Coleen Gray, Grant Williams & Gloria Talbott in "The Leech Woman" (1960)

A mysterious old woman named Malla (Estelle Hemsley) who claims to have been brought to America 140 years ago as a slave approaches endocrinologist Dr. Paul Talbot (Phillip Terry) and promises to reveal to him the secret of eternal youth if he will fund her final trip back to Africa, so that she can be beautiful and young for one last night before she dies.
Paul is unhappily married to an alcoholic, June (Coleen Gray), who is 10 years his elder. They follow Malla to Africa and witness a secret ceremony of the Nando tribe that utilizes orchid pollen and a sacrificial male's pineal gland secretions. The secretions, extracted from the back of the neck via a special ring and mixed with the pollen, temporarily transform Malla into a young, beautiful woman.
After discovering that her conniving husband only brought her along as "a guinea pig who could talk," June takes revenge, choosing Paul to be sacrificed so that she can use his pineal gland extract to become young again herself, though Malla warns her that the transformation will not last long. She steals the ring and pollen, and escapes with her jungle guide. The next morning, she finds she is old again, and kills her jungle guide for his pineal secretions.
June makes her way back to America. Masquerading as her own niece, Terry Hart, she keeps herself young by picking up men and killing them for their pineal extract. But each time the potion wears off, she is older than she was before. As Terry, June becomes enamored of her lawyer Neil Foster (Grant Williams), a man half her actual age. She kills his jealous fiancée Sally Howards (Gloria Talbott), draining her pineal gland and eliminating Sally as competition.
When the police come to investigate the murders that June has committed, she uses Sally's pineal gland extract but finds that it does not work because it is from a woman. Before the police can arrest her, she throws herself out her bedroom window, crashes to the ground and dies. When they see her body, it is much older and much more shriveled than ever.
A 1960 American Black & White horror film (a/k/a "The Leech") directed by Edward Dein, produced by Joseph Gershenon, screenplay by David Duncan, story by Ben Pivar and Francis Rosenwald, cinematography by Ellis W. Carter, starring Coleen Gray, Grant Williams, Gloria Talbott, Phillip Terry, John van Dreelen, Estelle Hemsley, Kim Hamilton, and Arthur Batanides.
Its portrayal of Africa is typical of Hollywood in this era, with its mystical rites with wildly gyrating natives, its references to indigenous tribes as 'savages', and its 'good' locals escorting the outsiders who die or flee in terror. But, the Malla character is an intelligent, well-spoken, class act, the type of person of color not often seen in horror films of this era. Malla has a heart of gold compared to the Caucasian characters in the film, who are all despicable human beings.
This was Joseph Gershenson's last film as a producer, but he would continue on as the head of Universal's Music Department until 1969.
Stock footage of African wildlife and tribal dances was taken from the jungle adventure "Tanganyika" (1954).
The exterior wide shots of the jungle safari following a river in Africa were filmed on the Universal Studio's backlot, and the hills visible in the background border the Hollywood Freeway.
It premiered in Los Angeles on June 15, 1960. The pairing of "The Brides of Dracula" (1960) and this, billed as a "Double Chill and Thrill Show", was one of several examples of Universal-International releasing UK horror films with inexpensive, quickly-produced second films to fill double bills in the US.
In the UK, this film was given an X-certificate by the British Board of Film Censors, following their viewing of the film on 14 March 1960. The X-certificate limited the exhibition of the film to persons over age 16.
Film scholar Vivian Sobchack writes, "It is now a commonplace to acknowledge the complexity of ageism and sexism in white heterosexual culture in the United States". Taking the relationship of June and Paul, Sobchack notes that "in a sexist as well as ageist technoculture, the visibly aging body of a woman has been and still is especially terrifying, not only to the woman who experiences self-revulsion and anger, invisibility and abandonment, but also to the men who find her presence so unbearable they must, quite literally, disavow and divorce her". Sobchack further points out the additional complexity of the "double standard" of the aging man and woman, naming it as a "standard that elicits a complex of engendered emotions from both the women and the men who bear it: fear, humiliation, abjection, shame, power, rage, and guilt.
This solidly produced, ably acted spine-tingler is one of several low-budget rejuvenation films of the early sixties. Dein, a Poverty Row regular, is a "business-like" director and Gershenson a "budget-stretching" producer who, combined, elevate this offering several cuts above the norm.

