The Curse Of The Crying Woman (1961)

Starring Rosita Arenas, Abel Salazar, Rita Macedo, Carlos Lopez Moctezuma, Enrique Lucero

Directed by Rafael Baledon

(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)

A witch descended from the legendary Crying Woman plots to use her niece to resurrect her ancient ancestor.

Based on a Mexican legend, this film amps up its horror elements as the evil witch Selma murders to fulfill a prophecy that will gain her absolute power if she can get her niece to fulfill her end.  Played by Rita Macedo, her evil doings are given heightened menace by the actress wearing black contact lenses giving her a very creepy spider-like visage.  Niece Amelia and her husband get drawn into her web, and also must contend with Selma’s insane husband and Juan, her scarred clubfooted partner in crime.  Baledon and his crew pack lots of dark imagery into the tale and creepy sights like rats and decaying corpses.  I’m not sure all the elements come together to make a unified whole and I thought the Crying Woman’s backstory was given too short shrift within the tale, but it’s still a worthwhile picture.

The Man And The Monster (1958)

Starring Enrique Rambal, Abel Salazar, Martha Roth, Ofelia Guilmain, Ana Laura Baledon
Directed by Rafael Baledon

(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)

A music journalist visits the home of a famed pianist, in advance of a concert featuring his beautiful protege, and slowly learns that man is haunted and obsessed by a terrible secret.

This Mexican horror film offers a very unique story, and a memorable creature makeup, scripted and produced by co-star Abel Salazar.  His screenplay is well ordered and sustains an element of mystery before the horrific elements are eventually revealed.  Rambal gives a good performance as the tortured musician, and the cinematography by Raul Martinez Solares is well done, with varied camera setups and dark imagery.  Baledon's direction creates worthwhile suspense and keeps things moving admirably, leading me to highly recommend the film.

El Vampiro (1957)

Starring Abel Salazar, Ariadna Welter, Carmen Montejo, Jose Luis Jimenez, German Robles
Directed by Fernando Mendez
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)

After being stranded at a train station together, a doctor accompanies a young woman on her journey back to her ancestral home, while a vampire plots to return his ancestor to eternal life.

This vampire tale is Mexican horror at its best, well-directed by Mendez, with good performances from the whole cast, and eerie atmosphere throughout the production.  Well-done sets and fog and wind effects really make the setting of a nearly abandoned estate spooky and unnerving, and a haunting music score from Gustavo Cesar Carrion helps escalate the terror.  Welter is the perfect virginal victim, and Robles brings nobility but menace to his tuxedoed Count Lavud, wearing one of the first sets of cinematic vampire fangs.  Salazar, as the doctor who has to come to Marta's rescue, is not a serious vampire hunter at first but has to engage in fisticuffs and vampire combat later.  Montejo is also very good as Welter's aunt and Lavud's vampiress assistant, slinking through the castle in a jet black gown with a long dragging train.  Although the special effects are elementary, with the vampires popping into frame and changing into bats through simple film edits, it works for the film and doesn't detract at all from all of Mendez' atmospheric touches.

The Brainiac (1962)

Starring Abel Salazar, Ariadna Welter, David Silva, German Robles, Luis Aragon
Directed by Chano Urueta
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)

In the 17th century, a baron with supernatural powers is condemned to death, but makes good on his promise to return 300 years later to murder his sentencers' descendants.

Urueta and his cast and crew deliver one of the wackiest Mexican horror films around, primarily due to the bizarre looking monster Salazar transforms into, a sharp nosed disheveled creature with a pulsating head, fangs, and a forked tongue used to extract its victims' brains.  There's not much to the plot besides that, and there's several elements in the screenplay that don't make sense, although there's some amusing scenes where Salazar digs into the brains he's stolen as if eating a dish of ice cream.  Fans of Mexican horror should enjoy the loony goings-on, and a dark music score by Gustavo Cesar Carrion effectively establishes the macabre tone.

The Vampire's Coffin (1958)

Starring Abel Salazar, Ariadna Welter, German Robles, Yerye Beirute, Alicia Montoya
Directed by Fernando Mendez
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)

A scientist unearths the body of notorious vampire Count de Lavud for experimentation, but before he can, the creature is resurrected and takes the opportunity to again prey on the lovely Marta.

Salazar, Welter, and Robles reprise their roles in this follow-up to The Vampire, the Mexican horror film that introduced Count de Lavud, a sinister Mexican version of Dracula.  Robles is an impressive villain, and there are a few atmospheric moments, but I found this to be a fairly unimaginative horror film, with sparsely decorated sets and static photography.  Although the majority of the film takes place against the promising backgrounds of a darkly lit hospital and a creepy wax museum, the cinematographer doesn't take advantage of these settings to build chills.  As a result, the picture drags quite a bit.