Terror Is a Man (1959)

Shipwreck survivor William (a solid and likable portrayal by Richard Derr) finds himself stranded on an island with mad scientist Dr. Charles Girard (a fine and credible performance by Frances Lederer), who has surgically transformed a panther into a man (Flory Carlos in convincing grotesque make-up).Although done on a modest budget, this picture nonetheless is made with some real finesse so it doesn't look or feel cheap: Directors Gerardo de Leon and Eddie Romero relate the compelling story at a steady pace, do an adept job of crafting a spooky atmosphere with a strong sense of dread, and stage the exciting climax with skill and flair. Paul Harbor's compact script smartly explores the ethical implications of the premise. The sound acting by the capable cast keeps this movie on track, with especially praiseworthy work from the gorgeous Greta Tyssen as Girard's fed-up neglected wife Frances, Oscar Keesee as disloyal and lecherous drunken assistant Walter Berrera, and Lilia Duran as scared local Selene. The crisp black and white cinematography by Emmanuel I. Rojas boasts several neat stylistic flourishes. The spirited shivery score by Gervacio Santos hits the stirring shuddery spot. However, it's the way that the panther man elicits a complex blend of both fear and pity that rates as this film's key artistic triumph. A nice little fright feature.

TERROR IS A MAN, with Greta Thyssen (--now that's a great name for a porno starlet, if you take my meaning--), directed by Gerry De Leon, is an ancient mystery/ horror flick in the mad scientist sub-genre about a mysterious creature on an island quite far from the Latin—American (Peruvian) shore. The Sci—Fi 'ideas' involved are quite murky; 'Fitzgerald' seems a bit contrary; at first he holds that the beast is human, then that it's not human. What does the turning of a feline into a human has to do with the creating of a superman? The mad scientist talks a lot about improving the man, but as a matter of fact he tries to turn a feline into a human.My faithful readers know that I review here good movies, B movies (--like this one--), old movies (--including silent ones--) and TV series. I recently wrote about a Robertson chiller, DOMINIQUE, and that was an interesting B movie; TERROR IS A MAN begins well but it sinks. A conventionally intriguing plot, a handsome lead, a blonde sexpot; she's an overly delicious classical curvy blonde of the Marilyn type, the lead, 'Fitzgerald', is of the Mature type. But the movie is silly and ridiculous.

The high impact scenes -- the cat creature breaking loose after being tortured by the Igor-like assistant and being set ablaze; the creature strapped to a gurney, tortuously attempting to learn the word "man" and the climactic action -- more than make up for the dreary domestic drama.This movie scared the hell out of me when I was nine and it can still work some real magic. The sympathy you feel for the panther man is evoked with real skill.It's so sad that this film's legacy became the awful Dr. Lorca and John Ashley Blood Island movies.

The lone survivor of the sinking of the "Pedro Queen," William Fitzgerald (Derr) washes ashore on a remote Pacific island one thousand miles off the coast of Peru. He is taken in by Dr. Girard (Lederer) and his wife, Frances (Thyssen). Fitzgerald soon learns that the doctor is conducting unusual medical experiments the island, assisted by his wife, who is a nurse, and a few servants. Shortly after Fitzgerald's arrival, he learns that a "panther" is loose on the island and has even killed people. He is puzzled when he learns that the native villagers have fled the island, allegedly because they fear what the doctor might be doing. The mystery deepens when Fitzgerald starts investigating the mystery of the doctor and the creature he is working on."Terror is a Man" is an uncredited adaptation of the H.G. Wells novel "The Island of Doctor Moreau." Whereas the classic 1932 version "Island of Lost Souls" and the 1977 version "The Island of Dr. Moreau" both feature large numbers of "manimals," this film has only one. By excising these creatures, the film loses the interesting cultural aspects of the manimal society and lacks, among other things, the key character known as the Sayer of the Law. The creature in this one is the tormented victim of doctor and is abused by the servant Walter (Oscar Keesee). Despite the differences between this version and the two better known adaptations mentioned above, this film is reasonably well made though somewhat slow-paced. Dedicated horror film fans should probably give this one a chance.