Mesa of Lost Women
Brief Synopsis
Cast & Crew
Herbert Tevos
Jackie Coogan
Richard Travis
Allan Nixon
Mary Hill
Robert Knapp
Photos & Videos
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
After pilot Grant Phillips and Doreen Culverson are found wandering in Mexico's Death Desert, they are taken to a small hospital to recover. Grant tells physician Dr. Tucker, oil man Dan Mulcahey and local resident Pepe that he was hired to fly financier Van Croft and his girl friend Doreen to Mexico City to get married. Grant says that his plane developed engine trouble, forcing him to land on a mesa overrun by giant insects, which he says must be destroyed immediately. As Grant relates his story, he is unaware of a previous event: A year earlier, noted researcher Dr. Leland Masterson drives to the Zarpa Mesa to meet with Dr. Aranya, author of several theoretical papers he has admired. Aranya's laboratory is hidden within the mesa and when Masterson finally meets Aranya, he is horrified to learn that his studies on the use of the growth hormone of the interior pituitary gland are not theoretical and that Aranya has been experimenting on human beings as well as creatures. This has resulted in the development of giant tarantulas, the size of humans. Aranya has also reversed the process, removing the hormone from the spiders and injecting it into women workers in his laboratory. Aranya introduces Masterston to one of the strange women, Tarantella, who he claims can regenerate organs and thus will live for hundreds of years. Aranya is also experimenting on a giant spider, with a reasoning brain, with which he expects to control the world. Masterson is aghast when Aranya invites him to work with him and rejects all that Aranya is doing. After Aranya tells Masterson that he now cannot permit him to leave, Tarantella injects him with a liquid that causes him to collapse. A year later, Masterson escapes from the Mexican asylum in which he has been committed and is pursued by George, a male nurse. The delusional Masterson goes to a local cantina where he meets Van Croft and Doreen who are waiting for Grant to repair their plane. Wu, Van Croft's manservant, becomes a slave of Tarantella, who works at the cantina as a dancer. During one of Tarantella's exotic dances, Masterson pulls out a revolver and kills her. Masterson then takes Van Croft, Doreen and George hostage and they drive to the plane. After they leave, a fully restored Tarantella rises from the dead. At gunpoint, Masterson insists that Grant take off, although the plane has not been completely repaired. After take off, the compass and one of the engines fail, forcing the plane to crash-land on Zarpa Mesa. As Grant and George plan to disarm Masterson, they are watched from the bushes by some of Aranya's strange women and dwarves. At night, after Grant sets off an alarm flare and they build a fire, George leaves the area to look around. His scream prompts the others to look for him and they find him dead with two large puncture wounds in his neck. While the others try to sleep, Grant stands watch, but is romanced by Doreen who admits she is marrying Van Croft only for his money. When Van Croft awakens he discovers that Doreen has lost a very valuable comb that he gave her and orders Wu to look for it. Suddenly, Masterson hands his gun to the still mesmerized Wu. Wu then heads to Aranya's laboratory and tells him that he has brought Masterson. However, the women attack Wu and, later, Grant finds his corpse and the comb, which he returns to Van Croft. Van Croft panics, runs into the brush and is killed by a giant tarantula as Grant, Doreen and Masterson are taken prisoner by Aranya. In the laboratory, Aranya injects Masterson with a drug he claims will make him regain his sanity. Doreen is stunned to see that Tarantella is still alive. After Masterson recovers, Aranya again seeks his cooperation and, again, Masterson refuses. When Tarantella attempts to reinject Masterson, Doreen intervenes and the two women struggle while Masterson quickly concocts a flask of explosive chemicals. After telling Grant and Doreen to escape, he hurls the flask, causing a huge explosion that destroys the laboratory and all in it. After Grant finishes telling his story, Doreen begins to recover. Although Tucker and Mulcahey have doubts about Grant's tale, Pepe believes that there are elements of truth in their story and, back on Zarpa Mesa, one of Aranya's women has survived.
Cast
Jackie Coogan
Richard Travis
Allan Nixon
Mary Hill
Robert Knapp
Chris Pin Martin
Harmon Stevens
Niko Lek
Samuel Wu
John Martin
Tandra Quinn
Lyle Talbot
Kelly Drake
George Barrows
Candy Collins
Dolores Fuller
Dean Reisner
Doris Lee Price
Mona Mckinnon
Sherry Moreland
Ginger Sherry
Chris Randall
Dianne Fortier
Karna Greene
June Benbow
Katina Vea
Fred Kelsey
Angelo Rossitto
Crew
George N. Brown
Hoyt S. Curtin
Sam Freedle
Melvin Gordon
Orville H. Hampton
W. Donn Hayes
Joy N. Houck
Ernest Johnson
Theodore Joos
Oscar Lau
Herb A. Lightmann
Ray H. Lockert
Ray Mercer
William Nolte
Theodore Offenbecker
G. William Perkins
Oscar Rodriquez
Harry Ross
Harry Smith
Paul Stanhope
Karl Struss
Herbert Tevos
Gil Warrenton
J. Francis White Jr.
Hugh Winn
Photo Collections
Film Details
Technical Specs
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
This film was originally made by Pergor Productions under the title Tarantula and, according to documents in the MPAA/PCA Collection at the AMPAS Library, was viewed and granted a PCA seal in October 1951. However, it appears that the producers had difficulty in securing a distributor and when Howco eventually bought the film some time in the spring of 1952, that company assigned Ron Ormond to direct additional footage for the film, which was to be retitled Lost Women of Zarpa. A Los Angeles Times news item of July 4, 1952 reported that Jackie Coogan had been signed to appear in the film, now titled Mesa of Lost Women. The revised film was viewed and granted a PCA seal in mid-August 1952. The film was reviewed in The Exhibitor in June 1953 but did not open in Los Angeles until October 1956.
There are several differences between the opening cast credits and the cast list at the film's conclusion. At the beginning, after Coogan, Allan Nixon and Richard Travis' names, there appears the statement: "Narrated by Lyle Talbot." After Mary Hill and Robert Knapp's names, the following credit appears: "Introducing Tandra Quinn." Samuel Wu's name does not appear in the opening credits. Actor George Barrows' surname is misspelled "Burrows" in the onscreen credits.
A Hollywood Reporter production chart of July 3, 1952 lists William Nolte as assistant director, Harry Smith as sound recordist and adds June McCall to the cast of the additional scenes. Only Gil Warrenton is listed as director of photography on the chart, and it is probable that Karl Struss shot the earlier footage. McCall's appearance in the completed picture has not been confirmed.
