Betsy Jones-Moreland: Creature Haunted Sea

 

 

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Legend Films presents "CREATURE FROM THE HAUNTED SEA" (June 1961) (63 mins) (Fully Restored/Dolby Digitally Remastered) --- now in COLOR and Glorious Black and White --- If you like campy B-rated movies this one does not disappoint --- It is filled with many "what the ...." moments that keep you entertained in this otherwise slow flick including a musical interlude, a convenient pay phone, and tourist savvy natives --- Not to mention Sigmund the sea monster's older "green trash" cousin and the most lethal toilet plunger in history --- All in all one of the best campy films I have yet found - recommend with lots of friends and beverages

Under the production staff of:
Roger Corman - Director / Producer
Monte Hellman - Director
Susan Olney - Producer
Barry Sandrew - Producer
Charles B. Griffith - Screenwriter
Jacques Marquette - Cinematographer
Fred Katz - Composer (Music Score)
Angela Scellars - Editor
Jane Huizenga - Production Designer
David D. Martin - Technical Director

Story line and plot, is a monster movie concerning a Government Agent (Robert Towne) is chasing gangster Renzo Capeto (Anthony Carbone),a mobster likeness to Bogart who along with his fiancée (Betsy Jones Moreland) and underlings are aboard ship with a group of exiled Cubans --- Renzo schemes a plot to invent a mythical sea monster to eliminate the Cubans and steal the national treasure --- The film is a horror comedy blending parody, humor and suspense.The comedy has some moments here and there --- Clearly this film was never meant to be taken as seriously as some seem to take it --- The biggest flaw with it however is it's too slow-moving...it takes forever before we get any kind of resolution --- The highly entertaining rampage of the Monster at the end does make up for somewhat for the slow opening half --- But once again I recommend this only for Corman staunchest fans.

the cast includes:
Antony Carbone ... Renzo Capetto
Betsy Jones-Moreland ... Mary-Belle Monahan
Robert Towne ... Sparks Moran / Agent XK150 / Narrator (as Edward Wain)
Beach Dickerson ... Petet Peterson Jr.
Robert Bean ... Happy Jack Monahan (Mary-Belle's brother)
Esther Sandoval
Sonia Noemí González ... Mango Perez
Edmundo Rivera Álvarez ... Gen. Tostada
Terry Nevin
Elisio López
Tanner Hunt
Blanquita Romero
Armando Rowra

BIOS:
1. Roger Corman (Director)
Date of Birth: 5 April 1926 - Detroit, Michigan
Date of Death: Still Living

SPECIAL FEATURES:
1. Legend Films Trailers

The complete print was restored and colorized by Legend Films, using the latest technology --- Although the Legend Films release was advertised under its reissue title, both the color and black and white prints featured the original title and opening credits --- Legend Films can restore, colorize and release many of the classic earliest black and white films --- a patented coloring and remastering process makes each film picture perfect plus more vivd than ever --- no one can resist collecting every title that Legend Films releases.

Hats off and thanks to Barry B. Sandrew Ph.D. (Founder, COO & CTO) and his Legend Films Staff --- looking forward to more high quality releases from the vintage era of the '20s, '30s & '40s --- order your copy now from Amazon where there are plenty of copies available on DVD --- if you enjoyed this title, why not check out Legend Films where they are experts in releasing long forgotten films and treasures to the collector.

Total Time: 63 mins on DVD ~ Legend Films. ~ (10/21/2008)

This zany little Roger Corman quickie turned up frequently on a local TV station's late, late, late show many years ago. Thinking "Creature from the Haunted Sea" was just another lousy low grade horror flick, I barely noticed it even as it flickered on the TV screen that I used, more often than not, as a night light.

But I did catch a scene in which a couple of skin-divers descended into the sea, and when I saw that one of them carried a toilet plunger, I silently mused a thoughtful "Hmm," and made a mental note to pay attention the next time it aired.

"Creature from the Haunted Sea" is a satire of adventure films as delightfully daffy as Corman's "Little Shop of Horrors," but with a more subtle approach. It's not a knee-slapper, but it is amusing, and well cast. There's Anthony Carbone doing a fiendishly silly homage to Humphrey Bogart, and future screenwriter Robert Towne as the earnest young hero. You even get a title song, a love theme containing the complete title, sung by the leading lady, Betsy Jones Moreland.

This is a movie that is probably best seen unexpectedly in the wee hours of an uneventful night. By morning, you may think it was just a silly dream.

Are you can tell this film has the Roger Corman fingerprint and the Roger Corman budget. We even have the standard Roger Corman dialog. There is a color version of this movie floating around out there but we all know that all true art films are in black and white. Be prepared to take the plunger ... oops I mean plunge.

It is the Cuban revolution and only trusted gangsters from Sicily are allowed to leave the dock. So hidden on Renzo Capetto's (Antony Carbone, sounds more sinister than his character's name) yacht is the pilfered Cuban treasury in gold. The absconders are a Cuban general, Col. and troops.

The trick for Renzo and his cronies is to separate the Cubans from the gold. The plan to create an elusive sea monster that can each Cubans. However, what if there really is a sea monster that prefers Cuban? This is just one of the overlying plots that include love triangles over triangles and government spies.

In the end who gets the girl and who gets the gold? You may pleasantly be surprised. People that enjoy Corman-esque films may give this a higher rating yet I believe that it is trying excessively hard to be campy.

Voyage to the Prehistoric Planet

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2.0 out of 5 stars Vintage Roger Corman
Only one man could produce and direct a movie as outrageously stupid as The Creature From the Haunted Sea: Roger Corman. I might as well start with the monster. Read more

Published on Jun 18 2006 by Daniel Jolley

3.0 out of 5 stars BRUCE says
The first time I saw this film was when I was 13 or so on a late night horror movie show in the mid sixties, I thought it was just a really dumb movie, but I liked it, I thought... Read more

Published on Oct 27 2002

2.0 out of 5 stars Starts out snappy enough, but quickly grows tiresome.
Made as an afterthought on the trip back from some other shoot (a fairly typical Corman occurrence), CFHS is probably much too weird even for most fringe types who like Corman's... Read more

Published on Jun 6 2002 by Andrew R. Oerman

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