The Bride and the Beast (1958)

Newlyweds Dan and Laura Fuller arrive at Dan's isolated mansion just as a thunderstorm breaks. Dan, a big game hunter, reveals he has a pet gorilla named Spanky whom he brought back from Africa and raised since infancy, and now plans to donate him to a zoo. Laura, who has grown up with animals, is fascinated and insists on meeting the animal.

Despite Dan's warnings, Laura gets near enough to Spanky's cage for the gorilla to grab her wrist, but Laura calmly talks the animal into releasing her. Later that night, Laura is disturbed by dreams of the gorilla and, awakening, paces around the adjoining room. Meanwhile, Spanky escapes from his cage and makes his way upstairs. Hearing Laura, Spanky approaches the room and confronts Laura, who is unafraid. Dan awakens in time to see Spanky rip off Laura's nightgown and shoots the animal as Laura faints. Later, a revived Laura admits to Dan that she was completely unafraid of Spanky, and has a strange feeling she knew him before. Dan insists that Laura speak with a doctor the following day. Returning to sleep, Laura dreams of living long ago in a past filled with wild animals and awakens screaming, confessing to Dan that she has had this same dream for years. The next morning, Dan brings his friend, Dr. Carl Reiner, to examine Laura, and Carl suggests a hypnotic session to relieve Laura's tensions. Laura agrees and under hypnosis regresses into the past, revealing that in a previous life Laura was a gorilla. Dan remains skeptical, but Carl assures him that Laura believes in this vision, which he links to her disturbing dreams. Carl advises Dan to postpone their honeymoon trip to Africa, but Dan insists on going. Laura, Dan and his manservant Taro depart the following day for Africa, where Dan receives special permission from game warden Capt. Cameron to capture various animals for an American zoo. Over the next several days Dan hunts many animals, capturing a zebra, rhinoceros and giraffe. Laura is extremely happy and confides in Dan that she feels as if she has returned home. A week later, Dan is summoned by Cameron, who reveals that a shipwreck just off the coast has released two dangerous Indian tigers and the government requests that Dan help recapture them. Over the next few days, Dan, Taro and his other assistants get close to both tigers at different times, but are unable to reach them. When one of the camp servants, Marka, is mauled my the animals, Dan wounds one tiger. Later, Taro reports that the other tiger has fallen into one of the traps, and Dan knows the wounded tiger will eventually seek its mate and waits by the trap all night. Early the following morning, Laura awakens and, worried about her husband's continued absence, goes out in search of Dan. The wounded tiger corners Laura as she nears the trap and forces her off a small cliff. Dan attacks the tiger and kills it with a knife as Taro hastily returns the dazed Laura to camp. Taro goes for a doctor, as Laura dreams fitfully about her previous existence in the jungle. Later, Laura awakens and hears a gorilla call outside the tent. Although still stunned, Laura goes outside where a gorilla awaits her. When Dan tries to intervene, the gorilla knocks him down before carrying Laura away. Dan revives and tracks Laura to a cave filled with gorillas, but, still dazed, Laura does not respond to Dan's entreaties. Dan shoots one gorilla and sees Laura being carried away by the other gorillas before he is struck unconscious. Back at home several weeks later, Dan relates to Carl that despite a protracted search, he was never able to find Laura. Carl comforts Dan by offering his belief that Laura willingly returned to her origins.