The Leech Woman

A mysterious old woman named Malla approaches endocrinologist Dr. Paul Talbot in America, claiming to have been brought to the U.S. 140 years ago as a slave. She offers to reveal the secret of eternal youth if he funds her final trip back to Africa. Talbot weighs the lure of immortality against his ethical worries.

Talbot agrees to fund the expedition and the group—Talbot, his wife June, and Malla—travels from America to Africa. They follow Malla to the African coast to witness her promised ritual. The journey signals a dangerous test of Malla's legend.

In the heart of Nando territory, the tribe conducts a secret ceremony that uses orchid pollen and pineal secretions. The ritual is presented as a path to youth and beauty for a night. Outsiders watch with a mix of awe and danger in the air.

During the ceremony, secretions extracted from the back of the neck via a ring are mixed with pollen. The mixture temporarily transforms Malla into a young, beautiful woman. The visible change tests the limits of age, identity, and desire.

June learns that Paul brought her along as a guinea pig rather than a partner, sparking a resolve for revenge. She intends for Paul to be sacrificed so she can harvest his pineal secretions for youth. Malla warns that the transformation will not last, foreshadowing danger ahead.

With help from jungle guide Bertram, who has secretly stolen the ring and most of the pollen, June escapes into the jungle. She uses explosives as cover to slip away from the ritual's aftermath. The escape marks a new chapter back in the film's dangerous cycle.

The next morning, Malla finds herself old again, stripping away the illusion of youth. She kills Bertram to seize his pineal secretions, securing a bitter, brutal advantage. The jungle sounds fade as the cost of the ritual becomes clear.

Back in America, June assumes the alias Terry Hart, continuing to stay young by harvesting pineal extract from men she encounters. The male-oriented ritual becomes a twisted routine as she moves through life with a dangerous calm. The United States becomes a new hunting ground.

As Terry, June becomes involved with Neil Foster, a lawyer who is half her apparent age. Her romance complicates her deadly scavenging, yet she remains focused on maintaining youth through pineal secretions. The relationship adds human stakes to her scheme.

June eliminates Sally Howards, Neil's jealous fiancée, draining her pineal gland to erase competition. The murders reveal a pattern of calculated killings as she balances love, power, and youth. Each act deepens the danger surrounding her immortality binge.

Police descend to investigate the string of murders surrounding June's activities. In a cruel twist, she uses Sally's pineal gland extract but discovers that an extract from a woman has the opposite effect, aging her rather than rejuvenating her. The attempt to evade capture backfires in spectacular fashion.

Before law enforcement can arrest her, June throws herself from a bedroom window and dies. When the body is found, it is noticeably older than before, underscoring the perilous toll of the pineal quest. The final image contrasts youth's allure with age's inexorable truth.