She Devil

I too recall this picture when I saw it in a movie theater in Ashtabula, Ohio in the 50's. What I found fascinating about it was the Dr. who was in love with this patient and how difficult it was for him to finally make the decision to give her a shot of the anti-serum to stop the violence. I remember how she willed herself to change and become a blonde when she was in the changing room, how the Dr. stole some hair from her hair brush so he could have it analyzed and when she is given the final anti-serum and reverts back to the sweet brunette he loved. Even as a 8 year old,it touched me and made it quite memorable, even in these times. Would love to see it re-done as well. Also, does anyone know if there is any way to get a VHS of this picture?

FYI: I first saw this movie as a youngster and vividly remember it, even though I can't say it was one of my favorites. In late 2004, I watched episodes of Science-Fiction Theater, a TV series from the mid-1950's. An episode of the series titled "Beyond Return", aired in late 1955, presaged the movie with the same story and even specific points (the evolution of the meek terminally ill woman to a murderous villainess, the changing of the woman's hair color, etc.) by at least a year. The TV episode is credited to Doris Young but that may have been as screenwriter, not necessarily as the original author. I'm sure that both the TV program and "She Devil" are from the mind of Stanley Weinbaum's 1935 story titled "Adaptive Ultimate".

Although 1956's "She Devil" came from the same team that made its superior cofeature "Kronos," director Kurt Neumann must share the blame for a script that remains faithful to its source, Stanley G. Weinbaum's "The Adaptive Ultimate," but fails to capitalize on its possibilities as science fiction. For a change we have not one but two scientists conducting research on the 'most adaptive' insect of all, the fruit fly (foreshadowing Neumann's final film "The Fly"), trying to perfect a miraculous cure-all serum, which works on animals but has yet to be done on a human being. A terminally ill patient without any hope to live seems the best choice for a guinea pig, and that turns out to be Kyra Zelas (Mari Blanchard), receiving one injection of the wonder drug before making an incredibly rapid recovery. Not only does she radiate perfect health but she also proves immune to all disease, impervious to injury, and able to change hair color from brunette to blonde and back again during moments of crisis. Kyra also develops an amoral streak that sees her bash in a man's skull for his money, strangling another man's wife so she can wed his millions, then casually drive his car off the road to become a wealthy widow. More soap opera than horror, as the younger doctor (Jack Kelly) inevitably falls for his test subject while the elder (Albert Dekker) occasionally wonders if their achievement is against the laws of nature. One watches in the vain hope that something more than minor film noir will result, and sultry Mari Blanchard does deliver, in a role that would have been a perfect fit for Allison Hayes.

They created an inhuman being who destroyed everything she touched! The woman they could not kill!

This film was written, produced and directed by Kurt Neumann, best known for "The Fly" (one of his next features). He was also allegedly considered for the director's chair on "The Bride of Frankenstein", though I must say I am glad James Whale got the job.

Worth noting is that the source material came from Milwaukee native Stanley Grauman Weinbaum, who sadly died at age 33 and never saw his work brought to the screen. Weinbaum, though not well known today, was influential in the 1930s and H. P. Lovecraft praised his work.

While all of the film is quite good, the best part is probably the awesome sequence of a car driving off a cliff... no dummies were killed in the making of the movie!

I remember seeing this movie when I was a kid on the Sunday afternoon TV matinee. In the film, a terminally-ill woman will die unless an experimental drug is administered by the scientist who developed the serum, if I remember correctly, from some type of insect or spider (or was it some deadly plant?). Her life is saved, but she has developed extraordinary methods of survival and becomes seemingly indestructible. What can the scientist do to solve this situation? In many ways, this film is typical of the 50's "horror" genre as seen in its low-budget, B-list tier of performers and the opinion that a man can save a woman, but who can save a woman from herself (especially one who's developed into some kind of monster)? As a kid, I remember being really impressed with a scene where, to avoid being caught, the woman (having developed those incredible survival techniques), mentally changes her hair color from brunette to platinum blonde (much like a chameleon). I remember thinking that would be really cool to be able to do that! So while this film is no awards-contender, it's a memorable quasi-horror title from the 50's!