MovieChat Forums > La muerte viviente Discussion > What's your favorite part of 'The Snake ...

What's your favorite part of 'The Snake People'?

posted 17 years ago by J. Spurlin
7 replies | jump to latest

Mine is when the temperance crusader dreams that she is being seduced by her double, who is performing fellatio on a snake.

I also like how the dying Boris Karloff is suddenly dubbed with the voice of another actor, who sounds nothing like him. Evidently they couldn't get Karloff to dub his last few lines. (Maybe he had already died before post-production was completed.)

Oh, and this line from the anti-liquor lady: "Modern science has shown that alcohol is responsible for ninety-nine point two percent of all the world's sins."

... J. Spurlin

[–] jjturley 17 years ago

I know the cameraman who shot the scenes in the USA. His name is Austin McKinney. He told me that Karloff was quite sick, but still alive when they made this. The Karloff scenes were exclusively shot in the USA, as he was too sick to go to Mexico. The year was 1968, and Karloff was dying from emphysema: He often needed to rest between takes.

I too like the part with temperance crusader having her semi-lesbian dream. Really strange, considering the time and place this was made. However, I think my most favorite scene of all would be the dreaded final confrontation between Kalea and the hapless police captain. I cannot believe that he does not look around until it is too late for him. But maybe he was not so hapless; after all, the attendees did not know what he was dressed in! Notice his smirk!

This was one of a set of four final films for Karloff, sometimes referred to as his "Mexican Quartet". The "Snake People" was the best of the set, as the others are almost pointless.

After film completion and dubbing, there were plans to market the movies in the USA. A certain Mr. Vergara flew to New York to meet with marketing/distributing people, and promptly died of a sudden heart attack! That stopped everything cold, and the movies did not get much recognition until much later on.

John

[–] J. Spurlin 17 years ago

That's fascinating that you know the cameraman from this picture. Is he still working? I'll have to check his name in the database.

Did he have any other anecdotes about this film or Karloff? ...

God, this was the best of the Mexican quartet. Yikes. But, of course, this is very entertaining in its bizarre way. If the other three are dull, I guess I can skip them -- Karloff or no Karloff.

Ignore trolls|Start good threads|Reply to good threads|Make the board what you want it to be

[–] jjturley 17 years ago

I have met the cameraman (Austin McKinney) a few times over the last several years. Whenever I see him, I throw all the questions at him that I can. It seems to both flatter and annoy him.

Let me answer your questions... Austin is not still working, as he is now in his 70s. The portions of this movie that he filmed were done at a studio in Santa Monica, California. These are the Karloff scenes! All the outside stuff was filmed in Mexico. I would love to know where, but Austin did not know. Karloff was not well enough to travel to Mexico at the time. You can see the distinct break from outside to inside at the beginning of the movie, when the visitors arrive at the uncle's house. (As they are outside, it is Mexico, and when the get inside, it is the studio in Santa Monica.)

Austin had precious few anecdotes about this movie. One thing I recall, though, is that after the four Mexican/Karloff films were finished (around 1968), the producer, Mr. Vergara, planned a trip to New York city to get them distributed in the USA. However, he unexpectedly died of a heart attack! The films were still shown, in Mexico. They eventually made it north, getting a US release around 1971.

Austin also worked on The Beast of Yucca Flats. You can imagine, I had a bunch of questions about that movie also. It seems that low-budget movies were his specialty.

John

[–] J. Spurlin 17 years ago

He worked on The Beast of Yucca Flats, too! What did he say about that one?

... Justin

[–] Xcalat3 14 years ago

the part where I turned it off

When there's no more room in hell, The dead will walk the earth...

[–] J. Spurlin 14 years ago

How long did you last?

...Justin Glory be, Delbert, you should eat! You're a count, for God's sake!

[–] 14 years ago

[deleted]