Darlings, We All Want To Be Ann Blyth In "Queen Of The Nile!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

                          Not since her signature turn as Joan Crawford's nasty daughter, Veda,--whom we all just LOVE!!!!!!!!--has Ann Blyth had as juicy a role as that of Pamela Morris/Constance Taylor, in the 1964 "Twilight Zone" episode, "Queen Of The Nile!"  But watch out for Celia Lovsky, as Viola Draper, a mother with a "secret," who almost steals the whole thing from Ann!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                          This was scripted by Charles Beaumont, best known for his psychologically chilling story, "Miss Gentilbelle."  The illusion of time was an important one to Beaumont, who died from that disease that ages one backwards--he was only 38!!!!!!!--so it is not surprising time and age figure into some of his better works.

                          There is just a dollop of "Sunset Boulevard" to "Queen Of The Nile," but I what I really want to know is, did Beaumont ever see, or borrow, plot elements of Universal's 1959 film, "The Leech Woman," with Colleen Gray?????????  Because the plots are startlingly similar.

                            Both involve women who remain ageless through unnatural means.  In "The Leech Woman," it is a poison ring, used to stab men in the pineal gland of the neck, extracting its serum, making the character of June young again.  In "Queen Of The Nile," it is an Egyptian scarab beetle, hidden in a plant, and kept in a box, that drains male victims of their vital essences, reducing them to nothing.  Then Pamela applies the beetle to her, the fluid goes into her system, and she remains ageless!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                              I mean, who needs moisturizer, darlings???????????????/

                              "The Leech Woman" comes with a tragic price.  June has to pay for the murder of her husband, so she loses control, and kills her female rival, Sally, (wonderfully played by Gloria Talbott) forgetting it is male glands that create youth, not female. Sally's fluid causes June to wither into an old crone, irrevocably, whereupon  she kills herself.

                                  "Queen Of The Nile" offers no such price, unless you look beneath the surface.
The story ends with another journalist, arriving to interview Pamela, with the "mother" and audience now knowing what is in store for him.  For the "mother," you see, turns out to be the daughter.  And she knows the whole secret.  But who would believe an old lady?  Maybe someone, which is why she is kept a virtual prisoner.  But, if men keep disappearing from Pamela's, sooner or later, someone will catch on, or believe Mama, so, down the line, a price will have to be paid.

                                       But not for now, girls!!!!!!!!!!!   For now, just  revel in Ann Blyth having the time of her life, delighting in her underlying nastiness, making this role a benchmark alongside Veda!!!!!!!!!!

                                           Few were as good as Ann Blyth, when she was bad, girls!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!