Scott LeBrun
Coleen Gray plays June Talbot, an aging alcoholic stuck in a toxic marriage to Paul Talbot (Phillip Terry), an endocrinologist. But he insists on taking her along on an African trip after he gets wind of a process used by a tribe over there to retard, even reverse, the aging process. Once she reacquires her youthful good looks, she finds that she doesn't mind that she was made a guinea pig. The only problem is, she now has to keep killing in order to remain young and gorgeous.The title makes this unmemorable but still entertaining movie sound like utter schlock, which of course is not such a bad thing. But what the viewer gets is actually something a little more interesting and thoughtful, a commentary on the desperate, aggressive need to pursue youth and beauty. Don't go into this expecting a high body count, or an actual "leech woman".The primary assets are a wonderful performance by the lovely Gray, who gets to sink her teeth into a real character role, and the rather convincing makeup effects by Bud Westmore. Gray is ably supported by a cast also including The Incredible Shrinking Man, a.k.a. Grant Williams, as a roving-eyed attorney, Gloria Talbott as a nurse who gets deadly jealous, the striking Hemsley (73 or so at the time of filming), Kim Hamilton as the beautiful young version of Hemsley, and Arthur Batanides as a sleazy con artist.This would make an apt double feature with Roger Cormans' "The Wasp Woman", which this viewer watched just the other night.Seven out of 10.
bkoganbing
Once upon a time Coleen Gray was in some great films like Red River, Kiss Of Death, and Kansas City Confidential. But sadly like so many actresses the good films and the good parts in them disappeared and she was reduced to starring in The Leech Woman. And you know this is bad because there aren't any leeches in this horror epic.Coleen was getting older and the zing has gone out of her marriage to Philip Terry who once was married to Joan Crawford in real life. But Terry is a scientist who hears that some hidden African tribe has a queen reputed to be ageless. He resolves to find the secret and use his wife as a guinea pig for the experiment.I won't go into the details, but Terry finds the secret, but Coleen steals it and flees. I will only say that the male of the species has to die to keep Coleen beautiful and sexy. It's the dream of every cougar out there. There are some similarities to that other drive-in classic The Attack Of the Fifty Foot Woman. As for Coleen Gray this kind of ended her big screen career, but she transferred to television and kept working for another quarter of a century.But not in films like thank the Lord.
babeth_jr
This movie has gotten a bad rap, I think mainly because of the inane title. It conjures up a ridiculous image of a giant leech with a purse and high heels on. This movie is actually pretty good, given it's low budget. Coleen Gray, a very pretty and capable actress in her day, gives a great performance as June Talbot, the alcoholic, middle aged woman married to Dr. Paul Talbott (portrayed as a total heel by Phillip Terry, better known as Joan Crawford's 4th husband). Dr. Talbott is a scientist who is trying to find a serum to counter aging and is willing to sacrifice his wife in order to find the answer. The performances by Gray and Terry are solid, as is Gloria Talbott who plays Dr. Talbott's assistant and Grant Williams, Dr. Talbott's lawyer and Gloria's boyfriend who falls under the spell of "The Leech Woman". Estelle Hemsley is also good as an old African woman who looks like a human prune and offers to show the good doctor the secret to turn back the effects of aging, for a very steep price, of course. I thought the make up of the Leech Woman was very affective, pretty scary stuff for it's day. Don't let the title of this movie keep you from watching...it's very entertaining, from start to finish.
stumpmee77
Woman ages and people (big time hubby) who diss her because she looks old. The twist is she gets even...Really even. All that to look attractive so she can get attention. It didn't make her a better person. Really didn't at all.It's rather a sad commentary how (how we are led to believe) the majority of people look upon one another--judge one another in terms of value as attractive. The standard at the time this film was made is young and pretty. This would make a good story for Hollywood to remake if they want to think of other films to remake. Hollywood still follows this thought pattern.Made for TV Sci-Fi channel films casting illustrates the point this 1960 film's theme pointed out. On average, the actresses in those made for TV films don't look past late forty and in shape. yet at least one man is allowed look old gray, sometimes fat, sometimes both.Leech Woman also has the one not so good, not so young looking man. Sadly he enters in the last third of the film. I'm mentioning him because he's the one character I liked. Everyone else is annoyingly shallow. JJEEDD! I have seen the MST3K version One of my sisters remembered seeing the original version. I would really like to the see original; as jokes aside it handles the subject effectively.
AD
