Her name was Bridey Murphy, she was born in 1798, in Cork, Ireland. Her name was Virginia Tighe, she was born in 1923, in Chicago, Illinois. WHERE THEY THE SAME PERSON?
In 1954, reporter William J. Barker, of "The Denver Post", first published, in a series of four articles, the strange story of a woman named "Bridey Murphy" and an amateur hypnotist named Morey Bernstein. Barker's articles were picked up by other newspapers in the United States creating a vast interest with their readers. While foreign newspapers watching the wire services also picked up, William Barker's strange tale of reincarnation and hypnotic regression. Resulting in a worldwide curiosity in a woman from 18th century Ireland, speaking through the words of a 20th century woman from the American State of Colorado.
WHO WAS BRIDEY MURPHY?
Our story starts, as Christopher Hawtree, in the United Kingdom's, "The Guardian", dated May 4, 1999, relates:
- - - one dark and stormy night in Pueblo, Colorado, in the late 1940s. The telephone rang at Bernstein Brothers Equipment, where Morey was trying to pick a winner in the company's slogan competition. On the line was one Jerry Thomas, who was stranded without a bed for the night - and was the cousin of an important customer. They met. Thomas mentioned that his hobby was hypnosis and offered to demonstrate on a woman volunteer.
As Thomas had predicted, soon after coming round, the woman went into the kitchen and removed a stocking. Bernstein was hooked. Tractors and concrete-mixers soon took second place to hypnosis.
https://www.theguardian.com/news/1999/may/05/guardianobituaries1
Above, Morey Bernstein, amateur hypnotist and creator (?) of "Bridey Murphy".
Morey Bernstein read everything he could about hypnosis and started giving his own demonstrations at friends and other people's parties. He had started with the same routine as Jerry Thomas, making people do something, or behave like some animal. However, at some point, Morey started taking his subjects back to their childhoods and have them remember something they'd forgotten.
The following two paragraphs, from two different sections of the same article, are from the September 18, 2023, on-line issue of "The Skeptic", written by Sean Slater:
In 1952, at a dinner party at the home of Virginia Tighe in Pueblo, Colorado, Bernstein offered to hypnotise Virginia to discover the cause of her allergies. He regressed her back to her childhood, hoping to determine if there was a long-hidden trigger to her issues, but at some point – to the astonishment of Bernstein and the other party guests – Virginia started speaking in a distinct ‘Irish’ accent, and instead of being an 8-year-old American, claimed to be 8-year-old Bridey, living in Cork in the early 1800’s.
Virginia Tighe – at the time 29 years old – was born Virginia Mae Reese in Chicago and had never visited Ireland, nor had her family any connections to the country. Her parents were 2nd generation Scandinavian immigrants. For Bernstein, her ability to speak in an authentic Irish accent, and recount facts only someone native to Ireland would know, plus her uncanny ability to recall such intimate and precise details of a life once lived, was proof that she wasn’t lying.
https://www.skeptic.org.uk/2023/09/the-strange-tale-of-bridey-murphy-and-virginia-tighe/
Above, Virginia Tighe
Morey Bernstein kept his hypnotic regression sessions with Virginia Tighe going for a total of six. The material from these session had people asking the obvious question, was "Bridey Murphy" real?
By 1956, Morey had published his book, "The Search for Bridey Murphy", with Virginia Tighe referred to as "Ruth Simmons", at her request to remain anonymous. That book continued to build upon a craze sweeping across continents.
Below, the First Edition of the "The Search for Bridey Murphy" by Morey Bernstein, published on January 1, 1956, without a dust cover.
Below the cover of the July 1, 1989 reissue.
According to Sean Slater, the following is from an article in the "New York Times", no date given:
Within months of the book’s publication in January 1956, it created a cultural brush fire, elevating hypnotism into something of a national mania and laying the groundwork for a later surge in interest in reincarnation and channeling.
