A pair of amazing Mexican lobby cards just joined the Kellection. They're for Jack Kelly's 1957 film La Diabla, better known as She Devil.
In this way-out sci-fi flick, JK plays a brilliant research scientist named "Dan Scott" who's developed a serum (derived from fruit-flies) which can help more advanced species adapt to changes in their environment. Dan and his mentor (Albert Dekker) daringly administer the serum to a terminally ill woman (Mari Blanchard, whose first name is misspelled on these lobby cards) in hopes of curing her.
The serum works all too well: the woman is not only cured, but undergoes a drastic personality change which includes the incredible ability to change her hair color with no help from Miss Clairol. She runs amuck in a dress store and pretty much everywhere else, even committing murder to get what she wants.
As reviewers have pointed out, this film is sort of a sci-fi take on My Fair Lady. Dan and his mentor realize they must destroy the Eliza Do-Evil they unwittingly created with the serum.
She Devil was released on Blu-ray in 2013 and was given an insightful review by Glenn Erickson on the DVDTalk website. For the time being, it can also be viewed on YouTube:
The only thing more frightful is the wintry weather in my neck of the woods. (Is there a serum that can change December into May?) ;->
TRIVIA: Mari Blanchard had previously appeared with JK in the episodic Mexican film Canasta de cuentos mexicanos.
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