The Snow Creature
Encyclopedia
The Snow Creature is a 1954
black-and-white
sci-fi
monster movie produced and directed by W. Lee Wilder, and written by Myles Wilder. It stars Paul Langton and Leslie Denison as members of a scientific expedition to the Himalayas who encounter and capture a Yeti
. The creature is then brought back to the U.S., only to escape and run havoc in the Los Angeles
sewers before being killed by the police
. The movie has been released on DVD, and is considered a cult classic
. The tagline for the movie reads: "Half man! Half monster!"
s, the first taking place in the exotic locale of the Himalayas and the second occurring in Los Angeles
, California
. While the first act takes place in an undisclosed Himalayan country (presumably bordering India
) the actors portraying the locals speak Japanese
. The movie starts with a scientific expedition intent on collecting botanical samples, led by Dr. Frank Parrish (Paul Langton) and encounters difficulties when the wife of the expedition's chief guide is kidnapped. The guide, a sherpa
named Subra (played by Teru Shimada), seizes the expedition’s guns and takes control of the team when he is unable to convince Parrish to pursue the creature and save his wife. Parrish, a man of science, is skeptical of the Yeti's existence, put is forced to participate in Subra's march. Along with his fellow westerner (a photographer named Peter Wells, played by Leslie Denison), Parrish awaits his opportunity to overthrow the renegade sherpa. However, as the team draws closer to the Yeti, evidence emerges that begins to change Parrish’s opinion regarding the creature’s existence (such as the tell-tale “giant footprints”). Finally, the team makes contact with the snow creature, who hurls stones at them from atop his mountain refuge. The expedition tracks the creature to his cave, where they encounter the creature, along with two other Yeti’s - a female and young one. The team also discover Subra’s wife, who is guarded jealously by the snow creature. Parrish forcibly prevents the enraged Subra from shooting the Yeti, reasoning that the creature is more valuable for science alive. This delays the capture long enough to enable the creature to create a cave-in (presumably to keep his family safe from the humans). However, the cave-in works against the Yeti, killing the female and young Yetis and knocking the snow creature himself unconscious. The cave-in also enables Parrish and Wells to take control of the sherpa’s guns. Having regained control over the expedition, and successfully capturing a live Yeti, Parrish declares that he is intent upon bringing the creature to the U.S. where it will be studied.
The Yeti is eventually sedated and placed in a telephone booth-sized freezer. Trapped inside this icebox, the Yeti is transported to Bombay to be flown to California. In an odd geographic twist the return flight heads west from India to California (via TWA
) – beginning the second act. Upon reaching Los Angeles, Parrish is greeted by reporters who have been made aware of the creature’s existence. A U.S. Customs official informs Parrish that the admission of this creature to the U.S. has been made difficult by a newspaper article published by Peter Wells that refers to the creature using the term “man”. The issue is raised whether the snow-creature is actually human and the officials decide to keep the creature in quarantine until an anthropologist can determine the question of the creature’s humanity. It is during this delay at the airport's customs station that the snow creature manages to escape the ice box (which was apparently meant to confine him temporarily only). The snow creature runs amok in the city, terrorizing women and finding refuge in the cool temperature of the city’s sewers as well as meat-lockers (where it can also feed). The police, aided by Parrish, manage to track the Yeti through the sewer system and, in a final confrontation, shoot the creature to death.
in terms of plot, with act one in an exotic setting, and act two taking place in an urban setting. The monster is captured in the first act and is brought to the urban setting in the second act, only to be set loose--seeking out a habitat similar to its home (in this case, the snow creature runs to the sewers of Los Angeles). Finally, both films feature a monster drawn to women.
The use of the storm drain system of Los Angeles as the film's climactic setting can also be seem in 1954's "Them."
1954 in film
The year 1954 in film involved some significant events and memorable ones.-Events:*May 12 - The Marx Brothers' Zeppo Marx divorces wife Marion Benda...
black-and-white
Black-and-white
Black-and-white, often abbreviated B/W or B&W, is a term referring to a number of monochrome forms in visual arts.Black-and-white as a description is also something of a misnomer, for in addition to black and white, most of these media included varying shades of gray...
sci-fi
Science fiction film
Science fiction film is a film genre that uses science fiction: speculative, science-based depictions of phenomena that are not necessarily accepted by mainstream science, such as extraterrestrial life forms, alien worlds, extrasensory perception, and time travel, often along with futuristic...
monster movie produced and directed by W. Lee Wilder, and written by Myles Wilder. It stars Paul Langton and Leslie Denison as members of a scientific expedition to the Himalayas who encounter and capture a Yeti
Yeti
The Yeti or Abominable Snowman is an ape-like cryptid said to inhabit the Himalayan region of Nepal, and Tibet. The names Yeti and Meh-Teh are commonly used by the people indigenous to the region, and are part of their history and mythology...
