Atlas

 

 (imdb)

ATLAS-1961-In Greece, Proximates the Tyrant (Frank Wolff) wants strongman Atlas (Michael Forrest) to help him end a war. He has Candia (Barboura Morris) entice Atlas and he agrees. When Atlas later discovers Proximates is a ruthless nut and before he runs away with Candia, he helps rebels overthrow the tyrant. 

Director Roger Corman does a good job with the battle scenes considering he'd ordered 500 extras and only got 50! Charles Griffith wrote the screenplay. Corman directed CREATURE FROM THE HAUNTED SEA (also written by Griffith) and THE PIT AND THE PENDULUM the same year. 

Mostly filmed in Athens, Greece, it was Corman's attempt to break into Italy's “Sword and Sandal” genre but it was plagued by money delays and production problems. Apparently, it did turn a profit but was not the success Corman wanted it to be.

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Corman Strikes Again!

THE WASP WOMAN-1959-Cosmetics CEO Janice Starlin (Susan Cabot with old age make-up) is worried her company is going down the tubes but she's more concerned about getting old.

She hires a scientist (Michael Mark) who's experiments with queen wasps produce a formula that makes her young. Unfortunately the treatment has some unwanted side effects. She turns into a hairy bug eyed insect with claws that prays on humans!

Barboura Morris is her secretary and Fred (later Anthony) Eisley is on her staff. They become suspicious when their pipe smoking colleague (William Roderick) becomes the first victim. Bruno VeSota plays a night watch man victim.

This THE FLY inspired horror is a very short and fast paced. It almost seems like an episode of a TV anthology show! Producer/director Roger Corman (who appears briefly as a doctor) made it between BUCKET OF BLOOD and SKI PATROL. It was written by actor Leo Gordon whose wife Lynn Cartwright appears as a switch board operator.

Both Cabot and Morris had appeared in Corman's SORORITY GIRL in 1957. Morris (who appeared in other Corman and /or AIP films) died of a stroke at 43 in 1975. Cabot (in 5 Corman directed features) was killed by her son in 1985. She was 59. WASP WOMAN was her last feature.

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