She Demons

During a tropical storm, a pleasure boat is shipwrecked on an uncharted island and is presumed lost with all hands after the storm clears. The four survivors' shipboard radio can receive but not transmit, and they hear that their castaway island will soon be used by U.S. Navy aircraft as a bombing target.

Finding strange-looking human footprints and hearing the sound of jungle drums, three of the party explore the island. They soon discover the island is populated by deformed, fanged women who are the product of scientific experiments of Nazis led by a mad scientist and war criminal, who rules the island with an iron swastika.

The survivors eventually manage to blow up the island before the Navy jets can do so.

• Irish McCalla as Jerrie Turner
• Tod Griffin as Fred Maklin
• Victor Sen Yung as Sammy Ching
• Rudolph Anders as Col. Karl Osler
• Gene Roth as Igor
• Leni Tana as Mona Osler
• Charles Opunui as Kris Kamana
• The Diane Nellis Dancers as The She Demons

After completing Giant from the Unknown, Astor Pictures told Richard Cunha that the film would only be accepted if he made another co-feature, to be released by Astor on a double bill. This led Cunha to make She Demons. Astor advanced $80,000, with Cunha completing the film for $65,000.pp. 113–115 Weaver, Tom Richard Cunha & Arthur Jacobs Interview in Return of the B Science Fiction and Horror Heroes: The Mutant Melding of Two Volumes of Classic Interviews McFarland, 2000 Filming locations for She Demons were at Ferndale, California, Griffith Park, and Paradise Cove Pier in Malibu, California.{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0052187/locations?ref_=tt_dt_dt|title=She Demons (1958) – Filming Locations – IMDb|publisher=imdb.com|accessdate=2014-06-10}} David Koehler handled the special effects.Warren, Bill (1986). "Keep Watching The Skies Volume 2". McFarland & Co., Inc. {{ISBN|0-89950-170-2}}. p. 765 H.E. Barrie, who co-wrote the screenplay, also wrote the scripts for two of Cunha's other 1950s films, Missile to the Moon and Frankenstein's Daughter.Warren, Bill (1986). "Keep Watching The Skies Volume 2". McFarland & Co., Inc. {{ISBN|0-89950-170-2}}. pp. 742, 756, 765.

The Monthly Film Bulletin wrote: "The direction does nothing to enhance the lurid values of this impossible horror film, which unfolds on a jungle isle where the immaculately dressed villains live and work in a luxury mansion with fully equipped laboratory and foaming lava power generator to hand. The plot consists of a weary succession of convenient cliches, and the cast walk through their parts with noticeable lack of enthusiasm."{{Cite journal |date=1 January 1959 |title=She Demons |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/1305821589 |journal=The Monthly Film Bulletin |volume=26 |issue=300 |page=111 |id={{ProQuest|1305821589}} |url-access=subscription }}

Variety wrote: "Mediocre film is actually more straight adventure than horror, although it fits adequately into the package top-bracketed by Giant from the Unknown. ... Principals handle their roles as well as script by Richard E. Cunha, who also directs, and H. E. Barrie permits. Miss McCalla has little to do but pout, but Griffin is properly heroic. Rudolph Anders is okay as the scientist and Victor Sen Yung is in for comedy relief. Meredith Nicholson's photography heads technical credits and special effects are expertly handled by David Koehler."{{Cite journal |date=19 March 1958 |title=She Demons |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/962811556 |journal=Variety |volume=210 |issue=3 |pages=16 |id={{ProQuest|962811556}} |url-access=subscription }}

Writing in DVD Talk, film critic Glenn Erickson described the film as a "totally bizarre oddity" and "[o]ne of the sleaziest kiddie matinee movies of the '50s," but also "a great party picture with everything camp enthusiasts enjoy – terrible jokes, hammy acting, terrible direction."{{cite web |last1=Erickson |first1=Glenn |title=She Demons & Monster from Green Hell |url=https://www.dvdtalk.com/dvdsavant/s262hellshe.html |website=DVD Talk |publisher=DVDTalk |access-date=2022-09-06}}

Critic Joe Lozowsky wrote that the film is a "so-bad-it's good cult favorite," and that "[o]nce head moron Gene Roth shows up with his bad accent, you can't help but expect Moe, Larry, and Joe Besser to blunder onto the cardboard set and trade eye pokes."{{cite web |last1=Lozowsky |first1=Joe |title=She Demons (1958) |url=http://www.dvddrive-in.com/reviews/n-s/shedemons.htm |website=DVD Drive-in |access-date=2022-09-06}}

{{reflist}}

• {{IMDb title|0052187}}
• [https://trailersfromhell.com/she-demons/ Joe Dante on She Demons] at Trailers from Hell
• [https://www.mmmrecordings.com/She_Demons/she_demons.html Original soundtrack for She Demons]

Category:1958 films

Category:1958 directorial debut films

Category:1950s English-language films

Category:1958 independent films

Category:1950s science fiction horror films

Category:American black-and-white films

Category:American independent films

Category:American science fiction horror films

Category:Astor Pictures films

Category:Films directed by Richard E. Cunha

Category:Films set on islands

Category:American mad scientist films

Category:Nazi exploitation films

Category:1950s American films

Category:English-language science fiction horror films