That cultural brush fire could be substituted with similar worldwide mania associated with popular singers in different decades, such as Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, "The Beatles", and at the time of this writing, Taylor Swift.
Below is a photograph of Morey Bernstein with Virginia Tighe, verified that she was in a hypnotic trance as he questioned her.
The following are found on the website for the "Denver Public Library Special Collections and Archives". They relate to Bridey Murphy, in an article written by Chris Root, and published on October 22, 2019.
https://history.denverlibrary.org/news/bridey-murphy-saga-yesterdays-news-vol-v
Above, putting "Bridey Murphy" with "Flying Saucers" might seem strange, but like the hunt for proof that "UFO's" were real. Researchers started to verify the information that she, through Virginia Tighe, was telling Morey Bernstein and which he was recording on tape. My reader can find some of these sessions, transferred onto records, should they be interested. Speaking to the verification of "Bridey Murphy's" story, Chris Root wrote:
Further investigations revealed even more damning details. While Tighe (born Virginia Mae Reese) was primarily raised by her Norwegian uncle and his wife, both her parents were part Irish and she lived with them until she was three. Even more significantly, an Irish immigrant named Bridey Murphy Corkell lived across the street from Virginia’s childhood home.
The following article is part of Chris Root's article:
The following from "Paulest Feature Services", no date given, addressed "The Christian" point of view on Morey Bernstein's book.
It is felt by some experts, that Virginia Tighe was a case of Cryptomnesia. Not remembering facts and events that a person experienced at some time in their life. In Virginia's case, her childhood neighbor, Bridey Murphy Corkell, the Irish Corkell family, and their stories of Ireland. Making Virginia Tighe, under Morey Bernstein's hypnosis, believing those facts and any events she experienced in childhood, as new, and original.
The following comes from "Time Magazine", dated March 19, 1956:
https://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,824046,00.html
In two months Bernstein's book shot through eight printings and 170,500 copies into No. 1 spot on U.S. nonfiction bestseller lists overlapping Anne Lindbergh's Gift From the Sea. It has also sold some 30,000 longplaying records ($5.95 each) enabling purchasers to hear Bridey herself as Bernstein recorded her on tape in the first of his six sessions with Housewife Tighe. The book has been bought by the movies (for a reported $50,000), syndicated in 42 U.S. newspapers, and echoed in popular songs (The Love of Bridey Murphy).
More than that, it has created a boom in the occult. A West Coast hypnotist advertised an offer to "establish the prior existence" of all comers (at $25 an existence). Around the country, while hostesses gave "come as you were" parties and restaurants offered "reincarnation cocktails," ordinary Americans began turning up (often on TV screens) in earlier lifetimes as German leather merchants, French peasants, English princesses, and; in one case, a horse. In Shawnee, Okla., Bridey intrigued a 19-year-old newsboy so mightily that he killed himself after leaving a note that he was going to "investigate the theory in person.
The above monetary amounts might seem small today, but as an example:
The $50,000 paid for the movie rights to Morey Bernstein's book, as of this writing, would be equal to $578,669.
I have given my reader enough information to either put the story aside, or delve deeper into it, should they so choose. Below, is a photographic answer to the question, what happened to Virginia Tighe? She is seen with her second husband, Richard Cavender Monroe, and her children from both marriages and granddaughter. Virginia was going by the nickname of "Ginni" at the time of the photograph.
This is a motion picture and television blog. The following are the Six, 1950's motion pictures, including the one mentioned by "Time Magazine", inspired by Morey Bernstein's book.
THE SHE CREATURE released on August 1, 1956
Note the poster's tag line:
IT CAN AND DID HAPPEN! Based on authentic FACTS you've been reading about!
