Customer Reviews

Captive Wild Woman [VHS]

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

For once, I agree with Leonard Maltin. This is a fun, campy masterpiece from the early 40s. We're introduced to young starlet, Acquanetta, who doesn't speak one line of dialogue. Her trim torso does all the acting, especially when she transforms from Cheela the Ape into Paul DuPree, the Ape Woman. Evelyn Ankers is, as usual, terrific and looks great in her fur hat and fur coat during the climax when the mad doctor, John Carradine, wants Cheela to kill Ankers and her sister. Carradine is unusually good as the sensual, intense doctor. Equally as good is underrated B-Actress, Fay Helm (who played Jenny in The Wolf Man and Margaret in the spooky Night Monster). She hasn't that many lines but as usual, Helm makes them sizzle. An off-beat, eerie chiller that any Ankers and Carradine fans should have on their video shelf.

A curious attempt to combine a horror movie and a circus adventure flick. A sinister doctor (John Carradine) surgically transforms a female gorilla into a mysterious woman named Paula Dupree (Acquanetta). She is attracted to animal trainer Fred Mason (Milburn Stone). Due to plot developments beyond our control, the surgery wears off and Paula undergoes an "ape-woman" transformation that is typical of the trademark horror movies of Universal Studio.

This film is both too much and too little. The running time is only 61 minutes. The scriptwriters made a noble effort to combine diverse plot elements within the time constraints, but the results are mixed. The convoluted plot goes off in different directions that don't always make sense. There seems to be an inordinate amount of time showing Clyde Beatty doubling for Fred as he whips the ferocious big cats into shape. Paula's emotions eventually trigger a response that tips her delicate glandular balance over the edge. Her devolution back to a gorilla is gradual and she initially changes into a murderous ape-woman creature, enhanced by Jack Pierce's makeup. This quasi-werewolf is the best part of this little movie, but the screen time given to this aspect of the story is too little. Perhaps one metamorphosis scene was all the budget could sustain. This reviewer was left wishing for more horror movie elements and less of the "let's train the big cats" segments. The climax of the movie is rushed and abrupt, as if the director was conscious of the clock ticking. The final fade-out pontificating on the danger of not reckoning on God is disjointed from the rest of the action.

This movie is described elsewhere as "camp" entertainment. Well, perhaps. As a modest budgeted suspense flick, it's okay, but it could be better. In the hierarchy of Universal's classic horror films, this one is in the minor leagues. To insure compliance with our "oath of office," dedicated collectors of classic horror films need this movie to complete one's video library. Other viewers should adjust their expectations accordingly. ;-)

More than once I've had fun watching Captive Wild Woman, Jungle Woman, and Jungle Captive. The beautiful Acquanetta plays Paula Dupree the ape woman in the first two films of the series. The lovely Acquanetta wasn't in the last movie of the trilogy, but we did get Rondo Hatton in that one so that was a treat! I love all these ape woman movies!

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

This is one of those films that you either love it or hate it! I know it's silly........I know one of the stars doesn't have one word of dialogue, but I love this film! It's got sexy girls and lots of stock animal footage...add a memorable fun ending and you got....'Captive Wild Woman'! This is available on DVD on Universal Horror an exclusive at Best Buy. The transfers are very good for all 5 film and there are some trailers. Hurry before they're gone!

Unlike Maltin I find this film no fun. It's too mechanical and riddled with cliches. It's as though some studio executive told a script writer to frame some cock and bull story around shots of Clyde Beatty doing his animal training acts in an old movie made in the thirties