“Allison Hayes was all the rage…” “Stabbing Jack Palance won’t heal the pain…” “She worked for Corman but she always died…” “Her looks really hypnotize!!!” Born Mary Jane Hayes, she won the title of Miss District of Columbia and competed for Miss America in 1949. While she didn’t win, she at once started working for Universal. First opposite Francis the Talking Mule in Francis Joins the WAC (1954), she was next in the Tony Curtis picture So This Is Paris (1954). Then co-starring with Jack Palance in Sign of the Pagan (1954), she made some noise but Universal terminated her contract. Signing with Columbia, Hayes’ films include Chicago Syndicate (1955) and Count Three and Pray (1955). From there she freelanced, The Steel Jungle (1956), Mohawk (1956), Gunslinger (1956), The Undead (1956).
Back at Columbia with Zombies of Mora Tau (1956), with John Carradine and Tor Johnson in The Unearthly (1957), the cult leader of The Disembodied (1957), the title character in Attack of the 50 Foot Woman (1958), second billing in Sam Newfield’s Wolf Dog (1958), third bill in A Lust to Kill (1958) and Hong Kong Confidential (1958), the other woman in Pier 5 Havana (1959), leading lady in Kurt Neumann’s Counterplot (1959), the hypnotist’s assistant in The Hypnotic Eye (1960), a lead in The High Powered Rifle (1960), appearing with Alan Hale Jr in The Crawling Hand (1963). Allison was versatile and her gaze burned through lead. Seen on 4 episodes of MST. Gunslinger, The Undead, The Unearthly, The Crawling Hand. She gave it her all. She sizzled on command. Towering or Bewitched?
Note: 4 Hayes flicks burst on to MST. The Crawling Hand (1963), The Unearthly (1957), Gunslinger (1956), and The Undead (1956). Debates on all four episodes are linked to below.
I’ve proffesed my adoration for Allison Hayes on this site before now. I think she’s one of the most beautiful women Mst3K ever riffed on. She might be the most famous B movie actress ever. The Undead remains one of my favorite episodes and Allison is a big reason why. I wish they had riffed Attack of the 50 ft Woman. (Maybe season 14)? Anyway, she’s unforgettable in any role!
She is really good in those things I’ve seen her in. She’s also very pretty.
Crow T Robot
She’s one of Corman’s “instantly makes anything more watchable” actors. I’d love it if we got to see more of her in future episodes, but I’m happy with what we’ve got.
My uncle directed this flick! It spawned my love for Allison Hayes. I only wish I had an original poster. Way out of my league at this point, it’s so iconic. Gunslinger is also one of my top MST flicks. The riffs are all
Nathan Hertz Juran actually. He got away with using a “fake” name as director, but only just. When 50ft Woman came out the Directors Guild told him that’s a no-no but he already had Brain from Planet Arous coming out that was also credited that way so they let it slide. He’s had a few flicks riffed by the MSTie universe, including Jack the Giant Killer, Brain from Planet Arous, & Giant Mantis. I’m so proud! There’s not much out there about the 50ft Woman production I’ve seen (haven’t looked too hard tho) mostly just noting it was cheap and rushed.
I caught the full name when looking him up but I wasn’t sure what to go with. Apologies. Naftuli Hertz “Nathan” Juran it says here. Reading his credits, it’s quite the list. He directed 20 Million Miles to Earth (1957), The 7th Voyage of Sinbad (1958), First Men in the Moon (1964), The Boy Who Cried Werewolf (1973), and he was Art Director on How Green Was My Valley (1941) and The Razor’s Edge (1946). You should be proud. It wouldn’t shock me if something else of his lands on the show again one day.
Nathan Juran’s Art Director credits also include Body and Soul (1947), Winchester '73 (1950), Harvey (1950), and he won an Oscar for How Green Was My Valley (1941).