Allison Louise Downe obit

RIP Allison Louise Downe

 

She was not on the list.

August 6, 2025

RIP Allison Louise Downe, mysterious exploitation/grindhouse/drive-in legend. She was the screenwriter of the Herschell Gordon Lewis classics BLOOD FEAST, THE GRUESOME TWOSOME, SHE-DEVILS ON WHEELS, JUST FOR THE HELL OF IT, and THE GIRL, THE BODY AND THE PILL. Billed as Bunny Downe, she acted in movies for filmmakers Doris Wishman, Barry Mahon, and Bunny Yeager. Seen here (under the name Vickie Miles) (with William Kerwin) as the star of Lewis’ SCUM OF THE EARTH (1963). Downe occasionally spoke with the mainstream press during her filmmaking years. In the past several decades, she had declined numerous interview requests from grindhouse scholars.

Louise Downe was born in Miami, Florida, USA. She is known for She-Devils on Wheels (1968), The Gruesome Twosome (1967) and Pagan Island (1961). She was previously married to Petrie Lincoln Thorne and Lewis James Mertz.

 

Spouses

Petrie Lincoln Thorne(September 1959 - December 1960) (divorced)

Lewis James Mertz(December 1957 - February 1959) (divorced)

Trivia

Attended the University of Miami, where she initially planned on becoming a psychiatrist, but eventually had to drop out of premed school because she couldn't handle cutting up things in anatomy class.

Real name was Alma Louise Downe.

 

DOWNE, Louise (Alma Louise Downe)

 

Born: 8/12/1937, Miami, Florida, U.S.A.

 

Died: 8/?/2025, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.A.

 

Writer

Bambi Allen and Sharon Matt in Linda and Abilene (1969)

Linda and Abilene

3.9

screenplay (uncredited)

1969

 

Just for the Hell of It (1968)

Just for the Hell of It

4.2

original screenplay

1968

 

The Alley Tramp (1968)

The Alley Tramp

4.4

Writer (uncredited)

1968

 

She-Devils on Wheels (1968)

She-Devils on Wheels

4.5

original screenplay

1968

 

The Girl the Body and the Pill (1967)

The Girl the Body and the Pill

5.4

original screenplay

1967

 

The Gruesome Twosome (1967)

The Gruesome Twosome

4.8

original screenplay

1967

 

Connie Mason in Blood Feast (1963)

Blood Feast

5.0

screenplay (as A. Louise Downe)

1963

 

Actress

Louise Downe, William Kerwin, Tony McCabe, Ben Moore, Ione Rolnick, and Elizabeth Lee in Suburban Roulette (1968)

Suburban Roulette

4.7

Margo Elston (as Vickie Miles)

1968

 

The Beast That Killed Women (1965)

The Beast That Killed Women

3.1

Woman at Coffee BarFirst Victim (uncredited)

1965

 

International Smorgas-Broad (1964)

International Smorgas-Broad

3.6

Girl with Champagne #1 (uncredited)

1964

 

Scum of the Earth (1963)

Scum of the Earth

5.2

Kim Sherwood (as Vickie Miles)

1963

 

Bell, Bare and Beautiful (1963)

Bell, Bare and Beautiful

5.6

Nurse (uncredited)

1963

 

Goldilocks and the Three Bares (1963)

Goldilocks and the Three Bares

3.2

Alison Edwards (as Vickie Miles)

1963

 

Connie Mason in Blood Feast (1963)

Blood Feast

5.0

Woman at lecture (uncredited)

1963

 

Judy Parsons and Sandra Sinclair in Gentlemen Prefer Nature Girls (1963)

Gentlemen Prefer Nature Girls

4.8

Blonde Nudist Holding Blue Umbrella (uncredited)

1963

 

Bunny Yeager's Nude Camera (1963)

Bunny Yeager's Nude Camera

6.1

(as Bunny Downe)

1963

 

Boin-n-g (1963)

Boin-n-g

4.5

Francine Johnson (as Vickie Miles)

1963

 

Eve or the Apple (1962)

Eve or the Apple

Nudist (uncredited)

1962

 

Babes in the Woods (1962)

