The Film Ron Howard Should've Watched Before Directing Splash

The Film: Night Tide (Phoenix Films, 1961). Directed and written by Curtis Harrington. Starring: Dennis Hopper, Linda Lawson, Gavin Muir, Luana Anders. Running time: 84 minutes.

My intro to the film: First viewed it in 1989. My old buddy and fellow film buff Dee Wolfe loaned it to me on VHS. Thanks, Dee! (Dee loaned me a lot of movies that I'll be reviewing here in the future...)

What can I say about this movie?: Ten things oughta sell this sucka: 1) Dennis Hopper at age 25 (six years after appearing in Rebel Without a Cause); 2) A mysterious woman named Mora (Linda Lawson) who's either a human or a sea creature/siren disguised as a woman (nah-nah-nah! I'm not givin' it away here!); 3) The great beatnik subterranean scene where Hopper's character Johnny Drake first meets the Mora - and the chemistry that later develops between them; 4) The strangely hypnotic scenes of early 1960s' Malibu and Santa Monica; 5) Luana Anders as the young woman who warns Hopper not to get involved with Mora; 6) The atmospheric cinematography by Vilis Lapenieks; 7) A surprisingly decent screenplay for such a low-budget movie by Curtis Harrington (Voyage to the Prehistoric Planet, Whoever Slew Auntie Roo?); 8) The film keeps you guessing whether Mora is really a mermaid/sea creature, and it finally resolves the mystery; 9) Why are all these people warning Hopper to stay away from Mora? Is she really so dangerous?; 10) You can watch the film free online at the Internet Archive. Most of the prints of the film that I've seen are pretty lousy in quality, but the beatnik musical sequences hold up extremely well.

Some additional ramblings: Night Tide is a compelling, dream-like, rock-bottom-budget film from the early 1960s. The oceanside setting of Night Tide, the beatnikish flute music throughout the movie and Hopper's believable performance as a confused young sailor add to the intrigue. We want the film to end happily for Johnny/Hopper, but the sense of dread deepens with each frame. This is the final film of character actor Gavin Muir, a recognizable face who appeared in countless Hollywood movies. He elevates the film several notches with his performance as Mora's troubled caretaker.

Bottom line: This movie is by no means a masterpiece, but an eerie and absorbing piece of cinema nonetheless. One of the better made low-budget films made during the heyday of Grade-Z drive-in fare. It paved the way for Herk Harvey's Carnival of Souls, released the following year. And Night Tide demonstrates that just because the budget is almost nonexistent, the film need not be a piece of schlock like The Beast of Yucca Flats.

Footnote that I didn't wish I had to add: The legendary Dennis Hopper is currently struggling with cancer. In October, the 73-year-old actor was admitted to the hospital with flu-like symptoms. While some news outlets are claiming that he is losing the battle against prostate cancer (source), he is in my thoughts. He is a wonderful actor. He has had such an amazing career. He is an icon of American cinema. And he ought to have many good years ahead of him in the movies. Let us all wish for a recovery for Dennis Hopper.