Independent film distributor, Jerry Zigmond, was the first to come up with the idea of using the concept of Morey Bernstein's book, "The Search of Bridey Murphy", in a horror film. He took his idea to his friend James H. Nicholson, a former sales manager for "Realart Pictures, Inc". Two-years-ago, on April 2, 1954, with entertainment lawyer, Samuel A. Arkoff, the two men had formed the motion picture and distribution company, "American Releasing Corporation". That company no longer existed, because in 1955, with two other film makers, Roger Corman and Alex Gordon, the four men formed a new company aimed at teenagers, "American International Pictures, LLC". It was "AIP" that now made that first of the Hypnotism-Reincarnation screenplays inspired by "Bridey Murphy" craze.
Hired to write the 1956 screenplay was Lou Rusoff. The previous year, for "AIP", Rusoff wrote both "The Day the World Ended", and "The Phantom from 10,000 Leagues".
The director was Edward L. Cahn, in 1955, he had directed science fiction and horror writer Curt Siodmak's, "Creature with the Atom Brain". Cahn would go on to direct all three "AIP" 1957 features, "Voodoo Woman", "Zombies of Mora Tau", and "Invasion of the Saucer-Men".
Peter Lorre was supposed to portray the role of hypnotist "Dr. Carlo Lombardi". After reading the script, Lorre fired his agent for getting him the role, and Chester Morris was hired. Morris had started acting in 1917, he was best known for playing reformed jewel thief turned detective "Boston Blackie", in 14, 1940's movies and on "NBC Radio".
Edward Arnold was signed to play "Timothy Chappel", but he died before filming began and the role went to Tom Conway. Conway was the older brother of actor George Sanders, and took over the role, from his brother, of jewel thief turned detective, "The Falcon", in the appropriately named 1942's, "The Falcon's Brother". Tom Conway starred in both producer Val Lewton's, 1942's, "The Cat People", and 1943's, "I Walked with a Zombie".
Cathy Downs portrayed "Dorothy Chappel". In 1946, Downs had the title role of "Clementine Carter", in director John Ford's, "My Darling Clementine", starring Henry Fonda as "Wyatt Earp". In 1955, she co-starred in "The Phantom from 10,000 Leagues", in1957, she co-starred in producer Bert I. Gordon's, "The Amazing Colossal Man", and in 1958, it was the even lower budgeted remake of 1953's, "Cat-Women of the Moon", "Missile to the Moon". My article is "CATHY DOWNS the Hollywood Rabbit Hole into 1950's Low-Budget Science Fiction" at:
http://www.bewaretheblog.com/2023/08/cathy-downs-hollywood-rabbit-hole-into.html
Lance Fuller portrayed "Dr. Ted Erickson". Fuller's first motion picture was an uncredited role as a "Villager", in 1943's, "Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man", but he is known by fans of 1950's science fiction, for portraying "Brack", in 1955's, "This Island Earth".
Above, Lance Fuller and Cathy Downs.
Marla English portrayed "Andrea Talbott". English got the role because she resembled Elizabeth Taylor. Her career lasted for 18-movies, between 1954 and 1957. Her last motion picture was 1957's, "Voodoo Woman", co-starring with Tom Conway and Touch Connors, three roles before he changed his name to Michael Connors.
Marla English's reincarnated personality was designed, made by, and performed by creature and make-up artist, Paul Blaisdell. My article is "Paul Blaisdell: 'American International Pictures' Creator of 1950's Alien's and Other Creatures" at:
http://www.bewaretheblog.com/2022/03/paul-blaisdell-american-international.html
"Dr. Lombardi", a partitioner of black magic and the occult, who has a small show on the carnival-like pier at the beach, stares at strange footprints in the sand.
"Lombardi" brings "Andrea" out of her trance and she declares her desire to get away from him forever. "Lombardi's" replies that he will possess her as long as she lives. "Lombardi" has been able to send "Andrea" into her prehistoric past and has unleashed the title "She-Creature" as a means of getting revenge on the people he believes are against him.
