Valley of Head Hunters

USA 1953
produced by
Sam Katzman for Columbia
directed by William Berke
starring Johnny Weissmuller, Christine Larsen, Robert Foulk, Steven Ritch, Nelson Leigh, Joseph Allen, George Eldredge, Neyle Morrow, Vincent Townsend jr, Don Blackman, Paul Thompson
screeenplay by Samuel Newman, based on a comic strip by Alex Raymond, musical direction by Mischa Bakaleinikoff

Jungle Jim, Jungle Jim (Johnny Weissmuller)

review by
Mike Haberfelner

Jungle Jim number 11:

Lawyer Arco (Robert Foulk) knows there is oil in the Valley of the Head Hunters, that has long been renamed River Valley, because there simply are no headhunters anymore. Now Arco wants the mining rights for that territory, but since the antives understandably distrust whites wanting to exploit their land, he is not likely to get them - so he makes upa cunning plan: Arco enlists the help of chief M'Gono (Vince Townsend jr) and his tribe, to roam the territory disguised as headhunters to frighten the local tribes, then come back to them undisguised and in a mock battle against the dressed up headhunters pose as their saviour, and this way become chieftain of all tribes ... and immediately give the mining rights away to Arco.

At the same time, Jungle Jim (Johnny Weissmuller) acts as the guide for gouvernment agent Bradley (Nelson Leigh) through the territory because Nelson wants the mining rights for the Valley of the Head Hunters to mine for copper - however, none of the local tribes seem to be ready to give into his demands. And then Arco has the splendid idea to even make it look as if Jungle Jim himself was the leader of the headhunters, and soon enough Bradley's whole party is captured and about to be killed, only Jim is saved by his chimp Tamba - and soon enough, he has freed the others as well, turned the tables on Arco, made him expose himself and M'Gono as the leaders of the headhunters, given them their just desserts and secured the mining rights for Bradley and the gouvernment ...

Christine Larsen as Bradley's interpreter and Steven Ritch as army Ltd are the romantic couple in this one.

It may be the eleventh in the series, but it's the first film to feature authentic black natives - wow for that. Apart from this stab at realism, the film is one of the more boring entries into the series though, with almost nothing in terms of quality, campines or silliness to recommend it. And Jim's obnoxious ape Tamba is really annoying in this one and has way too much screentime.

review © by Mike Haberfelner

 

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