The She-Creature

With “The She-Creature”, Edward L. Cahn, the man behind numerous B movies of the late 1950s, directs one of his most successful films. Plenty of themes (hypnotism, spiritism, age regression, reincarnation, transmigration of souls) are in play here, unsurprisingly receiving only superficial treatment; and yet, the potential confusion caused by all this excess, added to the intrinsically murky nature typical of pseudoscience, lends the story an undeniable aura of mystery.

Nebulous and Eleusinian, the plot weaves it way through Jungian comments and nods to Val Lewton’s RKO masterpieces (the interpenetration of Good and Evil, the agony of the unknown, the recollection of ancestral horrors, the occult forces that govern our world), reviving the classic clash between the light of reason – symbolized by the scientific method – and the covert twists and turns of metaphysical doctrines.

Another element that bears noting regards the clear characterization of the protagonists: Dr. Ted Erickson, the psychologist, inspired by a faith in rationality as well as lofty ethical values (“I’ve been trained to fight stupidity and ignorance, not get rich on it“); Timothy Chappel, the cynical, unscrupulous businessman; Lt. Ed James, pragmatic policeman faithful to his duty; but most of all, the Mephistophelian Carlo Lombardi (rendered with intensity by an excellent Chester Morris), a character both tragic and diabolical. Despite his ability to manipulate the ineffable forces of nature, he’s unable to compel his enslaved assistant to return his love (“I could make you grovel in the dirt […] but I can’t make you love me“).

On the special effects front, the tight budget imposed clear limitations, although the creature Paul Blaisdell came up with – a sort of female “Gill-Man”, and a rather buxom one at that – leaves an unforgettable impression.