Sailor visits Venice Beach pier Amusement park, falling in love with a mysterious young woman who portrays a mermaid in an alcoholic captain's show. When two men are found dead, she becomes a suspect and it could mean danger towards the sailor if he continues to carry on relations with her.

Early method performance from Dennis Hopper, as the droopy-eyed, rather melancholy, lonely sailor who seeks love, only to find it in a doomed romance with a girl who yearns for his, but seems to be harboring a secret which threatens any chance for a meaningful relationship. While it does feature atmospheric direction from Curtis Harrington, Night Tide wasn't the chiller I was expecting, but more of a sombre tale of two young people finding each other, not allowed to be together as they so desire due to circumstances which may or may not be supernatural.

The key to what ails them could lie in Captain Samuel Murdock(Gavin Muir),a former journeyman who found Mora(the lovely Linda Lawson, in a haunting performance)as a girl left to starve in Greece. Mora believes she might actually be a mermaid, for she "hears the calls from the sea people." Johnny Drake(Hopper)attempts to persuade her away from such nonsense, he believes is a delusion planted in her mind. Luana Anders, who is simply adorable, is the daughter of a barker so obviously in love with Johnny that it's evident all over her face and demeanor when he's near.

I think Night Tide will definitely be of interest for those who can only see Hopper as an actor who portrays foul, ugly, repellent characters, Johnny quite a polar opposite of those type of roles. Very quiet and subdued, Johnny is the kind of character that is quite approachable and pleasant. It's an interesting character in his resume, but one I'm sure will surprise those who are accustomed to his Frank Booths and other loud, abrasive monsters. Marjorie Eaton has a memorable part as a clairvoyant whose tarot reading for Johnny heightens the final chapter of the movie. The movie's mood and temperament parallels Johnny, the central character. Nice little sleeper, with many effective night scenes, and a rather seductive setting. Ultimately, the result of Mora's dilemma truly is tragic because it doesn't have to end the way it does, but due to an obsessive kind of love, leading to deception and murder, the conclusion is fated to happen as it unfolds.

Aside from seeing an early starring role for Dennis Hopper, there isn't a whole lot to recommend this low budget film. The basic story idea of a dangerous woman who destroys men isn't bad, but the execution of the story is the problem. Again and again, the story is badly paced. In some cases, irrelevant scenes go on too long and deaden the pace. A good example is the dancing scene...you see it all. As a result, my attention wavered. Additionally, the cinematography is dark and fuzzy and the film just looks bad. And, while we know Hopper could act, here he just seemed lost--editing his performance to tighten things would have helped a lot.

Only for the die-hard Hop-heads and the curious. otherwise, there are better low-budget public domain films out there.

NIGHT TIDE is a low budget black and white horror of 1961, very low budget but delivering on the atmosphere in a similar way to other films like CARNIVAL OF SOULS, DEMENTIA 13 and CITY OF THE DEAD. Dennis Hopper is an interesting choice of lead, playing a sailor who falls in love with a girl who finds employment as a carnival exhibit; a mermaid, in fact. What follows is a story that draws in mystery, imagination, murder, and touches of the supernatural. The pace is subdued as are the performances, but there's something deliciously old-fashioned and spooky about the whole thing.