USA, 1959
66m, 73m, 77m
35mm film, black and white, 1.85:1
mono, English
Reviewed at The EOFFTV Review
An American science fiction film directed by Roger Corman. A new prologue was filmed by Jack Hill two years later to pad out the running time for television broadcasts.
Plot Summary
Janice Starlin runs a cosmetics factory and is becoming concerned about falling dropping sales figures. She teams up with scientist Eric Zinthrop whose research into wasp enzymes suggests that they can reverse the ageing process. But when Janice tries his treatment on herself she is transformed into a deadly wasp woman.
Credits
* = uncredited
Crew
Directed by: Roger Corman
Copyright MCMLIX [1959] by Santa Cruz Productions Inc
A Film Group feature
Produced by: Roger Corman
Production Manager: Jack Bohrer
Screenplay by: Leo Gordon
From a Story by: Kinta Zertuche
Additional Sequence for Television Crew
Directed by: Jack Hill *
Director of Photography: Harry C. Newman
Film Editor: Carlo Lodato
Music by: Fred Katz
Sound: Philip Mitchell
Recorded by: Ryder Sound Service
Makeup: Grant R. Keats
Art Director: Dan Haller
Property Master: Carl Brainard
Cast
Susan Cabot (Janice Starlin)
Fred Eisley (Bill Lane)
Barboura Morris (Mary Dennison)
William Roerick (Arthur Cooper)
Michael Mark (Eric Zinthrop)
Frank Gerstle (Les Hellman)
Bruno Ve Sota (nightwatchman)
Roy Gordon (Paul Thompson)
Carolyn Hughes (Jean Carson)
Lynn Cartwright (Maureen Reardon)
Frank Wolff (man)
Lani Mars (secretary)
Phillip Barry (man)
Roger Corman [doctor in hospital] *
Alternative Titles
The Bee Girl
La donna vespa – Italy
Insect Woman
La mujer insecto – Venezuela
Die Wespenfrau – West Germany
Links
Remakes
Evil Spawn (1987)
Rejuvenatrix (1988)
The Wasp Woman (1995)
Extracts included in
Eye of the Beholder (1999)
References
Periodicals
- The Daily Cinema no.8268 (15 February 1960) p.2
- Delirium no.25 (2020) p.11 – short review (Corman’s greatest creatures by Chris Alexander)
- Kine Weekly no.2733 (18 February 1960) p.20
- Monthly Film Bulletin vol.27 no.314 (March 1960) p.41
- Motion Picture Herald vol.217 no.4 (24 October 1959) p.461
- Spaghetti Cinema no.14 (August 1986) p.18 – review (Remembering Frank – part one by William Connolly)
- Variety 23 March 1960
- Video Watchdog no.15 pp.4-5 – illustrated article
Books
- The Allied Artists Checklist by Len D. Martin p.142 – credits, synopsis, note
- The Armchair Odeon: The Collector’s Guide to the Movies by Denis Gifford pp.32-33
- Aurum Film Encyclopedia: Science Fiction by Phil Hardy (ed) p.205-206
- Euro Gothic: Classics of Continental Horror Cinema by Jonathan Rigby p.270
- Fright Night on Channel 9 by James Arena pp.121-122
- Horrorshows: The A-Z of Horror in Film, TV, Radio and Theatre by Gene Wright p.201 – credits, review
- House of Psychotic Women by Kier-La Janisse p.432
- Reference Guide to Fantastic Films by Walt Lee p.531 – credits
- The Vampire in Science Fiction Film and Literature by Paul Meehan p.115
- The Werewolf Filmography by Bryan Senn p.374-375
