Review - The Manitou

Is that a pint sized Manitou on your back . . .

. . . or are you just happy to see me?

Oh this was a good one folks. Right up my alley of 70’s cheesy B-movies at their best. When I saw this was on FLIX today, I kept thinking . . . hmmm, is this the movie I am thinking of, could it be? And, yes, oh yes it was – believe it or not, I have been searching for this film for years. All I remembered was that some sort of Indian something or other was born out of some woman’s back or shoulder or something and the backdrop was kind of cosmic in nature. Well I had part of it right, you would have to forgive me because I was probably like 6 or 8 years old when last I saw it.

But I digress. The Manitou stars Tony Curtis as a benign charlatan tarot card reader (Harry Erskine) whose girlfriend Karen (Susan Strasberg) has been diagnosed with a really bad case of “400 year old Indian medicine man fetus growing on her back” syndrome. He enlists the help of a modern day medicine man John Singing Rock (Michael Ansara) to remove Misquamacus (Joe Gieb) from his lady friend.

Problem is that Misquamacus will not be so easily dissuaded; this is after all his fifth reincarnation and he has grown quite powerful. He can call demons ranging from a big lizard to bite the hand of the doctor who hurt him (Jon Cedar) to a demon that can freeze an entire floor of a hospital to the devil himself. No worries though, because Karen has the Manitou of all of the giant 70’s computer equipment on her side summoned by the love between she and Harry. Okay, I admit it gets a bit convoluted but trust me while you are watching it is all good.

There are so many memorable moments in this film. Like when Harry’s client Mrs. Herz (Lurene Tuttle) suddenly floats down the hall and throws herself down the stairs or when Harry lets loose after one of his sessions and unleashes his little dancy-pants on screen. But possibly the most memorable image from the film has got to be the sight of old Misquamacus himself. Played by the midget (little person, dwarf, vertically challenged. . . I am not quite sure exactly what the politically correct terminology is at this time) who also played an Oompa Loompa in a couple of spoof movies, Misquamacus is both a little scary and a whole lot of funny all at the same time.

A swimmingly good time, The Manitou is not to be missed. It is a campy horror film that tries to take itself too seriously at points but has quite a hoot doing it.

Directed by
William Girdler

Writing credits
(in alphabetical order)
Jon Cedar
William Girdler
Graham Masterton book
Thomas Pope

Cast (in credits order) complete, awaiting verification:
Tony Curtis ... Harry Erskine
Michael Ansara ... John Singing Rock
Susan Strasberg ... Karen Tandy
Stella Stevens ... Amelia Crusoe
Jon Cedar ... Dr. Jack Hughes
Ann Sothern ... Mrs. Karmann
Burgess Meredith ... Dr. Snow
Paul Mantee ... Dr. McEvoy
Jeanette Nolan ... Mrs. Winconis
Lurene Tuttle ... Mrs. Herz
Hugh Corcoran ... MacArthur
Ann Newman-Mantee ... 10th-Floor Nurse
Jan Heininger ... Wolf, an orderly
Michael Laren ... Michael, an orderly
Cindy Stanford ... Neighbor
Tenaya ... Mrs. Singing Rock
Carole Hemingway ... Neighboring Prostitute
Beverly Kushida ... 16th Floor Nurse
Charles Kissinger ... Anesthesiologist
Michael Andreas ... Operating Room Doctor
Mick Dyrenforth ... Operating Room Doctor
Loren Elaine ... Operating Room Nurse

rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Joe Gieb ... Misquamacas
Felix Silla ... Misquamacus
Joe Dorsey ... Dr. Snaith (uncredited)