[@donnieallums4847]

I’m 66 years old now and baldheaded still in pretty good shape physically . I have often wondered what the experience must be like for a beautiful woman to lose her youthful look and become old and can’t turn a man’s head anymore . It’s got to be depressing as hell . Now you have a lot of new wrinkle creams and plastic surgery techniques that helps women hang on to their younger self longer , if they have the financial resources . Loved the movie ! Thanks for sharing this with us .☮️❤️

[@admiralcraddock464]

I often look and photos of beautiful women from the fifties, sixties and seventies and wonder if the same women, if they are still with us, see those phots and wonder just what happened to that young beauty. I also wonder at young women today complaining about being whistled at, as in a few years, they`ll never be whistled at again.

[@donnieallums4847]

@@admiralcraddock464 so true . I always tell the young women to cherish their youth and beauty while it last . Thanks for the reply . Hope all is well with your family and friends .☮️❤️

[@mariecait]

@@admiralcraddock464beauty is a gift and a curse. Mostly a curse.

[@kewannaloves5459]

There's alot of us out here that actually cherish growing older bc it's being done gracefully and full of gratefulness. 💜

[@donnieallums4847]

@@kewannaloves5459 that’s the right attitude . Thanks for the reply . Hope all is well.

[@tonyamoony]

That Sir, was Sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo GOOD! TY!!!😁

[@randolphdixon891]

CLASSIC!!!! This was when sci-fi kept your attention!! Even during the love scenes!!!!😁😁😁

[@ChrisCarlin-is8wv]

I saw this film at the dollar a car drive-in back in the early seventies.

[@joeyxc4]

I miss the drive in

[@sheiladavis6523]

Me Too ​@@joeyxc4

[@yomama8873]

Great old sci fy thank you 🤩🤩💖

[@jackdarbyshire5888]

Yes Gloria Talbot ,such a gorgeous girl,she also resembles Lori Saunders who is another very beautiful girl ❤💋

[@sheiladavis6523]

GLORIA PLAY IN THE 🎬 ATTACK OF THE 50 FOOT WOMAN . 5/28/2024

[@hungfao]

I haven't seen this since the 60s. A very competent film.

[@adamcheong4742]

Even old at least she can walk and do her own things. Pity those old who cannot walk and are weak and have lost muscle power.

[@normanwitt4692]

I have this movie on DVD along with Cult of the cobra 1955.

[@ericmartin9296]

Me too

[@user-te4ji5lq6w]

Love this movie

[@FrederickTheGrt]

This movie is about modern dating; what men want and the reality that women face.

[@rafaellewis4528]

Speaks volumes

[@sparkysmom7149]

I saw this movie as a nine year old little girl. It scared the absolute hell out of me. Watching it now, I don't know what it was that scared me, other than the title. Lol

[@blackdove3057]

O-kay. So no one is going to mention melatonin? That's the first thing that came to my mind. It's produced by the pineal gland at the center of the brain. The pineal is located in the cerebrum which the good doctor mentioned. So a man must die to extract it. Unless of course you're using synthetic melatonin. This movie is very telling. Melatonin is said to improve the aging of skin.

[@wrsmith711]

This is the coolest movie I have ever seen about black folks....

[@lifesahobby]

This was lovely

[@whizzer2944]

Good., worth a watch. If it's b movie the acting is excellent.

[@javierrivera9024]

I saw this movie in Svengoolies at Mtv channel

[@sunchildgaia]

loved it.

