Undead, The (1957)

aka: The Trance Of Diana Love

Two psychic researchers procure the services of a hooker (Pamela Duncan) and send her back in time under hypnosis. She then finds herself in the body of a past existence–a woman in medieval times waiting to be beheaded as a witch. By avoiding this fate, she unwittingly starts to alter history. Also stars Richard Garland and Allison Hayes. Also with Mel Welles, Billy Barty, Maurice Manson, Bruno VeSota and Dick Miller.

The events leading up to Allison Hayes' death are truly mysterious and bizarre. For decades, the official first reports of her death stated that she had died from a heart attack. But later it was determined that she had been poisoned from a calcium supplement that she had been taking, which was prescribed by her doctor. Allison Hayes last years were spent in a lovely ocean-front home in San Clemente California. She was home-bound for much of the time. A neighbor remembers only that “…she was an actress of some sort. She kept mostly to herself and was very concerned with her diet…” Her mother Charlotte lived with her much of the time. (Mr. and Mrs. Hayes had moved to California in 1953.) Allison entered the Scripps Medical Clinic in La Jolla California in October of 1976. After being examined, she was then diagnosed with leukemia. The cause could have been the calcium supplement that she had been taking daily for six years, or the many (over 340) X-Ray examinations she had taken in previous years to determine the cause of her illness. She was released just in time for Christmas on December 21st. 1976. She then had a periodic check-up on February 24th. 1977. Allison later drove herself to the hospital on February 26th. 1977 and checked herself in to receive a scheduled transfusion. This is something she had done often in prior years. The transfusion was started at 4:15 p.m. but was discontinued about 2/3rds of the way through because Allison felt chilled. She was also experiencing a multitude of flu like symptoms. She was in extreme pain by 11:15 p.m. that day. Allison was later taken by ambulance from the Scripps Clinic to the University of California Medical Center in San Diego at 3:15 a.m. Sadly, she later died there at 6:03 a.m. on February 27th, 1977. Her mother Charlotte joined her on October 1st. 1977.

Trivia: This film was one of a handful of reincarnation films made in the late 1950's to be inspired by the book The Search For Bridey Murphy written by Morey Bernstein.

The prop bats seen in this film are leftovers from Roger Corman's earlier film It Conquered The World (1956), also available here at Rare Movie Collector.

American International Pictures released this film on a double feature with Voodoo Woman (1957), also available here at Rare Movie Collector.