Jungle Man

USA 1941
produced by
Ted Richmond for PRC/Pictorial
directed by Harry L. Fraser
starring Buster Crabbe (= Larry Crabbe), Charles Middleton, Sheila Darcy, Vince Barnett, Weldon Heyburn, Robert Carson, Paul Scott, Hal Price, Floyd Shackelford
written by Rita Douglas, music by Alberto Colombo

review by
Mike Haberfelner

Betty (Sheila Darcy) & her father William (Paul Scott) are persuaded by her fiancé Bruce (Weldon Heyburn) & his friend & fellow-adventurer Andy (Robert Carson) to take a trip to Africa, where Bruce & Andy want to find the City of the Dead, while William & Betty want to visit William's brother Jim (Charles Middleton), a missionary who lives with the Pusa tribe.

With Jim lives scientist Junga (Buster Crabbe), who tries to find a serum against the deadly epidemic Malaka, but his best intentions are undermined when the ship that was supposed to bring his serum to the states for testing is sunk just off-shore by a German torpedo.

However, while Bruce & Andy are out with their inept guide Buckthorn (Vince Barnett), & have the usual jungle adventures that include a giant Mamba & the vivious native Kobi-tribe, romance between Junga & Betty develops. But then the Pusa village is struck by an attack by the Kobis, the outbreak of Malaka, and a lion atack - since Betty was careless enough to take a lion-baby with her. & while both the Kobis & the lions can be fought off, everybody - including Junga - is helpless against Malaka.

Bruce, Andy & Buckthorn have meanwhile found the City of the Dead, & in a truly anticlimactic sequence take a few photos before embarking on their journey back to the mission. This journey proves to be more exciting though, as Bruce is suddenly struck by Malaka, & the 3 of them are under constant attack by the Kobis, who kill Buckthorn.

Back at the mission, Junga promises to save Bruce, & he decides to dive down to the shipwreck that holds his serum in shark infested waters.

Of course he retrieves the serum, but it's too late for Bruce, who has already died. But now, Betty has caught Malaka too, & Junga can at least save her, & now nothing stands in the way of their love ...

This cheaply produced jungle adventure - the usual blend of stock footage & actors walking through a fake jungle - only manages to be remotely entertaining: It just has way too many storylines for a running time of just over an hour, resulting in most of these plots to not be explored to the fullest - especially the promisingly named City of the Dead proves to be a major disappointment. However, that in a few scenes, some of the actors are actually shown in the same picture with real life tigers or lions speaks for the movie.

review © by Mike Haberfelner

 

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