. The creature is then brought back to the U.S., only to escape and run havoc in the Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
sewers before being killed by the police
Police
The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
. The movie has been released on DVD, and is considered a cult classic
Cult film
A cult film, also commonly referred to as a cult classic, is a film that has acquired a highly devoted but specific group of fans. Often, cult movies have failed to achieve fame outside the small fanbases; however, there have been exceptions that have managed to gain fame among mainstream audiences...
. The tagline for the movie reads: "Half man! Half monster!"
Synopsis
The movie has two actAct (theater)
An act is a division or unit of a drama. The number of acts in a production can range from one to five or more, depending on how a writer structures the outline of the story...
s, the first taking place in the exotic locale of the Himalayas and the second occurring in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. While the first act takes place in an undisclosed Himalayan country (presumably bordering India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
) the actors portraying the locals speak Japanese
Japanese language
is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
. The movie starts with a scientific expedition intent on collecting botanical samples, led by Dr. Frank Parrish (Paul Langton) and encounters difficulties when the wife of the expedition's chief guide is kidnapped. The guide, a sherpa
Sherpa people
The Sherpa are an ethnic group from the most mountainous region of Nepal, high in the Himalayas. Sherpas migrated from the Kham region in eastern Tibet to Nepal within the last 300–400 years.The initial mountainous migration from Tibet was a search for beyul...
named Subra (played by Teru Shimada), seizes the expedition’s guns and takes control of the team when he is unable to convince Parrish to pursue the creature and save his wife. Parrish, a man of science, is skeptical of the Yeti's existence, put is forced to participate in Subra's march. Along with his fellow westerner (a photographer named Peter Wells, played by Leslie Denison), Parrish awaits his opportunity to overthrow the renegade sherpa. However, as the team draws closer to the Yeti, evidence emerges that begins to change Parrish’s opinion regarding the creature’s existence (such as the tell-tale “giant footprints”). Finally, the team makes contact with the snow creature, who hurls stones at them from atop his mountain refuge. The expedition tracks the creature to his cave, where they encounter the creature, along with two other Yeti’s - a female and young one. The team also discover Subra’s wife, who is guarded jealously by the snow creature. Parrish forcibly prevents the enraged Subra from shooting the Yeti, reasoning that the creature is more valuable for science alive. This delays the capture long enough to enable the creature to create a cave-in (presumably to keep his family safe from the humans). However, the cave-in works against the Yeti, killing the female and young Yetis and knocking the snow creature himself unconscious. The cave-in also enables Parrish and Wells to take control of the sherpa’s guns. Having regained control over the expedition, and successfully capturing a live Yeti, Parrish declares that he is intent upon bringing the creature to the U.S. where it will be studied.
The Yeti is eventually sedated and placed in a telephone booth-sized freezer. Trapped inside this icebox, the Yeti is transported to Bombay to be flown to California. In an odd geographic twist the return flight heads west from India to California (via TWA
Twa
The Twa are any of several hunting peoples of Africa who live interdependently with agricultural Bantu populations, and generally hold a socially subordinate position: They provide the farming population with game in exchange for agricultural products....
) – beginning the second act. Upon reaching Los Angeles, Parrish is greeted by reporters who have been made aware of the creature’s existence. A U.S. Customs official informs Parrish that the admission of this creature to the U.S. has been made difficult by a newspaper article published by Peter Wells that refers to the creature using the term “man”. The issue is raised whether the snow-creature is actually human and the officials decide to keep the creature in quarantine until an anthropologist can determine the question of the creature’s humanity. It is during this delay at the airport's customs station that the snow creature manages to escape the ice box (which was apparently meant to confine him temporarily only). The snow creature runs amok in the city, terrorizing women and finding refuge in the cool temperature of the city’s sewers as well as meat-lockers (where it can also feed). The police, aided by Parrish, manage to track the Yeti through the sewer system and, in a final confrontation, shoot the creature to death.
Analysis
The Snow Creature was the first of several Yeti/Abominable Snowman-themed movies. It also bore some resemblance to King KongKing Kong
King Kong is a fictional character, a giant movie monster resembling a gorilla, that has appeared in several movies since 1933. These include the groundbreaking 1933 movie, the film remakes of 1976 and 2005, as well as various sequels of the first two films...
in terms of plot, with act one in an exotic setting, and act two taking place in an urban setting. The monster is captured in the first act and is brought to the urban setting in the second act, only to be set loose--seeking out a habitat similar to its home (in this case, the snow creature runs to the sewers of Los Angeles). Finally, both films feature a monster drawn to women.
The use of the storm drain system of Los Angeles as the film's climactic setting can also be seem in 1954's "Them."