Soon after the above confrontation, "Ted" and "Lt. James" arrive at "Lombardi's" sideshow and approach the hypnotist. "Ted" tells "Lombardi" that he saw him leave the "Jefferson" beach house and gets the reply that "Lombardi" helped facilitate a "transmigration" of a prehistoric female into the body of a living woman. "Lombardi's" statement makes newspaper headlines and "Timothy Chappel" comes up with a way to make money off of the hypnotist and goes to the carnival looking for him.
"""Chappel" enters "Lombardi's" place of business and approaches him about writing a book and going on tour, but first the hypnotist most come to "Timothy Chappel's" home to test how the egotistic hypnotist performs to the right crowd. "Lombardi" claims he has genuine psychic abilities, but "Chappel" thinks he joking.
While later that same evening, to "Dorothy Chappel", "Ted Erickson" seems occupied with something other than herself.
Meanwhile, under "Timothy Chappel's" tutelage. "Lombardi" has written a best seller about reincarnation, become a major celebrity, and moves into the "Chappel" house. Presenting "Lombardi" with a check for $250,000 from the book sales, "Chappel" tells him to leave, calling the hypnotist a "dirty side show act".
"Lombardi" informs "Andrea" that they will be leaving the next day for a European tour, and she informs him that "Ted" has given her the power to resist the hypnotist. Later, "Ted" and "Andrea" walk together on the beach, now somewhat romantically attached to each other.
At another demonstration at the "Chappel" house, as he puts "Andrea" into a trance state, "Lombardi" realizes that she is attempting to resist him. He stops, and warns everyone that he feels a menace in the house and for everyone to leave.
Now believing that "Lombardi" can really regress "Andrea Talbott", "Lt. Ed James" calls for police sharp shooters to converge on the beach. Hurrying to meet his men, "James" sees the "She-Creature" come out of the ocean, shoots at it, the bullets have no effect on the creature and it knocks "James" down and continues on its way. Hearing the gunshots, "Ted" rushes to "Lt. James", who informs the other that "Lombardi" has brought the "She-Creature" back.
As the police cars approach, the "She-Creature" enters the "Chappel" house and attacks "Timothy". The police make a circle of firewood around some of the "She-Creature's" footprints, after "Lt. James" realized that it returns over the exact same path. With the creature inside the circle, the police set fire to the firewood, shoot at the "She-Creature", but it just disappears. It reappears where "Lombardi" has "Andrea" in a trance within the house.
I direct by reader to the second tag line on the above poster:
At last the screen answers the searching question of REINCARNATION!
This quickie film from producer Howard Christie, who at the time was mainly turning out "B" westerns and Abbott and Costello comedies for "Universal International Pictures", was designed to play off the "Bridey Murphy" craze.
The screenplay was by two writers, one was actor William Talman, and he would only write two more. However, Talman is known to fans of actor Raymond Burr's television series, "Perry Mason", portraying prosecutor "Hamilton Burger", from 1957 through 1966 for 225-episodes.
The other writer was Norman Jolley, he was primarily a television writer who started out with 77-episodes, of 1951 through 1955's, "Space Patrol".
Jock Mahoney portrayed airline pilot "John Bolan" and the First World War Army air corps pilot, "Lieutenant Peter Stevens". Mahoney was basically a "B" western star, although he did appear in some action films and before "Legendary Pictures" rediscovered "The Hollow Earth Theory". Jock Mahoney starred in 1957's, "The Land Unknown". That referenced Admiral Byrd's hunt for a way into the center of the "Hollow Earth" in the Antarctic.
Leigh Snowden portrayed "Lois Gordon". Snowden might be said to have been the reason "The Creature Walks Among Us", in 1956, ending "The Creature from the Black Lagoon Trilogy".
