Oh sure, the Navy is going to let a mammary goddess like Mamie Van Doren loose on an island with maybe a hundred horny sailors. But then drive-in impresario Roger Corman had an uncredited hand in the production, and he was never one to forsake a tight sweater. Actually, Mamie's more subdued here than I expected. Now if only someone could wake her up. Speaking of the cast, it's really Walter Sande's movie despite the low billing. His screen time overshadows that of the two leads, but then who'd recognize his name on the marquee. After all, Hollywood is a commercial industry.
The movie does manage a strong point. Namely, the good-natured ribbing among the Navy personnel creates a believable and entertaining atmosphere. Then too, the naval base really looks and performs like one, unlike the usual budget saver. Plus, I like the way civilian malcontent Spaulding (Faulkner) finally wakes up and pitches in with the others. But, oh my gosh, those tree monsters! Straight out of Corman's closet of cheesy rubber. I guess writer- director Hoey didn't want them, but we know who prevailed. On the industry ladder, producers count for more than even writer-directors. But then, the director or somebody could have picked up the pacing since there's little suspense to carry the tempo. Yet, how scary is a tree-hugger in reverse. At least we don't have to groan at first monster sighting till later in the movie.
I see that writer Hoey had high hopes for the project before he lost control. I just hope his original monster was scarier than something growing in my front yard. Judging from IMDb's notes, Hoey had something like 1951's horror classic The Thing in mind. That makes sense given the parallels in icy polar settings, isolated military bases, and snappy dialogue. But there, of course, any similarity ends.
Anyway, no one expects Oscar bait from a title like navy and night monsters. And, from that standpoint, the movie comes through, despite the occasional stabs at quality.
