Unknown Terror, The

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USA • 1957 • 77m •

• Directed by: Charles Marquis Warren. • Starring: John Howard, Mala Powers, Paul Richards, May Wynn, Gerald Milton, Duane Grey, Richard Gilden, Martin Garralaga, Patrick O'Moore, William Hamel, Charles H. Gray, Charles Postal, Sir Lancelot. • Music by: Raoul Kraushaar, Dave Kahn.

The mysterious disappearance of Jim Wheatley, while exploring a cave near a Mexican village, brings his sister, Gina, and her husband, Dan Matthews to the territory to search for him. Embittered, crippled Pete Morgan, insists on going along and reminds Dan that his condition is Dan's fault since it happened in an accident in which Pete saved Dan's life. Plus, Gina was Pete's sweetheart before the accident. Did we mention embittered? The party hears about an old Indian legend concerning the Cave of the Dead where human sacrifices were made to the Gods. Dr. Ramsey, married to a native girl, Concha, claims no knowledge of the cave, but he is here because the climate is ideal for rapid fungus growth for his work on cultivating fungus for antibiotics. You don't have to be from France to know that if the climate is good for fungus growth, a cave is even better but it takes Dan and Pete a while to get around to that.

Review:

This campy excursion into sci-fi horror is much more entertaining today than when it was first foisted upon unsuspecting, value-for- money-seeking audiences back in 1957. Of course its soap-suds special effects and papier-maché sets can only really be appreciated in their full glory in genuine Regalscope — which affords a better view of lovely Mala Powers and nice May Wynn too. Unknown Terror rates as a distinct cut above the usual Regalscope feature. One reason, of course, is that despite the CinemaScope process being here labeled "Regalscope", this is not entirely a Regal Films Production, but a co-production effort with an indie outfit called Emirau. True, there's still too much talk and too many static camera positions, and even the action scenes could stand a bit of trimming, but the heroine is a beauty and the climax comes across as pretty exciting too (even if the fungus does look a bit too much like soap- suds).

It's nice to see John Howard again after all these years. He hasn't aged much, but his acting hasn't improved a great deal either. Good to sight May Wynn too. She certainly makes a lithe native girl, though her role weighs in as not over-large and she is somewhat overshadowed by the stunningly attractive and entrancingly seductive Mala Powers.

Warren's direction can accurately be described as effective enough in the action spots. The cavern sets are certainly visually appealing. A bit of money has obviously been expended here, and that largess lends the whole film a fair degree of class.

Review by JohnHowardReid from the Internet Movie Database.

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