Ann Harding portrayed "Jane Stone". In 1930, Harding co-starred with Mary Astor in the comedy-drama, "Holiday". While in 1937, she co-starred with Basil Rathbone in the mystery thriller, "Love from a Stranger", which was re-released as "A Night of Terror". Just before this feature film, Ann Harding had 6th-billing behind Gregory Peck, Jennifer Jones, and Fredric March, Marisa Pavan, and Lee J. Cobb, in 1956's, "The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit",
John McIntyre portrayed "Dr. Thomas Bryant". In 1950, McIntyre was 6th-billed in director John Huston's classic, 1950's film-noir, "The Asphalt Jungle", the same year he was in director Anthony Mann's "A-List" western, "Winchester 73"starring James Stewart. Starting in 1959, John McIntyre starred in televisions "Wagon Train" for 152-episodes, and in 1960, he co-starred in director Alfred Hitchcock's, "Psycho".
The Screenplay:
The movies opening are two short jump cuts, the first is on April 29, 1918, over the skies of Villars, France, as Army air corps pilot "Lieutenant Peter Stevens" is shot down by a German flyer, his plane crashes, and he dies, Cut to 1930, 12-years-old, "John Bolan" sees a First World War plane, gets in the pilots seat and takes off, flies, and lands the plane. Cut again to, 1956, commercial airline pilot "John Bolan" is in flight, he turns over the aircraft to his co-pilot and goes into the passenger cabin and sees the elderly "Jane Stone", who looks familiar, but "John" can't recall why?
The passenger plane is about to land, when pilot "John Bolan" is suddenly seeing himself over France during the First World. He is being shot at by a German pilot and takes his plane into a nosedive to avoid the bullets that are coming from the others plane.
However, it is the passenger plane that is now in a nosedive and co-pilot "Russel Smith", portrayed by Jerry Paris, is forced to knock "John" out and take control of the plane, saving everyone.
Cut to a hospital room in a psychiatric hospital and "John Bolan" awakes in it. When questioned by "Dr. Thomas Bryant" as to who he is? "Bolan" replies, United States Army air corps "Lieutenant Peter Stevens". When asked what happened to him? "Bolan" replies he was shot down in Villars, France. When asked the date this happened on? "Bolan" replies, April 29, 1918.
With a very interesting opening sequence, William Talman and Norman Jolley's screenplay turns into a very dull, talkfest, and routine story of a man attempting to find out who his other self was and where does "Jane Stone" fit into that? Along with dealing with his girl friend, "Lois Gordon", who with "Dr. Bryant's" help is trying to understand what is going on and is affecting their relationship. Not to overlook that the airline executive, "Joseph Hackett", portrayed by Raymond Bailey, has started an investigation into the near crash and the sanity of "John Bolan".
Everything comes to a climax in "Dr. Bryant's" office. With both "Jane Stone", who doesn't believe the nonsense the doctor and "Bolan" are saying about "Peter Stevens", "Lois Gordon" is also present. "Bryant" hypothesizes that "John's" memories may be either a form of extrasensory perception, or mental telepathy.
"Jane" finally agrees to ask "John" questions about some facts in "Peter Stevens's" life, but "John Bolan" is unable to answer any of them. "Dr. Thomas Bryant" now asks "Jane Stone" to ask "John Bolan" some specific questions about hers and "Peter's" personal life. With some reluctance, "Jane" asks "John" to describe the moment "Peter" proposed to her. "John Bolan" describes that moment in great detail that only "Peter Stevens" and "Jane Stone" would have known.
"Jane" now passes a broach to "Dr. Bryant" without "John Bolan" seeing it. Nobody has ever seen it except "Jane" and "Peter". Asked to describe the broach, "John Bolan/Peter Stevens" describes it also in great detail.
The movie ends with "Jane Stone" thanking everyone who has proved to her, that "Peter's SOUL" lives on within "John Bolan". She leaves and "Dr. Bryant" tells "John" and "Lois" that he is perfectly healthy and concludes that the only way people can live in harmony is to accept different viewpoints and experiences.
