Despite mostly bad reviews, what the hey, I loaded this up. Early on, voluptuous Ekberg emerges from the surf and hurries to take a shower outside the shack. Nearby is a mental institution, along with a handy escapee clutching a big ole knife. Two screams later, she's in the nuthouse herself, traumatized outta her unnecessary mind. Inside, she falls under the analytical spell of a possessive psychiatrist. Next thing, they're both gone, and she's gyrating her assets, along with chains and ropes, as an exotic dancer.Anyway, murder and attempted murder bolster this trashy Noir. Swear, I'm not making this up. Still undecided? The Red Norvo combo is the nightclub band, Gypsy Rose Lee is the owner. Oh yeah, Miss Ekberg has a vicious Great Dane watchdog, but anyone can get past him if they softly recite the Gettysburg Address.

Some good performances and an intriguing storyline make this low budget Fifties thriller worth catching. My only complaint is that it feels sort of truncated, like too much had to be condensed, or perhaps censored from the original pulp novel by Fredric Brown.Anita Ekberg is perfect as the sad Virginia/Yolanda, who inspires practically every man she meets to fall in love with her. She has a vulnerable, almost naive quality, that arouses a male protective attitude very understandable in her two admirers, Doctor Green and reporter Sweeney.Philip Carey is adequate as Sweeney, but Harry Townes walks off with the movie in the complex role of the hopelessly obsessed psychiatrist.It's a performance to be studied and appreciated over and over again.Maybe not a genuine classic, but pretty good. It would have probably seemed pretty daring for the time it was made. Definitely worth seeing.

One of the 1950s strangest noir films, Gerd Oswald's sensational and twisted 1958 psycho- shocker SCREAMING MIMI was based on a pulp novel by the great Fredric Brown. This is one film that devotees of the truly bizarre cannot afford to miss.Alcoholic newspaper columnist Bill Sweeney (Philip Carey) becomes entwined in a string of grisly murders that seem to revolve around exotic stripper Yolanda Lange (Anita Ekberg!!). Seems that Yolanda killed a man a couple of years earlier who tried to attack her while she showered. Traumatized by this event, she spends some time in a sanitarium and, upon her release, seeks out the help of psychiatrist Dr. Greenwood (the ever creepy Harry Townes) for some quick and dirty therapy. This "poor man's Svengali" falls in love with her (natch!) and soon insinuates himself into her life, even going so far as managing her career by getting her a job at the El Madhouse, a seedy nightclub run by "Gypsy" Mapes ("Gypsy" Rose Lee!). But before long a series of brutal murders begin to occur and poor Yolanda appears to be the prime suspect. (I won't bother to go into the reasons why; it would probably take longer than the running time of the film.) Anyone looking for or concerned with conventional logic might likely be put off by this wildly lurid and threadbare melodrama as nothing quite makes sense in this demented Fulleresque nether world. But those hungry for the wonderful cheap thrills only to be found in nightmare B movies of the fringe variety will probably come away from the table more than satisfied. Artfully photographed by Burnett Guffey, SCREAMING MIMI probably looks a lot better than it deserves to, and Gerd Oswald's eccentric direction doesn't hurt either. Oswald, as many might recall, later went on to produce and direct many of the more stellar episodes of TV's "Outer Limits" in the early 60s. SCREAMING MIMI provided him with the most stunningly perfect testing ground imaginable.Of note to jazz fans: the incredible Red Norvo Trio is featured as the house band at the El Madhouse.

****SPOILERS***** Somewhat confusing psychological thriller set in and around Laguna Beach California. With the voluptuous and beautiful Anita Ekberg as the haunted and troubled Virginia Wilson AKA Yolanda the exotic dancer. Virgina was committed to the Highland Sanitarium due to the shock and trauma that she suffered after she was attacked in a Laguna Beach out-door shower by and escaped knife-wielding maniac who was shot and killed by her step-brother Charlie, Romney Brent. Virginia's psychiatrist at the sanitarium Dr. Greenwood, Harry Townes, realized that she was hopelessly insane but at the same time fell madly in love with her. Dr. Greenwood did his best to get Virginia out into the free world by faking a death certificate with her name on it. Outside and with a new name "Yolanda" and working at the El Madhouse nightclub run by Joann " Gypsy", Gypsy Rose Lee, she was the biggest and hottest hit in town. Doing a dance number with a skimpy outfit on that was nothing more then a display of her God-given natural attributes filled the place to capacity every night that Yolanda was on the stage. One night going home Yolanda was attacked by a slasher who cut her in the side but was chased away by her pet dog "Devil" a giant Great Dame. It turned that the slasher who attacked Yolanda struck a month before killing a co-worker of Yolanda's at the El Madhouse nightclub dancer Lola Lane. Also found at the crime scene where Yolanda was slashed was a statue of a woman called "The Screaming Mimi". Dr. Greenwood now calling himself Mr.Green is very concerned about Yolanda and feels that she may become a mental case again and need to be institutionalized. Even though she was not supposed to be out of the Highland Sanitarium in the first place. Mr. Green sees what a mistake he made to get Yolanda out and as much as he tries to get her help on his own and as much he cares and loves her in the end it would cost Mr. Green his life for that fatal misjudgment on his part.News reporter Bill Sweeney, Philip Carey, who's put on the story of the "Night Slasher" also falls in love with Yolanda but soon sees that there's something wrong with her and that statue "The Screaming Mimi" was also found at the site of the murder of dancer Lola Lane. Swenney tracks down what that statue is all about it leads him straight to Laguna Beach. It's there where he finds out that it was non other then Yolanda who posed for the sculpture who made "The Screaming Mimi" and he was Yolanda's step-brother Charlie. Pre Psycho-like thriller that has it's good and bad points with the best thing going for it is it's star Anita Ekberg. Miss.Ekberg with her goddess-like body and eye popping measurements or vital statistics of 39-22-36 made it impossible to keep your eyes off the screen even for a second whenever she was on it. It's really hard to judge Anita Ekberg's acting in the movie since her acting is the last thing your interested in.With reporter Sweeney finding the out secret of "The Screaming Mimi" it's only a matter of time for the truth to come out about Yolanda as well as her lover and the former Dr. Greenwood AKA Mr. Green. It's that truth about Yolanda that will give the movie it's surprising and shocking ending.The movie was a bit contrived but the acting was more the adequate with excellent black and white film-Noir photography. But by far it was Anita Ekberg that really made "The Screaming Mimi" well worth your time, as well as your libido, watching the film.