SYNOPSIS: "The Wasp Woman," directed by Roger Corman, centers on Janice Starlin, the ambitious and aging founder of a successful cosmetics company, Starlin Enterprises. Faced with declining sales and the pressures of maintaining her youthful appearance as the face of the company, Janice becomes desperate to find a solution to her fading beauty.

Her desperation leads her to Dr. Eric Zinthrop, a scientist who claims to have developed an experimental enzyme derived from the royal jelly of wasps. Zinthrop believes that this enzyme can reverse the aging process and restore youth. Intrigued and eager to regain her youthful looks, Janice agrees to fund Zinthrop's research and undergoes the experimental treatment herself.

Initially, the results are astonishing. Janice's appearance dramatically improves, and she looks years younger. However, she becomes impatient with the pace of the treatment and starts taking more of the enzyme than recommended, unbeknownst to Dr. Zinthrop.

As she continues the excessive treatments, Janice begins to experience strange and terrifying side effects. At times, she transforms into a monstrous, wasp-like creature with a thirst for human blood. These transformations become increasingly frequent and uncontrollable, leading to violent encounters and the deaths of several people in her vicinity.

Dr. Zinthrop, who had been injured in a car accident and temporarily incapacitated, eventually discovers Janice's horrifying transformations. He tries to stop her and reverse the effects of the enzyme, but it proves too late. Janice, fully transformed into the Wasp Woman, is ultimately confronted by her own employees, who have pieced together the truth about her condition.

In a final, desperate struggle, Janice is killed, putting an end to her monstrous reign of terror. The film concludes with a grim reflection on the dangers of vanity and the pursuit of eternal youth, leaving the audience to ponder the ethical implications of tampering with nature for the sake of beauty.

PLOT Spoiler Alert: Janice Starlin, the head of a successful cosmetics company, is facing declining sales due to her aging appearance. Determined to reclaim her youthful looks and revitalize her company's image, she becomes desperate for a solution. Dr. Eric Zinthrop, a scientist working on a revolutionary anti-aging serum derived from the royal jelly of wasps, catches her attention. Skeptical but desperate, Janice agrees to fund his research and volunteers to be his human test subject.

Initially, the serum appears to be a miracle cure, reversing Janice's aging process and restoring her youthful beauty. Overjoyed, Janice begins promoting the serum's potential benefits, but she demands faster results and secretly increases her dosage. Dr. Zinthrop warns her about the potential dangers of overuse, but Janice, driven by vanity and the pressure to maintain her appearance, ignores his caution.

As time passes, Janice starts experiencing alarming side effects. She has severe mood swings, becomes increasingly aggressive, and experiences strange physical sensations. Unbeknownst to her, the serum is gradually transforming her into a wasp-like creature. During a business meeting, Janice suddenly feels intense pain and rushes to her office, where she undergoes a horrific transformation into a monstrous human-wasp hybrid.

In her new form, Janice retains her human intellect but is driven by primal wasp instincts. She begins attacking and killing people, starting with her employees who discover her secret. Dr. Zinthrop, who had been injured in a car accident and temporarily hospitalized, returns to the lab and learns about Janice's transformations. Realizing the danger she poses, he tries to develop an antidote.

Meanwhile, Janice's behavior becomes increasingly erratic, and her secret is at risk of being exposed. She kills several people who get too close to discovering her true nature. Dr. Zinthrop finally creates an antidote but is unable to administer it before Janice's monstrous instincts take over completely. In a final confrontation, Janice, now fully transformed into a wasp woman, goes on a killing spree in her company's building.

As her employees and security personnel attempt to stop her, Dr. Zinthrop arrives with the antidote. In a desperate struggle, he manages to inject Janice, causing her to revert to her human form temporarily. However, the transformation has taken a severe toll on her body, and she succumbs to the effects of the serum, dying in Zinthrop's arms.

The film ends with the surviving employees reflecting on the tragic consequences of vanity and the dangers of tampering with nature. Dr. Zinthrop, though devastated by the outcome, vows to continue his research more cautiously to prevent such a catastrophe from happening again.

PRODUCTION: The 1959 film "The Wasp Woman" was a sci-fi horror classic directed by Ted V. Mikels, starring Susan France and Anthony Eisley. The production of the film began in April 1959, with principal photography taking place over the course of several weeks in Southern California. The shoot began on April 13, 1959, at the iconic Bronson Canyon, a popular filming location in Hollywood. The area's rugged terrain and scenic vistas provided the perfect backdrop for the film's eerie and otherworldly setting.

As the production moved to the city of Los Angeles, interior scenes were shot at various locations. One notable location was the historic Ambassador Hotel, which stood in for the character of Eric Zinthrop's office. The hotel's ornate decor and grand staircase added a sense of sophistication and elegance to the scenes filmed there. The cast and crew also visited the San Fernando Valley, capturing scenes on location at various spots, including the Sepulveda Dam, which provided a dramatic backdrop for a pivotal scene in which protagonist Eric Zinthrop encounters the mysterious and sinister scientist, Dr. Eric Vornoff.

As May rolled around, production shifted to the town of Pasadena, where more interior scenes were filmed. The historic Gamble House, designed by architect David Gamble and located in Pasadena's Arroyo Seco neighborhood, served as the setting for Dr. Vornoff's laboratory. The film's climax took place within these walls, as Eric Zinthrop confronts Dr. Vornoff about his sinister experiments. With a budget of just $50,000, "The Wasp Woman" was a testament to director Ted V. Mikels' resourcefulness and creativity.

