Day of the Animals ** (1977, Christopher George, Leslie Nielsen, Lynda Day George) – Classic Movie Review 8305

Aerosols have damaged the ozone layer and turned animals above the altitude of 5000 feet into man-killers preying on High Sierra hikers, in director William Girdler’s rather horrible 1977 action horror thriller shocker Day of the Animals, following a familiar course with no new ideas to offer. Well, at least it is ecologically sound – Lynda Day George was an early activist against ozone-layer depletion. And Leslie Nielsen gets to fight a grizzly bear (or actually a North American cinnamon bear)!

Leslie Nielsen gives a strong turn as the vaguely hero Paul Jenson, but otherwise the acting is fairly ordinary, from an interesting but somewhat tired seeming cast, headed by Christopher George, Lynda Day George, Richard Jaeckel, Michael Ansara, and Ruth Roman.

The screenplay by William W Norton and Eleanor E Norton, based on a story by Edward L Montoro, is rather weary and unexciting, and the handling is none too imaginative, with nasty glaring camerawork. Lalo Schifrin’s vibrant score is the best thing about it.

Also in the cast are Paul Mantee, Gil Lamb, Jon Cedar, Walter Barnes, Susan Backlinie, Andrew Stevens, Kathleen Bracken, Bobby Porter, Michelle Stacy, Garrison True, Michael Rougas, Michael Andrea, Andrew Scott and Gertrude Lee.

Lynda Day George was married to Christopher George from 15 May 1970 until he died of a heart attack, aged 54, on 28 November 1983.

© Derek Winnert 2019 Classic Movie Review 8305

Check out more reviews on http://derekwinnert.com