The Woman Eater

The Woman Eater (1958) – a cheesy monster movie, with a mad scientist, carnivorous tree, sexy woman victims, and good-natured protagonist

The Woman Eater (1958) starring George Coulouris, Vera Day, Peter Forbes-Robertson

In short, The Woman Eater is a low-budget, cheesy monster movie with a really bad-looking monster. The plot is frankly identical to Konga: a mad scientist, returned from a year-long jungle trip (where he got the idea for his creation), hires a young woman while his older female assistant gets jealous. And, the “tree monster” is absolutely ridiculous. For fans of cheesy monster movies: the “deadly” tree in From Hell It Came frankly looks worse — but only slightly. It should be said that the original woman eating tree was destroyed in a fire shortly before shooting, and the prop department had to put this together quickly. Also, the actors treat the silliness seriously, which helps elevate the film a bit.

Unanswered questions

• How does the mad scientist convince the natives to give up their “sacred” woman-eating tree?
• How does he smuggle it into the country?

Product Description

SEE the nerve-shattering Dance of Death! SEE THE WOMAN EATER ensnare the beauties of two continents! SEE its hideous arms devour them in a death-embrace! It devours only the most beautiful! Half-mad scientist James Moran (George Coulouris, The Long Good Friday, Citizen Kane) returns from the Amazon jungles with a sacred tribal tree which feeds on beautiful, young girls. The sap he extracts from the tree will, he believes, revive the dead. A blonde showgirl, Sally (Vera Day, The Prince and the Showgirls, Quatermass II), is slated to be Moran’s next sacrifice. Will she become another victim of this woman-devouring tree or can the police and Sally’s boyfriend save her from the cannibalistic tree? No beautiful woman is safe from THE WOMAN EATER!

Amazon.com

The Woman Eater starts out as all carnivorous plant films should: with a bunch of Brits heading off into the jungle. The intrepid (and just slightly mad) Dr. Moran leads his party to the home of an ancient tribe, conveniently arriving just in time for a sacrifice. (“Stop it, you devils!”) Five years later we’re back in England, neatly glossing over how Moran got his giant man-eating plant through customs. With the help of native drummer Tanga, Moran is feeding the daughters of England to his plant in the hopes of developing a serum that will bring the dead back to life. (Well, sure!)

Soon the lovely Sally arrives to help with the housekeeping, and tension rises as we wait to find out if she’ll become Miracle-Gro. The Woman Eater has almost too many pleasures to mention: bubbling beakers, lovely victims, stagehand-powered plant arms, natives wearing costume pieces from every jungle movie ever made, and of course the drums! Oh, the drums! Watch it today and keep an eye on your begonias. –Ali Davis

Cast of characters

• George Coulouris (Murder on the Orient Express [1974]; This Land Is Mine) … Doctor Moran
• Vera Day (The Haunted Strangler) … Sally. The “hula dancer” working at a local Fun Fair, who loses her job when Jack punches her boss! But, he finds her a new job — working for Doctor Moran!
• Peter Forbes-Robertson (The Sea Devils [Doctor Who]) … Jack Venner (as Peter Wayn). Who falls in love at first sight with Sally. A nice enough mechanic, chauvinistic, but willing to risk everything for her.
• Joyce Gregg … Mrs. Santor. The Doctor’s housekeeper — and apparently former girlfriend. Whom he’s ready to throw over for the younger, prettier Sally.
• Joy Webster … Judy. Second English victim. For science!
• Jimmy Vaughn … Tanga (as Jimmy Vaughan). The native drummer, true believer in the “sacred” tree. And he knows something about the serum that the tree produces …. That he’s withholding from the doctor.
• Robert MacKenzie (Fiend Without a Face) … Lewis Carling (as Robert Mackenzie)
• Norman Claridge … Doctor Patterson
• Marpessa Dawn … Native Girl
• Sara Leighton … Susan Curtis. The first English victim of the woman eating tree.
• Edward Higgins … Sergeant Bolton (as Edward Higgings). Who first comes to the doctor’s to ask about the missing Susan. Of course, the doctor knows nothing …
• Harry Ross … Bristow
• Alexander Field … Fair Attendant
• David Lawton … Man In Club
• John A. Tinn … Lascar (as John Tinn)
• Maxwell Foster … Inspector Brownlow
• Peter Lewiston … Det. Sergeant Freeman
• Roger Avon … Constable