Babes in the Woods

4.7

Vickie (as Vickie Miles)

1962

 

Nature's Playmates (1962)

Nature's Playmates

5.2

Diana Scott (as Vicki Miles)

1962

 

Blaze Starr in Blaze Starr Goes Nudist (1962)

Blaze Starr Goes Nudist

4.0

Nudist (as Bunny Downe)

1962

 

Diary of a Nudist (1961)

Diary of a Nudist

4.1

Redhead Nudist Watching Volleyball Game (as Bunny Downe)

1961

 

Pagan Island (1961)

Pagan Island

4.5

Malia (as Bunny Downs)

1961

 

Producer

Jeffrey Allen, Gloria King, Ronna Riddle, and Ray Sager in This Stuff'll Kill Ya! (1971)

This Stuff'll Kill Ya!

3.8

associate producer (as A. Louise Downe)

1971

 

Costume Designer

Louise Downe, William Kerwin, Tony McCabe, Ben Moore, Ione Rolnick, and Elizabeth Lee in Suburban Roulette (1968)

Suburban Roulette

4.7

Costume Designer

1968

 

Makeup Department

Louise Downe, William Kerwin, Tony McCabe, Ben Moore, Ione Rolnick, and Elizabeth Lee in Suburban Roulette (1968)

Suburban Roulette

4.7

makeup artist

1968

 

Something Weird (1967)

Something Weird

5.0

makeup artist

1967

 

The Magic Land of Mother Goose (1966)

The Magic Land of Mother Goose

3.1

makeup artist

1966

 

Jimmy, the Boy Wonder (1966)

Jimmy, the Boy Wonder

6.2

makeup artist

1966

 

Connie Mason in Blood Feast (1963)

Blood Feast

5.0

special makeup effects artist (uncredited)

1963

 

Second Unit or Assistant Director

The Gore Gore Girls (1972)

The Gore Gore Girls

5.1

assistant director (as Allison Louise Downe)

1972

 

The Wizard of Gore (1970)

The Wizard of Gore

5.2

assistant director (as Allison Louise Downe)

1970

 

The Psychic (1968)

The Psychic

4.4

assistant director

1968

 

How to Make a Doll (1968)

How to Make a Doll

3.0

assistant director

1968

 

The Girl the Body and the Pill (1967)

The Girl the Body and the Pill

5.4

assistant director

1967

 

Blast-Off Girls (1967)

Blast-Off Girls

4.4

assistant director

1967

 

The Gruesome Twosome (1967)

The Gruesome Twosome

4.8

assistant director

1967

 

A Taste of Blood (1967)

A Taste of Blood

4.7

assistant director

1967

 

Special Effects

The Gore Gore Girls (1972)

The Gore Gore Girls

5.1

special effects (as Allison Louise Downe)

1972

 

The Wizard of Gore (1970)

The Wizard of Gore

5.2

special effects (uncredited)

1970

 

Something Weird (1967)

Something Weird

5.0

special effects

1967

 

Jimmy, the Boy Wonder (1966)

Jimmy, the Boy Wonder

6.2

special effects

1966

 

Thanks

Diana Prince and Joan Apperson in White Slaves of K-Town (2017)

White Slaves of K-Town

3.4

special thanks (as Allison Louise Downe)

2017

 

Sydney Black, Dallas Chandler, and Jacqueline Marie Alberto in Ballet of Blood (2015)

Ballet of Blood

2.5

special thanks (as Allison Louise Downe)

2015

 

Mariella Jacqueline in Slink (2013)

Slink

2.6

special thanks (as Allison Louise Downe)

2013

 

Climb It, Tarzan! (2011)

Climb It, Tarzan!

4.5

special thanks (as Allison Louise Downe)

2011

 

Sasha Grey in Smash Cut (2009)

Smash Cut

3.6

the producers wish to thank (as Allison Louise Downe)

2009

 

Self

Playgirl Models (1962)

Playgirl Models

5.1

Short

Self (as Bunnie Deere)

1962

 

Archive Footage

The Prince and the Nature Girl (1964)

The Prince and the Nature Girl

4.1

Blonde Nudist Holding Blue Umbrella (archive footage, uncredited)

1964