The Undead (film)

The Undead
Year	1957
Directed by	Roger Corman
Produced by	Roger Corman
Written by	Charles B. Griffith Mark Hanna
Music by	Ronald Stein
Studio	Roger Corman Productions
Cast	Richard Garland Pamela Duncan Val Dufour Allison Hayes
Run time	71 minutes
Riffed in	Experiment #806

For the episode, see MST3K 806 - The Undead.

“	I am mad and cannot tell a jest from a joust.	”
	- Digger Smolkin

The Undead is a 1957 fantasy thriller that was produced and directed by Roger Corman.

Plot

A researcher named Quintus hypnotizes a streetwalker called Diana in an attempt to record her past-life experiences as a condemned witch named Helene in the Dark Ages. In the past, Helene attempts to escape her fate with the help of a genuine witch and an addled grave-digger. She is opposed by an evil witch who seeks gain the affection of Pendragon, a brave knight who loves Helene.

Seeking to affect the events of the past, Quintus manages to transmit himself back to Helene's time. After numerous attempts by Quintus to influence her, Diana's consciousness decides not to alter the course of history and resigns herself to her fate. Quintus finds himself stranded in the past and at the mercy of Satan himself.

Cast

• Richard Garland as Pendragon
• Pamela Duncan as Diana Love / Helene
• Val Dufour as Quintus
• Allison Hayes as Livia
• Mel Welles as Digger Smolkin
• Bruno VeSota as Scroop the Innkeeper
• Dorothy Neumann as Meg-Maud
• Billy Barty as the Imp
• Richard Devon as Satan
• Maurice Manson as Professor Olinger
• Dick Miller as the Leper

Notes

• Features an infamous quote, spoken by Quintus towards the end of the film: "STAY!"
• Filmed in a converted supermarket, and completed in six days.
• Inspired by the interest during the 1950s in reincarnation (as was the film The She-Creature), especially the book The Search for Bridey Murphy by Morey Bernstein, which had been filmed in 1956. By the time The Undead was being made, the popularity of reincarnation was starting to dwindle, so Roger Corman decided to change things by adding the time travel elements of Quintus and a title change.
• The "bats" that Livia and the imp repeatedly change into were left over props from Corman's earlier movie It Conquered the World.
• The interior set for Scroop's tavern - The Gabriel's Horn - is the same as the Red Dog Saloon from Roger Corman's Gunslinger.

MST3K Connections

• Director and producer Roger Corman was director and producer for It Conquered the World, Teenage Cave Man, The Saga of the Viking Women and Their Voyage to the Waters of the Great Sea Serpent, Gunslinger, and Day the World Ended. He was also executive producer for Attack of the Giant Leeches, High School Big Shot, Night of the Blood Beast, Deathstalker and the Warriors from Hell, Wizards of the Lost Kingdom, Wizards of the Lost Kingdom II, Deathstalker II, Lords of the Deep (in which he also portrayed a corporate executive), and Munchie, as well as director for Swamp Diamonds, producer for Avalanche, and distribution producer for Starcrash.
• Writer Charles B. Griffith was also writer for It Conquered the World (in which he also portrayed Dr. Pete Shelton), Gunslinger, and Wizards of the Lost Kingdom II (in which he was also director).
• Writer Mark Hanna was also writer for The Amazing Colossal Man and Gunslinger, as well as production coordinator for Terror from the Year 5000.
• Allison Hayes also portrayed Donna in The Crawling Hand, Grace Thomas in The Unearthly, and Erica Page in Gunslinger.
• Mel Welles (Digger Smolkin) also portrayed Caedmon in Wizards of the Lost Kingdom II.
• Bruno VeSota also portrayed Sidney Chillas in Daddy-O, Dave Walker in Attack of the Giant Leeches, Zebulon Tabb in Gunslinger, and Mr. Seltzer in The Wild Wild World of Batwoman.
• Richard Devon also portrayed Stark in The Saga of the Viking Women and Their Voyage to the Waters of the Great Sea Serpent.
• Aaron Saxon (Gobbo) also portrayed Nate Signo in Gunslinger.
• Dick Miller also portrayed Sgt. Neill in It Conquered the World and Jimmy Tonto in Gunslinger.
• Paul Blaisdell (corpse) also designed the monster costumes in It Conquered the World, Teenage Cave Man, Day the World Ended, and The She-Creature, and designed props used in The Amazing Colossal Man, Earth vs the Spider, and Teenagers from Outer Space.
• Signe Hack (villager) also portrayed a Grimault woman in The Saga of the Viking Women and Their Voyage to the Waters of the Great Sea Serpent.
• Executive producer Walter Mirisch was also executive producer for World Without End.
• Composer Ronald Stein was also composer for It Conquered the World, The Girl in Lovers Lane, Gunslinger (in which he was also musical director), Day the World Ended, and The She-Creature, as well as stock music composer for Attack of the the Eye Creatures.
• Cinematographer William Sickner was also cinematographer for The Phantom Creeps.
• Production manager Lou Place was also director for Daddy-O, production manager for It Conquered the World and Agent for H.A.R.M., and portrayed Police Captain J.R. Goodrich in Swamp Diamonds.
• Property master Karl Brainard was also property master for It Conquered the World, Teenage Cave Man, The Saga of the Viking Women and Their Voyage to the Waters of the Great Sea Serpent, Night of the Blood Beast, Day the World Ended, and The She-Creature.
• Key grip Charles Hannawalt was also key grip for The Saga of the Viking Women and Their Voyage to the Waters of the Great Sea Serpent, Gunslinger, and Day the World Ended, head grip for Swamp Diamonds, and chief grip for The Screaming Skull.