[@williamf4544]

Kinda reminds me of those times when you go out on the town and drink way too much and the person you waken up with looks nothing like you though she did the night before

[@candacegladden5313]

Hell u don’t have to drink anymore these days hell u can still go to sleep and wake up with a whole new woman lol with makeup and hair extensions and all that other jazz

[@darnellmitchell9357]

Good movie first time I see where is at the drive-in theater😂

[@pvm7184]

33:43 ... *"You'll sale us your secret, and let us go"* 🤨 That look Malla gave the doctor is a Look you only get in the *HOOD!!!* 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@jonathangems]

Bravo!

[@davidvalensi8616]

The lawyer is the "Incredible shrinking man".

[@chochonero3419]

I was wondering if I would ever find this movie again.

[@user-jf9vx1cl8k]

They don't make em like that anymore. 👍

[@jeanwilliquet4035]

It's a bit cobbled together but I like it.

[@javierrivera9024]

In the jungle you'll remain until the dice read five or eight. Jumanji

[@henrybrowne7248]

I trust Coleen had fun in this one.

[@slimeronio]

yes, it is true, we had the formula until the colonizers wrecked everthin

[@rosemariemcgowan6388]

Poor leopard 😢😢

[@john_carter8243]

Kim Hamilton was FINE!!!

[@kashmerelove5748]

Great movie.

[@sundancekick9359]

Pretty good ❤the year that I was born❤❤

[@martyhenschel7145]

Me too.

[@hertzair1186]

Me too…11/27/60

[@katem1472]

Great movie!

[@sunchildgaia]

never trust "civilized" folks, better risk your life with a wild animal. :) Good thriller BTW. Her husband must have seen her true self, that was why he was so mean to her!

[@rosemariemcgowan6388]

You couldn't make this up 😂😂😂😂😂😅😅😅😅😅

[@pixels2u]

Pretty sure someone made it up

[@bernadettecullinan6841]

Good film .

[@rosemariemcgowan6388]

Hope any animals didn't get hurt with all that dynamite.Poor pets ❤

[@NealePinkney-td2cn]

Fit chick,deserves a portion 😊

[@admiralcraddock464]

A large portion of old English blue vein

[@mshotz1]

Jed! Jed! Jed!

[@StephanieColquhoun-rp5sr]

Not being rude about colours she might turn half white half dark

[@cynthiaellison-tw6ci]

I loved it. Lol

[@bethg.5611]

This is thoroughly depressing

[@Scooterdude01]

A true story

[@inagaddadavidababy6163]

35:32 Spot on, village elder lady!

[@jeph33]

And the last state was worse than the first..

[@Nefarioso]

Cheap parlour trick; smoke and mirrors.

[@williamf4544]

Africa must be an amazing country to visit however i couldnt actually go there my self as im a very very light sleeper and there is no way i would get any sleep with those bongo drums playing all night even at a distance - Having said that i guess it would be the same with Scotland with all those people playing bagpipes

[@henrybrowne7248]

🤣You're funny.

[@lebowskiduderino89]

Hey folks, I have an idea. Why don't we stop apologizing for movies that were made 60 years ago? Have you watched tv lately? Have you noticed anything different? Personally I don't give a sh*t about being politically correct because I didn't have anything to do with it. If the movie offends you, don't watch it. I'm not going to watch it because, let's face it, it sux. It's a horrible waste of time. But....that's just my opinion. Cheers mate!

[@timesurfingalien]

This should be re-made

[@javierrivera9024]

That's real romantic music, not like that modern reguetón noise.

[@StephanieColquhoun-rp5sr]

Why do you need tore make movies some good re makes some not x

[@j.w.2391]

Suspension of belief is a must.......didnt care for the Africanist - Black Magic tropes and associations.

[@javierrivera9024]

Welcome to the jungle

[@minagumede2412]

Forever young... don't ever worry again, even for a litu while-that's a secret 😅.

[@Rafael_1965]

ADRENOCHROME

[@58christiansful]

Very. Silly.

[@lindakennedy6468]

Is this about Megan Markle !???

[@Packer-Girl..]

I remember watching this movie with my Grandmother when I was a kid. I remember searching years for it, but I couldn't remember the title. My favorite part was how she would drink the blood and become young again. Good movie