Alex Gordon was the older brother of Richard Gordon, his producing aspirations resulting in 18 features over 11 years, from 1954-1965. Issued on a double bill with Roger Corman's "It Conquered the World," "The She-Creature" remains best remembered among Gordon's genre entries, emerging in the wake of the Bridey Murphy reincarnation/regression case that inspired a large number of forgotten items lacking its staying power, it doesn't just talk a good game it delivers. Fox's Regal company attempted "Back from the Dead," Roger Corman scored with "The Undead," W. Lee Wilder struck out with "Fright," and Ed Wood brought out the angora for "The Bride and the Beast" (regression also turns up in "The Aztec Mummy," "I Was a Teenage Werewolf," and "The Alligator People"). "The She-Creature" not only features Paul Blaisdell's most memorable and elaborate creation, it boasts a star performance from veteran Chester Morris, who delighted in the role of hypnotist Carlo Lombardi, as he himself had dabbled in magic and card tricks for several years. Casting problems plagued the production, as Edward Arnold ("Secret of the Blue Room") was set to play Dr. Lombardi but died, then Peter Lorre turned it down after reading the script. Morris was originally signed to play Timothy Chappel, millionaire backer to Lombardi, but got the part after John Carradine also rejected it, with Tom Conway aboard as Chappel. Among the supporting cast only Lance Fuller fails to convince as Lombardi's rival and enemy, Dr. Ted Erickson, who takes a shine to gorgeous Andrea Talbott (Marla English), the mesmerist's test subject and key to success. Lombardi accurately predicts murder near a seaside park, by a female creature that rises from the ocean, a physical manifestation of Andrea's earliest incarnation back to the dawn of time, while also allowing her to speak as a 17th century British maiden named Elizabeth Wetherby. The police are baffled because they know he's responsible, and his smarmy retorts that they can't touch him are an additional sore spot. Dr. Erickson is at least able to work with Andrea to try to break Lombardi's evil spell, but his power is so great that no one can stop him from gaining wealth and recognition (what he desires most however is Andrea's love and she rebuffs him). Blaisdell himself wears the cumbersome costume, savage looking and not exactly feminine in appearance, its attacks leaving behind footprints that both emerge from then return to the waves. Frank Jenks does his patented bit as a wisecracking cop (again making cracks as a truck driver in "The Amazing Colossal Man"), Luana Walters ("The Corpse Vanishes") is still lovely as a party guest, El Brendel ("The House of Fear") looks and sounds the same as always with his mangled Swedish (Alex Gordon used to seek out forgotten actors flattered and grateful to be working). Marla English, Tom Conway, and Lance Fuller would all be back for Gordon and Cahn in "Voodoo Woman," but Chester Morris essentially retired from the big screen. He was flying the friendly skies shortly after completing his role, seated next to actress Audrey Hepburn, who was absolutely fascinated by his description of his most recent picture! Morris debuted a star at the dawn of talkies (one such title was 1932's "The Miracle Man," featuring Boris Karloff), who became Boston Blackie in the 14 film Columbia series during the 40s, but only did three later movies prior to his 1970 suicide. Like "Voodoo Woman," "Invasion of the Saucer Men," and "Suicide Battalion," plus a pair of Roger Cormans, "Day the World Ended" and "It Conquered the World," "The She-Creature" underwent the color remake treatment with Texas filmmaker Larry Buchanan, his Azalea Pictures signing on to deliver a total of 8 new films in 16mm to pad out an AIP-TV syndication package in color. His "Creature of Destruction" is probably the worst of them all, as he could only manage a guy in a wet suit, fish mask, and ping pong ball eyes for a monster (reused in "Curse of the Swamp Creature" and "It's Alive!"), inexplicably leaving salt water tracks despite now rising from a fresh water lake (Lake Texoma to be exact). Les Tremayne ("The Monster of Piedras Blancas"), a former carnival barker himself, offered up the one professional performance, Patricia Delaney no exotic beauty like Marla English, as wooden as AIP regular Aron Kincaid in the Lance Fuller role. The sole distinction of the remake is its downbeat ending, as both hypnotist and subject die, whereas in the 1956 original Lombardi releases Andrea with his dying breath, allowing her to live happily ever after with dullard Erickson.