Captive Wild Woman
Encyclopedia
Captive Wild Woman is a sci-fi horror film
, starring John Carradine
, Milburn Stone
, Evelyn Ankers
, and Acquanetta
. It was released by Universal Pictures
and was directed by Edward Dmytryk
.
) returning from his latest safari with a horde of animals for his employer, John Whipple (Lloyd Corrigan
), owner of the Whipple Circus. Among them is Cheela (Ray Corrigan), a gorilla with remarkably human characteristics. Mason relates that she is the most affectionate jungle animal he has ever encountered.
Mason’s fiancée, Beth Colman (Evelyn Ankers
), is present at the dock for his return. She tells him of the recent health problems encountered by her sister, Dorothy (Martha MacVicar). In a flashback sequence, Beth tells of taking her sibling to see Dr. Sigmund Walters (John Carradine
), an endocrinologist of some standing. Dorothy is staying at Walters’ Crestview Sanatorium for treatment.
Fred and Beth arrive at the winter quarters, and Dr. Walters pays a visit. He is extremely interested in Cheela, and in inquires about purchasing her. Whipple tells him that she is not for sale. Upon returning to his lab, Walters finds that his latest experiment has resulted in the lab animal’s death. He becomes convinced he needs larger animals that possess the “will to live.”
Walters enlists the aid of a disgruntled former circus employee to steal Cheela. After the ape is loaded onto his truck, the scientist callously pushes the man into the gorilla’s grasp and stolidly watches as the beast wrings his neck.
Back at his lab, Walters and his assistant, Miss Strand (Fay Helm), transplant glandular material from Dorothy into Cheela. To the horror of the nurse, the ape transforms into human form. Telling the doctor that she cannot allow him to continue, Miss Strand informs him that at best he will have “a human form, with animal instincts.” Dr. Walters reaches the conclusion that he will need to place a human brain into his creation to successfully complete his experiment. He sacrifices Miss Strand for this purpose.
The brain transplant is a success, and the result is a sultry and exotic young woman who remembers nothing of her previous existence. Walters names her Paula Dupree, and takes his creation to the winter quarters for her first public outing. While watching Mason practice his animal act, an accident occurs. Paula rushes into the cage and saves him from the ferocious felines, who display an unnatural fear of her and retreat from her presence. Mason is dumbfounded, and offers the girl a job in his act.
After the final dress rehearsal, Paula becomes jealous of Mason’s fiancée. She goes to her dressing room and while having a tantrum, begins converting to animal form. Later that night, she climbs through Beth’s window planning to kill her, but attacks and brutally murders another woman instead.
The beast returns to Walters, and the doctor realizes that another operation is necessary to return her to human form. He can continue to use Dorothy for the glandular material, but will need yet another subject to replace Paula’s damaged cerebrum.
Beth receives a frantic telephone call from her sister, who expresses her fear of Dr. Walters and the forthcoming operation. Arriving at the Sanatorium to aid her sister, Beth is pegged by the good doctor as the next brain donor for Cheela. However, she proves resourceful in a pinch, releasing the ape from its cage. Cheela does Walters in and departs the lab, leaving Beth and Dorothy unharmed.
Performing his animal act solo, Mason finds himself trapped inside the cage with his unruly subjects. A powerful storm interrupts the performance, and the beasts attack the trainer. Cheela comes to his rescue once again, and carries him to safety. Unfortunately, a nearby policeman mistakes her intentions and kills Cheela.
... Dr. Sigmund Walters
Milburn Stone
... Fred Mason
Evelyn Ankers
... Beth Colman
Lloyd Corrigan
... John Whipple
Acquanetta
... Paula Dupree
Martha Vickers
... Dorothy Colman (as Martha MacVicar)
Fay Helm ... Nurse Strand
Vince Barnett
... Curly, a rube
Paul Fix
... Gruen, the handler
Ray Corrigan ... Cheela the Ape
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
, starring John Carradine
John Carradine
John Carradine was an American actor, best known for his roles in horror films and Westerns as well as Shakespearean theater. A member of Cecil B DeMille's stock company and later John Ford's company, he was one of the most prolific character actors in Hollywood history...