1956 ended with the expected big budgeted motion picture from "Paramount Pictures:
THE SEARCH FOR BRIDEY MURPHY released on October 1, 1956
What I found interesting on the above poster for the motion picture and others I look at, was that the studio publicity department didn't feel it was necessary to mention the actors to bring in an audience.
The feature was produced by Pat Duggan, as his 6th of only 8 motion pictures. His last was director John Frankenheimer's, Burt Lancaster, 1961, drama, "The Young Savages".
Morey Bernstein is given credit as the writer of the book, but nothing else.
The screenplay was by the director, Noel Langley. He was the primary writer on 1939's, "The Wizard of Oz". In 1951, Langley was the primary writer on the British production of author Charles Dickens's, "Christmas Carol", starring Alastair Sim. In 1951, he both wrote and directed the British production of Charles Dickens, 1952, "The Pickwick Papers".
I said I was surprised that the posters didn't mention the cast. The following is the screenplay's main cast:
Teresa Wright portrayed "Ruth Simmons", the fictional name for Virginia Tighe was used as in the book. In 1942, Teresa Wright won the "Best Supporting Actress Academy Award" for "Mrs. Miniver". Also in 1942, she was nominated for the "Best Actress Academy Award", for being opposite Gary Cooper in "The Pride of the Yankees". The previous year, Wright had been nominated for the "Best Supporting Actress Academy Award" for 1941's, "The Little Foxes".
Louis Hayward portrayed "Morey Bernstein". Among the motion pictures the actor is known for, include director James Whale's, version of French author Alexander Dumas's, 1939, "The Man in the Iron Mask". Director Roland V. Lee's, 1940's, "The Son of Monte Cristo", authoress Agatha Christie's, 1945, "And Then There Were None", and just before this motion picture, Louis Hayward, starred in the television detective series, "The Lone Wolf", portraying "Michael Lanyard".
Nancy Gates portrayed "Hazel Bernstein". Her film work included the 1954 psychological film-noir, "Suddenly", starring Frank Sinatra, the 1956 science fiction, "World Without End", and the Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Shirley MacLaine, 1958, "Some Come Running".
Kenneth Tobey portrayed "Rex Simmons". Virginia Tighe's husband was actually Hugh B. Tighe, Jr. By this time, besides portraying "Jim Bowie" in Walt Disney's television episode of "Davy Crockett at the Alamo", Tobey was known for three science fiction motion pictures, 1951's, "The Thing from Another World", 1953's, "The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms", and 1955's, "It Came from Beneath the Sea". My brief article is "My Neighbors Actors Barbara Luddy and Kenneth Tobey" at:
http://www.bewaretheblog.com/2016/10/a-memory-of-my-neighbors-barbara-luddy.html
Above, Teresa Wright and Kenneth Tobey
Richard Anderson, standing below, portrayed "Dr. Deering". At the time the actor had portrayed "Chief Quinn" in the classic 1956 science fiction movie, "Forbidden Planet". Fans of televisions "The Six Million Dollar Man", knew Anderson as "Oscar Goldman", from 1974 through 1978, for 99-episodes.
The Screenplay:
The story opens in Pueblo, Colorado, in 1952, as "Morey Bernstein" and his wife "Hazel" are preparing to go to a dinner party at "Rex" and "Ruth Simmons" home. "Morey" receives a phone call from "Jerry Thomas", portrayed by Charles Boaz, a cousin of one of "Morey's" biggest clients. Apparently, his plane has been grounded at the airport. They pick "Jerry" up and take him with them to the "Simmons" dinner party. There, "Jerry" entertains the guest with his amateur hypnotism. "Morey" is skeptical that "Jerry" has put several party guests under hypnosis, but "Dr. Deering", a physician attending the party, confirms that even his own fiancee, "Lois Morgan", portrayed by Janet Riley, is also in a trance.
