Under therapeutic hypnosis, a seemingly well-adjusted young woman tells a fantastic story, verified by lie detector, of her forgotten marriage to a man who disappeared on the day of their honeymoon, and of her search for him which takes her to a lonely mansion in a remote section of swampland tenanted by snakes, alligators, a drunken one-armed lout, a mysterious doctor, and a cold-hearted elderly woman who lives alone in a brooding manse.
What seems to begin in the southern gothic vein, complete with voiceover narrative by a newlywed (likable Beverly Garland) concerning the sudden and mysterious disappearance of her husband, soon picks up the pace as a sci-fi monster picture, akin to previous year's The Fly. Unfortunately, the last act fully descends into tomfoolery and questionable monster makeup - namely a rubbery alligator suit. Despite its disappointing ending, the 1950s b/w cinematography is nice at times, but the film might have benefited with greater use of close-up shots to add a touch more melodrama to its undeniably laughable story.
_**Deep in the Louisiana bog is a cryptic estate with reptilian secrets**_
A woman (Beverly Garland) seeks her missing husband (Richard Crane) deep in the bayous of Cajun Country. She ends up at a mysterious plantation with an unfriendly host, a questionable doctor (Bruce Bennett) and a crazy man with a hook-hand living in the swamp (Lon Chaney Jr.).
"The Alligator People" (1959) is a B&W horror/tragedy that starts with Southern Gothic meshed with the set-up of Dracula (a stranger stays overnight at an ominous secluded abode) and builds on that with elements of Frankenstein and The Island of Dr. Moreau.
While this was shot in Los Angeles, the filmmakers do a good job of making it seem like the swampy backwoods of Louisiana with the B&W photography helping in the illusion.
Lon Chaney Jr.’s cracked character is a highlight, an accident waiting to happen. Sure, the special effects leave something to be desired, but you know that going in. It helps that the cast take the proceedings seriously and the live alligators are a plus.
The film runs 1 hour, 14 minutes, and was shot at 20th Century Fox Studios, Century City, California.
GRADE: B-