, Milburn Stone
Milburn Stone
Milburn Stone was an American television actor, a nephew of Broadway comedian Fred Stone and the son of a shopkeeper, best known for his role as "Doc" on the CBS western series Gunsmoke. He also played a doctor, CDR Blake, in the 1943 film Gung Ho!.Stone was born in Burrton in Harvey County in...
, Evelyn Ankers
Evelyn Ankers
Evelyn Ankers was a British actress born in Chile. She often played variations on the role of the cultured young leading lady in many American horror films during the 1940s, most notably The Wolf Man at age 23 opposite Lon Chaney, Jr., a frequent screen partner...
, and Acquanetta
Acquanetta
Acquanetta , nicknamed "The Venezuelan Volcano," was a B-movie actress known for her exotic beauty.-Early years:Although accounts differ, Acquanetta claimed she was born Burnu Acquanetta in Ozone, Wyoming...
. It was released by Universal Pictures
Universal Pictures
-1920:* White Youth* The Flaming Disc* Am I Dreaming?* The Dragon's Net* The Adorable Savage* Putting It Over* The Line Runners-1921:* The Fire Eater* A Battle of Wits* Dream Girl* The Millionaire...
and was directed by Edward Dmytryk
Edward Dmytryk
Edward Dmytryk was an American film director who was amongst the Hollywood Ten, a group of blacklisted film industry professionals who served time in prison for being in contempt of Congress during the McCarthy-era 'red scare'.-Early life:Dmytryk was born in Grand Forks, British Columbia, Canada,...
.
Plot
The film begins with animal trainer Fred Mason (Milburn StoneMilburn Stone
Milburn Stone was an American television actor, a nephew of Broadway comedian Fred Stone and the son of a shopkeeper, best known for his role as "Doc" on the CBS western series Gunsmoke. He also played a doctor, CDR Blake, in the 1943 film Gung Ho!.Stone was born in Burrton in Harvey County in...
) returning from his latest safari with a horde of animals for his employer, John Whipple (Lloyd Corrigan
Lloyd Corrigan
Lloyd Corrigan was an American film actor, producer, screenwriter and director who began working in films in the 1920s...
), owner of the Whipple Circus. Among them is Cheela (Ray Corrigan), a gorilla with remarkably human characteristics. Mason relates that she is the most affectionate jungle animal he has ever encountered.
Mason’s fiancée, Beth Colman (Evelyn Ankers
Evelyn Ankers
Evelyn Ankers was a British actress born in Chile. She often played variations on the role of the cultured young leading lady in many American horror films during the 1940s, most notably The Wolf Man at age 23 opposite Lon Chaney, Jr., a frequent screen partner...
), is present at the dock for his return. She tells him of the recent health problems encountered by her sister, Dorothy (Martha MacVicar). In a flashback sequence, Beth tells of taking her sibling to see Dr. Sigmund Walters (John Carradine
John Carradine
John Carradine was an American actor, best known for his roles in horror films and Westerns as well as Shakespearean theater. A member of Cecil B DeMille's stock company and later John Ford's company, he was one of the most prolific character actors in Hollywood history...
), an endocrinologist of some standing. Dorothy is staying at Walters’ Crestview Sanatorium for treatment.
Fred and Beth arrive at the winter quarters, and Dr. Walters pays a visit. He is extremely interested in Cheela, and in inquires about purchasing her. Whipple tells him that she is not for sale. Upon returning to his lab, Walters finds that his latest experiment has resulted in the lab animal’s death. He becomes convinced he needs larger animals that possess the “will to live.”
Walters enlists the aid of a disgruntled former circus employee to steal Cheela. After the ape is loaded onto his truck, the scientist callously pushes the man into the gorilla’s grasp and stolidly watches as the beast wrings his neck.
