Monster Of Piedras Blancas, The (1959)

A monster (Pete Dunn) which looks like a nastier version of The Creature From The Black Lagoon invades a quiet lighthouse town. The superstitious lighthouse keeper (John Harmon), worried for the safety of his beautiful teenage daughter (Jeanne Carmen), decides to leave food for the monster who lives in a nearby cave. When the lighthouse keeper is no longer able to leave scraps of meat for the monster, a series of mutilated bodies begin to turn up. The local police then begin to take notice. Stars Les Tremayne and Forrest Lewis.

This film comes from an excellent TV print which is far superior to any other version currently available. You can actually see the monster in detail, unlike the Republic Pictures release which has a very soft and dark picture.

Note: The title monster in this film, aka: “The Crabman,” was designed by Jack Kevin, who also helped to design the gillman in The Creature From The Black Lagoon (1954).

During the premiere of this film, Jeanne Carmen's dress was nearly torn off by a gang of rowdy young boys. As a result, she vowed never to be in a horror film again.