The special effects in the film were handled by long-time collaborator Gene Warren, who used a combination of miniatures and practical effects to bring the film's sci-fi elements to life. The score was composed by husband-and-wife duo Les Baxter and Ronald Stein, who used theremin to add an otherworldly atmosphere to the film. Starring Susan France as Barbara Grant and Anthony Eisley as Eric Zinthrop, "The Wasp Woman" is a true cult classic that has endured for decades thanks to its unique blend of science fiction and horror elements. With filming complete, "The Wasp Woman" was ready to enter post-production, where it would undergo editing and visual effects before its eventual release.

RELEASE: The film "The Wasp Woman" was released on June 30, 1959, to a mix of positive and negative reviews from critics and audiences. The film premiered at the Roxy Theatre in Los Angeles, where it was shown as part of a double feature with another low-budget horror film, "Teenagers from Outer Space". Despite its limited budget and modest expectations, "The Wasp Woman" received a surprisingly warm reception from some critics, with Variety magazine praising the film's "effective use of atmosphere and suspense".

However, not all reviews were positive. The Hollywood Reporter panned the film, calling it a "dull and predictable" sci-fi thriller with "little to offer". The New York Times was also unimpressed, stating that the film was "a mess of a movie" with "too much talk and not enough action".

Despite the mixed reviews, "The Wasp Woman" found a niche audience among fans of science fiction and horror. The film's unique blend of campy humor, over-the-top acting, and B-movie charm resonated with viewers who appreciated its kitsch value. Over the years, the film has developed a cult following, with many fans citing it as a guilty pleasure or a hidden gem of the genre.

In terms of box office performance, "The Wasp Woman" did modestly well, grossing around $100,000 in its initial release. While this was not a major commercial success by any means, it was still a respectable showing for a low-budget film with limited marketing and distribution.

The film's popularity continued to grow over the years, with subsequent re-releases on television and home video cementing its status as a beloved cult classic.

In the decades since its release, "The Wasp Woman" has been recognized as a significant contribution to the science fiction and horror genres. In 2005, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant". Today, "The Wasp Woman" is celebrated as a campy classic that has endured for generations, with fans continuing to discover and appreciate its charms through various forms of media and memorabilia.

CAST:

• Susan Cabot as Janice Starlin

• Anthony Eisley as Bill Lane

• Barboura Morris as Mary Dennison

• Michael Mark as Dr. Eric Zinthrop

• William Roerick as Arthur Cooper

• Frank Gerstle as Les Hellman

• Bruno VeSota as Night Watchman

• Roy Gordon as Paul Thompson

• Carolyn Hughes as Jean Carson 

• Lynn Cartwright as Maureen Reardon

• Frank Wolff as 1st Delivery Man

• Lani Mars as Nurse

• Philip Barry 2nd Delivery Man

CREW:

• Director: Roger Corman

• Producer: Roger Corman

• Writers: Leo Gordon (screenplay), Kinta Zertuche (story)

• Cinematographer: Harry Neumann

• Editor: Carlo Lodato

• Music: Fred Katz

• Art Director: Daniel Haller

Production Company: Santa Cruz Productions
Distributor: The Filmgroup

Release Date: October 30, 1959
Country of Origin: United States
Running Time: 73 minutes
Budget: $50,000
Box Office Return: N/A

IMDB Rating =  4.8 / 10

TRIVIA:

• "The Wasp Woman" was one of the early films to use the concept of human-insect hybrid transformation, which would become    a popular theme in later science fiction and horror films.

• Susan Cabot, who played Janice Starlin, was a frequent collaborator with Roger Corman and delivered one of her most memorable performances in this film. This was the final film of Susan Cabot.

• The film was shot in just 10 days, a testament to Roger Corman’s rapid and cost-effective filmmaking style.

• The film was re-released in 1962 under the title "Insect Woman" to capitalize on the popularity of insect-themed horror films.

• Susan Cabot's character plays a woman who takes wasp "royal jelly enzyme" to stay younger. In real life, Cabot suffered from mental illness. She reportedly tried to treat it with human growth hormone, which her son took for dwarfism, but it may have exacerbated her illness. Her son later killed her, reportedly in self-defense after she attacked him during a mental breakdown.

• Leo Gordon, credited with the screenplay, was married to Lynn Cartwright, who plays the receptionist.

• The 1964 colorized version has an added 11 minutes where the scientist is fired from his job as beekeeper for testing on wasps instead of bees, which ends up being the plot of the movie since he winds up working for Susan Cabot. In the original B&W version, the movie begins with a meeting where Cabot discusses her business failing with underlings... then meets the same doctor in the next scene, where the audience sees him for the first time as well.

• Opening credits features bees, not wasps.

• The "elevator buttons" on the wall. They are at an angle suggesting that they were pasted on the wall next to sliding doors - not an elevator.

• Barboura Morris co-starred in one of director Roger Corman's A Bucket of Blood (1959), where she also played the good girl.

• Some of the music from this film was reused in The Little Shop of Horrors (1960).

• Michael Mark was certainly no stranger to horror movie fans, having appeared in numerous Universal classics, including four Frankenstein films, The Black Cat (1934), Tower of London (1939), and The Mummy's Hand (1940) as well as other studios' chillers (e.g., Mad Love (1935), The Black Room (1935), and The Face Behind the Mask (1938))).

• In one of the final scenes, a bottle of acid is thrown at Susan Cabot, but she isn't acting when she throws her hands up after it strikes her. Someone had filled the "breakaway" bottle with water, and it was so heavy that when it struck her she said, "I thought my teeth had been knocked through my nose!" The fake smoke used to simulate the acid also choked her; after falling through the window, unable to breathe, she tore some skin off along with her monster makeup, leaving a mark on her neck.

"The Wasp Woman" remains a notable entry in the 1950s science fiction horror genre, combining themes of vanity, scientific experimentation, and the dangers of tampering with nature. Its low-budget production and effective storytelling make it a classic example of Roger Corman's work.