Nabonga (1944)

Director:

Sam Newfield

Writers:

Fred Myton (story) and
Fred Myton (screenplay)

Release Date:

25 January 1944 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Romance

Tagline:

A WHITE GIRL RULES THE JUNGLE...HER STRENGTH OF POWER WAS "NABONGA!" (original poster - all caps)

Plot:

In an effort to clear the name of his deceased father, young Ray Gorman travels to darkest Africa to...

Plot Keywords:

Gorilla | Africa | Jungle | Hunter | Airplane

Cast

Buster Crabbe	...	Ray Gorman
Julie London	...	Doreen Stockwell
Barton MacLane	...	Carl Hurst
Fifi D'Orsay	...	Marie
Bryant Washburn	...	White Hunter
Herbert Rawlinson	...	T.F. Stockwell
Prince Modupe	...	Tobo
Jackie Newfield	...	Doreen Stockwell, as a child
Ray Corrigan	...	Nbongo the Gorilla (as Gorilla)

Also Known As:

Gorilla (USA) (working title)
Nabonga [Gorilla] (USA) (poster title)
The Girl and the Gorilla (USA) (working title)
The Jungle Woman (UK)

Runtime:

75 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

USA:Approved (certificate #9749) | Finland:K-12 | USA:Approved | Sweden:Btl

Company:

Producers Releasing Corporation

Trivia:

To play the role of Doreen as a child, director Sam Newfield used his own daughter, Jackie Newfield.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Policeman: Mr. Stockwell, open up, it's the police. Open up the door or we'll break it in!
[the policeman batter down the door and search the apartment]
Policeman: Well, he's gone. Some little girl's going to have a broken heart when she discovers her doll was left behind.

A familiar story, briskly told

"Nabonga" marks the debut film of Julie London. It's also the first and only movie of Jackie Newfield, daughter of director Sam Newfield (and niece, of course, of Newfield's brother, Sigmund Neufeld).

By the humble standards of the Neufeld Brothers, this entry is reasonably entertaining. The story is a familiar one (it was later re-used with great effect in "Mr Joseph Young of Africa"), but here it moves with sufficient pace and encompasses enough action to satisfy second-feature fans. True, Buster Crabbe breezes through his part with plenty of charm, but little conviction. As a good guy, his motives towards and treatment of the heroine often seem a little dubious, but such subtleties don't worry Buster at all. Julie London, however, makes quite an impression, while Ray "Crash" Corrigan has a grand time as the gorilla (though he is outclassed in the acting department by young Jackie Newfield). Fifi D'Orsay seems an unnecessary addition to the story, an opinion oddly shared by scriptwriter Myton who gives her little to do and then removes her from the plot with little ceremony. We would have liked to see more of Prince Modupe, however, whose dignified and knowledgeable native guide is far removed from the usual Hollywood stereotypes.

Production values seem adequate enough for Poverty Row and are helped out enormously by Robert Cline's always attractively glossy and often noirishly lit photography.

Available on DVD through Alpha. Quality rating: nine out of ten.