Night Tide (1961)

Starring Dennis Hopper, Linda Lawson, Gavin Muir, Luana Anders, Marjorie Eaton
Directed by Curtis Harrington
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)

A sailor visiting a coastal town falls for a beautiful mermaid performer on the amusement pier, and they begin a relationship, but he's soon warned that she may be a danger to his life.

A terrific film written and directed by Curtis Harrington, the picture has an atmosphere and style all its own, well-photographed by Vilis Lapenieks, and featuring an eclectic almost experimental musical score from David Raksin.  There's a trio of good performances at the movie's center, with Hopper as the friendly and decent sailor, Lawson as the beautiful and enigmatic Mora, and Muir as her friendly but mysterious guardian with secrets to tell.  There's also some fine character turns from Anders and Eaton, supporting the absorbing story Harrington has built up.  I really enjoyed the environment of the amusement pier, which Harrington and Lapenieks take us through and make a fully realized setting instead of just a backdrop for the actors.  All this makes for a very well-assembled picture and a certainly entertaining one.

Queen Of Blood (1966)

Starring John Saxon, Basil Rathbone, Judi Meredith, Dennis Hopper, Florence Marly
Directed by Curtis Harrington
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)

Earth scientists launch a rescue mission to Mars where the crew finds a female alien with a dangerous appetite for human blood.

According to IMDB, like the earlier Voyage To The Prehistoric Planet, this film makes use of extensive footage from some Russian science fiction pictures, but this time uses the footage primarily for special effects sequences, while the main story is new as filmed by Harrington and his crew.  The Russian footage is spectacular and impressive, capturing beautifully composed spacescapes and alien worlds, and at times the fit between those sequences and Harrington's scenes is a little awkward.  Nevertheless, it's a strong picture, with a screenplay that poses some interesting questions, and Marly's creepy mute performance as the alien is a definite standout.