Captive Wild Woman

...in this ludicrous horror tale from Universal and its unlikely director Edward Dmytryk. Among the animals that trainer Fred Mason (Milburn Stone) returns with from Africa is a gorilla with human traits who is also very affectionate. "Brilliant" scientist Dr. Sigmund Walters (John Carradine) conducts glandular experiments on this gorilla and transforms it into a human woman who he names Paula Dupree (Acquanetta). Paula shows a talent for working with animals, so she gets a job as part of the animal taming act of Fred Mason. However, when Paula becomes jealous of Fred's romance with Beth (Evelyn Ankers), it causes her animal side to reemerge. Complications ensue.

I'd seen this once when I was a kid, but decided to rewatch it, and I didn't remember much from it. Carradine is good as the mad doctor, resisting the urge to play it too big. I hadn't recalled Milburn Stone being the hero in this, but I read that he was cast due to his similar build to noted animal tamer Clyde Beatty, whose earlier film The Big Cage provided much stock footage. This movie spends a bit too much time with the animal circus act, and not nearly enough with Carradine's crazy experiments, or with the transformed Paula.

This is a terrific fun movie to watch, to see how great Universal Studio was back in the early 40s, when they could whip up this glittering little gem on a very low budget. For one thing, its technical crew and cast were all the very best. Evelyn Ankers shows her classic horror heroine side and her screams are among the best. Cult B-Actress, Fay Helm, plays one of her nurse roles and is fantastic, especially when she defies the mad scientist, John Carradine--also in top form--about the dangers of transfusing human blood into a gorilla. Sultry starlet, Acquanette, says not a word but is wonderful eye candy in her short, sexy skirts. Her transformation into a human gorilla is stunning. Lots of stock footage of animal tamer, Clyde Beatty, although it's supposed to be Milburn STone (later of "Gunsmoke" fame) in the lion cages. Wonderful photography and lighting. Vera West does outstanding job outfitting Ankers, especially in her fur hat and coat in the finale. Ankers supposedly hated making movies, especially the ones that Universal type-cast her in. Her talents were criminally wasted since she proved her talent in Sherlock Holmes "Pearl of Death" where she plays 3-4 roles and especailly "Sherlock Holmes and the Voice of Terror" where she plays the heroic Kitty, the prostitute. Watch her go to town in "Weird Woman" where she plays one of her rare villains. Helm never had big roles but she always made the few minuts on screen really count. She was also "Jenny" in the "Wolf Man" and her greatest role as Margaret Ingston in the horror classic, "Night Monster" where she and another acting great, Doris LLoyd, steal the movie right out from under the hideous "Night Monster."

I watched the films in the wrong order, though it hardly seemed to matter as the second film, "Jungle Woman" isn't exactly a sequel as so much of the story has been changed. Instead of being the product of a truly evil scientist (John Carradine), the ape is transformed into a hot woman by a nice scientist and there's also no mention of the story in "Captive Wild Woman". Odd...but this sort of thing was not unusual in Universal's horror films of the 1940s...they often contradicted each other.

A lady has a sister with some odd glandular disorder...so she takes him to Dr. Walters (Carradine). Little do they know that the nice scientist is actually completely evil and plans on experimenting on the sick sister. He plans on using her body to help turn an ape he stole become human-looking...all thanks to the miracle of glands. Along the way, his stupid assistant* gets in the way, so he sacrifices her...all in the name of scientist.

The new creation Walter dubs 'Paula Dupree' and she soon becomes the assistant to Fred the lion and tiger tamer. This is because Paula can hypnotize animals to do her bidding just by staring at them...and staring is what Acquanetta was REALLY good at doing throughout this film. Apart from a little tantrum and sequence where she looks a bit like a cheap wolfman, she really isn't given much to do other than stare. And, this staring she-freak is in love with Fred...but without a conscience, there's no telling WHAT she'll do!

This is not a terrible film but is about what you'd expect from a second-tier Universal horror movie. It entertains (particularly because of Carradine's cool performance as the goofy doc!) and is pretty much what fans of the genre will enjoy. It's also just a bit better than its sequel.

By the way, the exotic looking Acquanetta was actually originally Mildred Davenport...from Wyoming! So, despite the press releases from Universal, she was NOT the Venezuelan Volcano!

"Captive Wild Woman" is a fun programmer from Universal. It's mostly notable for its exciting animal sequences, supervised by a man named Clyde Beatty (whose name is dropped in the script). John Carradine stars as a surgeon making a name for himself with his supposedly miraculous operations. Circus secretary Beth Colman (Evelyn Ankers) brings her younger sister (Martha Vickers) to Carradines' sanatorium for treatment, not knowing he's actually your typical mad scientist, obsessively transferring glands from one animal to another. He acquires the circus' new ape, Cheela (played by Ray Corrigan), and succeeds at transforming the gorilla into a stunningly sexy young woman (Acquanetta).

A wonderful cast all around also helps make this watchable: Milburn Stone is amiable as trainer Fred Mason, Lloyd Corrigan frets well as circus owner John Whipple, Fay Helm makes the most of her brief screen time as a worried nurse, and Paul Fix is a good drunken slime ball as ousted circus employee Gruen. Carradine refrains from hamming it up too much, delivering an enjoyable villainous performance. As you can see, he has no problem resorting to murder when he has to. Beatty doubles Stone for the long shots. And Turhan Bey recites the ending narration!

Handled in capable fashion by director Edward Dmytryk, this B monster picture is good, straightforward entertainment that leads to a thrilling climax.

Six out of 10.

Dr. Walters (John Carradine) has made great strides in his field of glandular transplants. But as his work progresses, the more unhinged his approach to his science becomes. Stealing a tame gorilla from the local circus, Walters transforms the gorilla into a beautiful woman whom he names Paula Dupree (Acquanetta). Upon taking Paula to the circus it's found that she has hypnotic powers over the lions and tigers and is promptly made part of the taming of the beasts act. But can Paula contain her true animal instincts?.

Sounds bonkers doesn't it? Well it is, but it's not the plot that makes the film so distinctly average. This is after all a low level Universal Pictures movie, we want, in fact demand, bizarre plots and berserker horror episodes. The problems exist with the complete lack of tension in the script, for a film that has a running time of just over an hour, you would think the big "transplant" and creation of "wild woman" would come sooner rather than later. But it doesn't, what we get is 45 minutes of musing about science and continual takes of circus animal training. With the latter containing some truly awful editing. Paula puts in an appearance late in the piece, then bang! it's pretty much the end and one can't help be disappointed after having stayed with it thus far.

Carradine hams it up and enjoys himself one feels, while Evelyn Ankers gives the other performance of note as Beth Colman. The film also serves as an interesting point of reference in the career of director Edward Dmytryk, who in the following few years would deliver some classics in a number of genres. He deserved better material here, hell they all did. But as ever with most of Universal's horror pictures, you end up taking the rough with the smooth and still enjoy yourself. A watchable yet frustrating experience it be. 5/10