This was Jerry Warren’s first film.
Which makes it much harder to explain why it was so much better than most — or perhaps, nearly all — of his films that followed.
In fact, he followed it up with the exceedingly dull Teenage Zombies.
Go figure.
Now don’t get the wrong idea here: this is an impressively cheap film, with lots of recycled stock footage, a lot of obviously studio bound scenes (mostly in tents), and lots of talk. Lots and lots and lots of talk.
But the end result is something Jerry usually only aspired to: an entertaining, if minor, B-Movie.
A young woman goes to the Himalayas in search of her brother (for reasons which are barely explained). He’s on an expedition to find the Yeti and, when she learns that she missed the leader of the expedition by a day, she convinces another explorer to help her catch up.
But, when she gets there, the base camp has been destroyed and her brother is missing.
I suspect Jerry may have picked his actors because they resembled those in his stock footage climbing scenes (from an unfinished Russian film, according to Bill Warren) as they match reasonably well. I’m actually fairly impressed by these scenes as it features a lot of medium and close shots, and even a few dramatic moments along the way. It certainly isn’t what you’d expect if you gave a motion picture camera to a group of climbers.
We can file his Yeti under the heading “Could be worse.” He reused the suit from White Pongo with a few modifications: we do see too much of it, but at least it isn’t embarrassing!
Jerry also throws in what has to be the darnedest explanation of the Yeti I’ve ever heard — as well as what ranks as one of the better Fifties villain’s motivations I’ve come across. It is elements like this that lift Man Beast out of the ordinary.
But the strangest part of this one is the opening credits, which give top billing to Rock Madison.
Who never appears in the film.
Jerry claimed that Rock (whose only other credit was in one other Jerry Warren film — and doesn’t appear in it, either) appeared in scenes that ended up on the cutting room floor.
However, the general consensus is that Jerry didn’t think his cast sounded impressive enough and added another (phony) name.
Personally, I’m inclined towards that second explanation.
After all, this wouldn’t be a Jerry Warren film without some utterly inexplicable bit of battiness like that…
rivets on the poster 
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