Having watched "Jerry Thomas", at the party, "Morey Bernstein" becomes obsessed with hypnotism. He starts to read every book he can get his hands on. His first subject is his wife "Hazel", who he cures of her migraines. "Morey" now volunteers at a hospital and has great success curing patients of their psychosomatic symptoms. At another dinner party, "Morey Bernstein" learns of Edgar Cayce, "The Sleeping Prophet", portrayed by Noel Leslie in a flashback sequence. Cayce is described in this screenplay as a noted hypnotist who uncovered the past lives of his patients. The real Cayce was a clairvoyant, who claimed to speak to his higher self while in a trance. In his trance state, he would answer questions about reincarnation, past lives, the afterlife, and even Atlantis the Lost Continent
"Morey Bernstein" seeks out Hugh Lynn Cayce, portrayed by James Bell, the only surviving son of Edgar. Who has gathered all of his father's documents and the two discuss Hugh's father. Next, "Morey" is able to convince "Ruth Simmons" to be hypnotized over her husband's objections.
"Ruth" turns out to be a very susceptible to hypnosis. At a second session, "Morey" decides to regress "Ruth" further into her subconscious. Each following session moves "Ruth Simmons" further back until the unexpected happens. "Ruth Simmons" of Pueblo, Colorado, now speaks in a thick Irish brogue and claims to be "Bridget Kathleen "Bridey" Murphy" of Cork, Ireland.
The motion picture uses flashbacks of "Bridey" in Cork, as "Ruth-Bridey" tells her story. However, different actresses, starting with "Bridey, age four" through "Bridey McCarthy, age sixty-six", are portraying her and not once does Teresa Wright. There is a scene where "Ruth" wakes up from a session and does an Irish jig from a post hypnotic suggestion, but upon hearing the recording of the session becomes very upset and "Rex" suggests it is time for the sessions to end.
However, when a "college philosophy professor", portrayed by Walter Kingsford, a "Catholic Priest", portrayed by Charles Maxwell, and a "Newspaper publisher name Cramer", portrayed by Lawrence Fletcher, all show interest in "Bridey Murphy", the "Simmons's" change their minds about stopping the sessions with "Morey Bernstein and they continue.
It should be noted that "The Denver Post" reporter William J. (Joseph) Barker is seen as himself.
During the sessions "Morey" learns of "Bridey's" marriage to her childhood friend, who is also a barrister like his father, and her family life.
It [The Undead] was originally called “The Trance of Diana Love”. Roger said to me, “Do me a Bridey Murphy picture.” And I told him that by the time Paramount finishes theirs, ours will fail. At the time, everybody was saying that they were making a bad picture. He just said that we’d get ours done ahead of theirs and clean up. So I did “The Trance of Diana Love” and it got shot funny, especially at the end, where you see the empty clothes before the revelation. It was in iambic pentameter and I had to rewrite it after it was ready to shoot because somebody told Roger that they didn’t understand it. Roger would give it to anybody to read or anybody out on the street. He’d send girls out with scripts.
Richard Devon portrayed "Satan". Devon was also a television actor, but his film career for Roger Corman includes the 1957 film-noir,"Teenage Doll", my favorite film title, 1957's, "The Saga of the Viking Women and Their Voyage to the Waters of the Great Sea Serpent", 1958's, "War of the Satellites", and 1958's, "Machine-Gun Kelly", starring the then unknown Charles Bronson.
"Quintus" sends "Diana" back in time to the Middle Ages where she is a prisoner namer "Helene", accused of being a witch. It is the "Witches Sabbath" and by tradition, the night that the towns people must kill anyone accused of being a witch.
Another in the cycle of regression themes is a combo teenager and science-fiction yarn which should do okay in the exploitation market [...] Only thing new about this Herman Cohen production is a psychiatrist's use of a problem teenager [...] but it's handled well enough to meet the requirements of this type film. [...] good performances help overcome deficiencies. Final reels, where the lad turns into a hairy-headed monster with drooling fangs, are inclined to be played too heavily.
