The Snow Creature (1954)

This is only remotely memorable because I was sure I recognised Teru Shimada ("Subra") and after wracking my brain realised he was later to be "Osato" in "You Only Live Twice" (1967). Luckily for him, Messrs. Saltzman and Broccoli had probably never seen this, or else...well. Anyway, a group of herbologists are trekking in the Himalayas when they encounter the legendary yeti. They manage to capture it, and in best "King Kong" style, ship it back to the United States where it takes advantage of some immigration incompetence and goes a-wandering the streets of Los Angeles - hungry and a bit irritated. That's not really very surprising since it's welcome was about the only thing that isn't too warm over there. The acting is really not at all noteworthy, neither is the really pedestrian script nor the downright daft storyline. The effects look like they have been somewhat scantily adapted from a "Mummy" film, without the bandages and the thing is terribly over-scored. It ends in a disappointingly predicable style, too. No wonder these things are so elusive!

This is all of the evidence that you need that heredity is not as important as environment. I have now watched a few movies by both W. Lee Wilder and his younger brother, Billy Wilder, and there is really no comparison possible. It is as if the milkman or the mailman was responsible for one of their births, rather than them both having the same biological father. Here, in 'The Snow Creature', we have at several different times and places in the film the EXACT SAME shots of the yeti lurching forward and retreating. There is nothing even remotely approaching the buildup of suspense, or plot credibility. Yes, lesser budgets meant that W. Lee had to work with far lesser talent, both in terms of cast and crew, than his legendary, award-winning sibling. Also, depending on scripts from his son was definitely a step down from the likes of I.A.L. Diamond, Billy's long-time very gifted collaborator. Yet other no-budget directors did great work--there is no credible excuse. And if you're interested, the film is a fun WTF watch--just don't have any preconceptions of filmic brilliance, or even credibility, from this portion of the Wilder family. Billy was estranged from his older brother and considered him 'a dull son of a bitch'. If any of the films I have seen of W. Lee are to be considered 'Exhibit A', then Billy was absolutely and sadly correct in this assertion.