Back at his lab, Walters and his assistant, Miss Strand (Fay Helm), transplant glandular material from Dorothy into Cheela. To the horror of the nurse, the ape transforms into human form. Telling the doctor that she cannot allow him to continue, Miss Strand informs him that at best he will have “a human form, with animal instincts.” Dr. Walters reaches the conclusion that he will need to place a human brain into his creation to successfully complete his experiment. He sacrifices Miss Strand for this purpose.
The brain transplant is a success, and the result is a sultry and exotic young woman who remembers nothing of her previous existence. Walters names her Paula Dupree, and takes his creation to the winter quarters for her first public outing. While watching Mason practice his animal act, an accident occurs. Paula rushes into the cage and saves him from the ferocious felines, who display an unnatural fear of her and retreat from her presence. Mason is dumbfounded, and offers the girl a job in his act.
After the final dress rehearsal, Paula becomes jealous of Mason’s fiancée. She goes to her dressing room and while having a tantrum, begins converting to animal form. Later that night, she climbs through Beth’s window planning to kill her, but attacks and brutally murders another woman instead.
The beast returns to Walters, and the doctor realizes that another operation is necessary to return her to human form. He can continue to use Dorothy for the glandular material, but will need yet another subject to replace Paula’s damaged cerebrum.
Beth receives a frantic telephone call from her sister, who expresses her fear of Dr. Walters and the forthcoming operation. Arriving at the Sanatorium to aid her sister, Beth is pegged by the good doctor as the next brain donor for Cheela. However, she proves resourceful in a pinch, releasing the ape from its cage. Cheela does Walters in and departs the lab, leaving Beth and Dorothy unharmed.
Performing his animal act solo, Mason finds himself trapped inside the cage with his unruly subjects. A powerful storm interrupts the performance, and the beasts attack the trainer. Cheela comes to his rescue once again, and carries him to safety. Unfortunately, a nearby policeman mistakes her intentions and kills Cheela.
Cast
John CarradineJohn Carradine
John Carradine was an American actor, best known for his roles in horror films and Westerns as well as Shakespearean theater. A member of Cecil B DeMille's stock company and later John Ford's company, he was one of the most prolific character actors in Hollywood history...
... Dr. Sigmund Walters
Milburn Stone
Milburn Stone
Milburn Stone was an American television actor, a nephew of Broadway comedian Fred Stone and the son of a shopkeeper, best known for his role as "Doc" on the CBS western series Gunsmoke. He also played a doctor, CDR Blake, in the 1943 film Gung Ho!.Stone was born in Burrton in Harvey County in...
... Fred Mason
Evelyn Ankers
Evelyn Ankers
Evelyn Ankers was a British actress born in Chile. She often played variations on the role of the cultured young leading lady in many American horror films during the 1940s, most notably The Wolf Man at age 23 opposite Lon Chaney, Jr., a frequent screen partner...
... Beth Colman
Lloyd Corrigan
Lloyd Corrigan
Lloyd Corrigan was an American film actor, producer, screenwriter and director who began working in films in the 1920s...
... John Whipple
Acquanetta
Acquanetta
Acquanetta , nicknamed "The Venezuelan Volcano," was a B-movie actress known for her exotic beauty.-Early years:Although accounts differ, Acquanetta claimed she was born Burnu Acquanetta in Ozone, Wyoming...
... Paula Dupree
Martha Vickers
Martha Vickers
Martha Vickers was an American television and film actress.-Early life and career:Born Martha MacVicar in Ann Arbor, Michigan, she began her career as a model and cover girl...
... Dorothy Colman (as Martha MacVicar)
Fay Helm ... Nurse Strand
Vince Barnett
Vince Barnett
Vince Barnett was an American film actor. He appeared on stage originally before appearing in over 180 films between 1930 and 1975....
... Curly, a rube
Paul Fix
Paul Fix
Paul Fix was an American film and television character actor, best known for his work in westerns. Fix appeared in more than a hundred movies and dozens of television shows over a 56-year career spanning from 1925 to 1981...
... Gruen, the handler
Ray Corrigan ... Cheela the Ape