The Unearthly (1957)

Let's be realistic.

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties. It's a feast for the eyes. But what really makes this dramedy work is the acting.

Mini Review: 'The Unearthly' (1957) - I watched this the other night and it was pretty good ! I wasn't expecting much since the IMDb only gave it 2.7 stars. Allison Hayes and John Carradine were both fun to watch. Tor 'Plan 9 From Outer Space' Johnson is also along for the ride and did well as a sympathetic type 'Monster'. The story is mostly predictable yet I really didn't care, the acting and B-film makeup made up for it. There was a slight twist in the plot that was fun. When will those mad scientists ever learn ! If you like 50s Drive-in type horror films this is one to see and enjoy. I give it a 6 out of 10 for its genre as fun drive-in B-movie fare.

I really appreciate and admire the effort the mad scientists of the 40s and 50s put into their work. Always injecting mysterious fluids and exposing bodies to different types of radiation in the pursuit of some "noble" purpose. They were so single minded in their focus that noting could get in their way. So what if their test subjects were dying or turning into hideous monsters, it was the experiment that was important. John Carradine plays just this kind of scientist in The Unearthly. He hopes by adding a new gland to a human body that he can find the secret of immortality. It helps that he has a house full of patients who know nothing of his experiments, but are there for rest and relaxation. Of course (and as expected) something goes wrong with each experiment resulting in a variety of monsters living in the doctor's basement. Also (and as could be predicted) one of the patients is on to the doctor and plans to put a stop to his experiments.To a certain degree, if you've seen one of these low-budget mad scientist films, you've seen 'em all. The Unearthly is really no better or worse than most of the others. It's hampered by the same budget constraints, lack of original ideas, weak script, and gigantic plot holes that plague a lot of these movies. On the plus side, The Unearthly has quite a decent cast with Carradine, b-movie favorite Allison Hayes, Playmate Sally Todd, and Miss America 1946 Marilyn Buferd. Also, he may not have been much of an actor, but Tor Johnson does have a certain screen presence. In my mind, the negatives outweigh the positives resulting in the (generous) 4/10 rating.Unfortunately, The Unearthly doesn't make for one of the better Mystery Science Theater 3000 episodes I've seen. The jokes really felt flat. I cannot remember laughing at much of any of it. I'll give The Unearthly a 2/5 on my MST3K rating scale - find another episode to put on your "to see" list.

Dr. Conway (John Carradine) runs a strange medical home in a decayed and isolated mansion. How strange is it? Well, it's so strange that Lobo (Tor Johnson) works there.Ed Wood occasionally receives a writing credit for this bit of 1957 drive-in dreck; in truth his only contribution to the film is the character Lobo, which is lifted directly from Wood's 1955 BRIDE OF THE MONSTER. Even so THE UNEARTHLY, scripted by John Black and Jane Mann, is certainly bad enough to be an Ed Wood movie. Unfortunately it isn't nearly as funny.Dr. Conway's newest patient is Grace (Allison Hayes), who is unaware that the place is a front for unnatural experiments involving artificial glands. Fortunately for Grace, murder-on-the-run Mark (Myron Healey) stumbles onto the grounds and proves more than a match for the good doctor and his evil associates. Throw in Marilyn Buferd, Arthur Batanides, Sally Todd and an idea or two yanked from H.G. Wells' ISLAND OF DR. MOREAU and there you go.By this point John Carradine had been typed in mad doctor roles and he delivers a typical John Carradine mad doctor performance. Allison Hayes, a beautiful and interesting actress who never got the breaks she deserved, is an always welcome sight--and yes, it is fun to see Tor Johnson doing his slack-jawed routine again. But in a general sense THE UNEARTLY isn't so much a badly made film as it is an utterly uninteresting one. If you're among the hardcore fans of 1950s drive in fare you might enjoy it, but I'm not holding my breath on it.GFT, Amazon Reviewer

Surprisingly ok for a Mystery Science Theatre Movie. I have seen much worse. And the MST version was not really all that funny either although the shorts at the beginning make it worth seeing. ("Posture Pals" and "Appreciating Our Parents")