I WAS A TEENAGE WEREWOLF released on June 19, 1957
The motion picture was directed by Gene Fowler, Jr. Since 1935, Fowler was primarily a film editor, but again, as a director, made the cult science fiction feature, 1958's, "I Married a Monster from Outer Space".
A REGAL FILMS PRODUCTION. Released by 20th CENTURY FOX.
In his 2010, "A Sci-Fi Swarm and a Horror Horde: Interviews with 62 Filmmakers: The Mutant Melting of Two Volumes of Classic Interviews", motion picture critic, Tom Weaver, stated that the movie was made by the "Regal Unit", to "cash in" on the:
widely publicized story" of a Colorado woman who claimed (after "hypnotic regression") to be a nineteenth-century Irishwoman named "Bridey Murphy".
It was certainly not a fine film. I don't think that I could even say it's a good film. But it's such an interesting premise ... that you stay tuned.
A Small Look at the Opening of the Screenplay:
Marsha Hunt said the movie had "such an interesting premise" and the story catches you at the start.
The film opens with three people on what is supposed to be a happy vacation along the California coast. They are, pregnant "Mandy Anthony", her husband, "Dick", and "Mandy's" sister, "Kate". Suddenly, "Mandy" has a seizure, becomes unconscious, and miscarries her baby. When "Mandy" regains consciousness, she looks at "Dick", but calls hims "Dickens". "Mandy Anthony" is no longer there, but "Felicia Anthony", "Dick's" first wife is in "Mandy's" body. "Felicia" died six-years-earlier and "Dick" had never told "Mandy" anything about her.
"Felicia" demands to see the "Bradley's", and elderly couple that "Dick" tells "Kate", "Mandy" doesn't know, but they're "Felicia's" parents. "Felicia" meets with "Mr. Bradley", portrayed by James Bell, and "Mrs. Bradley", portrayed by Helen Wallace, and after a time convinces the two that she is their daughter, "Back from the Dead", in "Possession" of "Mandy Anthony's" body.
Now we find out that "Felicia" and her parents were and are, part of a "Devil Worshiping Cult" led by Otto Reichow portraying "Maitre Renault" and have nothing to do with hypnotic regression.
As Tom Weaver wrote, the film, at the time, attempted to "cash in" on "Bridey Murphy" craze.
For those who might be interested. "Back from the Dead" is available on Blu-ray, but the film's description does not imply "Bridey Murphy":
Mandy (Peggie Castle, 99 River Street) has not been feeling well since arriving at her husband Dick’s house on the craggy California coastline. Things get worse—and weirder—when she is suddenly possessed by the spirit of Dick’s dead ex-wife, Felicia! Mandy’s sister (Marsha Hunt, Take One False Step) and Dick (Arthur Franz, Invaders from Mars) desperately want Mandy back, but there are many people who have been waiting a long time for Felicia’s return. Sinister people who practice the Black Arts…who will stop at nothing to make sure Felicia is Back from the Dead.
Epilogue of Sorts:
Morey Bernstein was also an amateur composer and wrote two songs, "Think of Me", and "I'll Find a Way". Both were heard over a radio in the science fiction movies, "The Cape Canaveral Monsters", released in December 1960.
On April 2, 1999, Morey Bernstein, passed away in Pueblo, Colorado, at the age of 79.
The following is "The Denver Post's" obituary for Virginia Tighe.
Another bit of mystery is tied to the story of "Bridey Murphy", but not with her. Whenever I read something about Virginia Tighe, the following from the website, "Encyclopedia.com" at:
Virginia Tighe Morrow. Born Virginia Tighe in Chicago, Illinois, in 1923; died of breast cancer on July 12, 1995
However, the website "Find a Grave", has a different set of birth information for Virginia at:
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/181861553/virginia_tighe-morrow
BIRTH: 27 Apr 1923, Madison, Dane County, Wisconsin, USA
No comments:
Post a Comment