Captive Wild Woman (1943)

Captive Wild Woman: Directed by Edward Dmytryk. With John Carradine, Evelyn Ankers, Milburn Stone, Lloyd Corrigan. An insane scientist doing experimentation in glandular research becomes obsessed with transforming a female gorilla into a human…even though it costs human life.

“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 itu0026#39;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?.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eSounds bonkers doesnu0026#39;t it? Well it is, but itu0026#39;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 u0026quot;transplantu0026quot; and creation of u0026quot;wild womanu0026quot; would come sooner rather than later. But it doesnu0026#39;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! itu0026#39;s pretty much the end and one canu0026#39;t help be disappointed after having stayed with it thus far.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eCarradine 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 Universalu0026#39;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”