the lab and snoops around.

Janice is abusing the serum, along with a short temper, She's getting severe headaches.

With the help of the police, Janice locates Zinthrop in a hospital as he was hit by a car. She arranges to have him move into a room in her building. That's Roger himself there as the doctor, Frank Gerstle on the right as the policeman.

Arthur breaks into the lab to get evidence of malpractice because he thinks something is wrong with Janice.

And he finds out that, yes, for sure, there is definitely something VERY wrong with Janice!!

Break time!.. Here's a very sexist scene with Frank Wolff as he and his helper wheel in a bed for the injured Zinthrop. 

Then, Bruno as the night watchman, screams as Wasper Woman claims another victim... Things are getting weird around here!

Mary reports that Arthur and the night watchman are missing, and suggests that Janice call the police. She tells Mary to quit worrying, everything's fine, in a cold tone. Look at that background, nice matte painting but that perspective is off, her building just can't be that tall.

Janice is low on the serum and tries to get Zinthrop's help. All he knows is that he can't remember something very important. Janice gets frustrated and guess what?

Yep, Wasper Woman time!!.. And she kills the nurse. That's a nice portrait of WW there!.

Mary tries to get help from Janice, everything's coming unglued, what's going on?! This frustrates Janice (who's out of serum) and it happens again!

Bill runs upstairs just in time to see Mary being dragged into the lab.

As Bill tries to fend of the monster with a stool...

Zintrop grabs and tosses a bottle of carbolic acid at Wasp Woman, and...

The bottle breaks right on her head, and the acid starts eating her flesh away. Bill takes the stool and pushes her through a window, her screams can be heard as she falls to the ground... Now, let that be a lesson, don't play with Waspers, you might get stung!

2 comments:

  1. Somebody actually uploaded the blu-ray to youtube
    & it came out beautiful:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JpPAN6frZmU
    It's the B&W version...real nice quality.

    That 50s futurist style of the company office
    is sooo dreamy! Especially the clock.
    It shows up around 15:30



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  2. I have to say, as much as I love the original black and white films, these colorized versions are quite well done! (The film I'm making is in B&W, tho.)

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