Girls, You Have GOT To See This!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                       Now, darlings, since I was a child, I knew about the 1959 film "The Alligator People," but had never seen it.  This was during the late Fifties when every studio was trying to transform someone--"The Fly," "The Wasp Woman," "She Demons," and this film, all came out in the period 1958 to 1960.

                                        What is more, to my horror, when I actually saw it--which is a story in itself, as it was David who was watching it--while I was merely curious, because what a bang for your buck!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                            Twentieth Century-Fox, who brought us "The Song Of Bernadette," were off their game with this one.  The studio, not known for horror, had had a huge box-office success with "The Fly," in 1958, featuring Vincent Prince, a Bernadette' alum.  So successful was it, that a sequel was made, "Return Of The Fly."  But they needed a cheapie to tack on to the second feature spot.  "The Alligator People," despite an A-list cast, was made by a cheapjack company, form whom Fox purchased it.  Hence, the release.

                                            Even for a cheapie, it featured some A-Listers!  My God, Frieda Inescort, about twenty pounds heavier since 1944's "The Return Of The Vampire," where she played her greatest role,  Lady Jane Ainsley.  Here she is the mother of a damaged veteran, in a crumbling Louisiana manse--shades of Tennessee Williams!!!!!!!!!!!--who has been undergoing experiments to improve him, but which are not working, causing him to be summoned back to his home, while his wife, goes looking for him, as he vanishes on their honeymoon.

The wife, whose name is Joyce Webster, is played by the great Beverly Garland, just three years after she had the honor of working with Cucunbo in "It Conquered The World."  As in that film, she goes at the role like Meryl Streep going for the Oscar gold!  Here, she has to do operatic love scenes with an alligator-faced husband, deal with Frieda, who is his mother, and run twice through swamps, tearing her skirts, ruining her heels, showing her gorgeous legs, and screaming her head off!!!!!!!!!!!! She has said the hardest thing about this role, one of her favorites, was keeping a straight face, and I do not doubt it.  How could anyone ruin those gorgeous Fifties clothes?  And in heels?

Isn't he cute?  Even with that cheap make-up, Beverly/Joyce could not help still loving Paul, being traumatized, as he tragically sinks to his death, in quicksand.

But wait!  You have to see this film from the beginning.  So traumatized was Joyce by this horrific experience, she has now become Jane Marvin, working as a nurse, and two psychiatrists have recorded her story.  They decide not to tell her the truth, as she might relapse!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

But Beverly and Frieda give it their all!!!!!!!!!!!  Not to mention Lon Chaney, who, when he was not doing Larry Talbot, was playing variations on Lennie.

Now, you know me!  Bright ideas just pop into my head!!!!!!!!!!  This is too campy NOT to be turned into a Broadway musical!  I mean, the set and costume designers could have a field day, and maybe Julie Taymor could create The Alligator People.

How about Jessie Mueller, as Joyce?  She gets two big numbers in the swamp, plus a love song to Paul, with his alligator head.  Wouldn't that be romantic?  And how about Victoria Clark or Patti Lu Pone in Frieda's role of Mrs. Hawthorne? Though, come to think of it, Tyne Daly has not been doing much lately, so she may desperately snatch the role for herself!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh, girls, it is all too much!  But the way Broadway is going, do not be surprised!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Welcome to the Great White Way, kids!!!!!!!!!!!!!!