White Pongo (1945)

Hunters and scientists venture into the jungle to track down a savage albino gorilla, which they believe could be the missing link between man and ape.

Director:

Sam Newfield

Writer:

Raymond L. Schrock (original story & screenplay)

Stars:

Richard Fraser, Maris Wrixon, Lionel Royce

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Richard Fraser	...	Geoffrey Bishop
Maris Wrixon	...	Pamela Bragdon
Lionel Royce	...	Peter Van Dorn
Al Eben	...	Hans Kroegert
Gordon Richards	...	Sir Harry Bragdon
Michael Dyne	...	Clive Carswell
George Lloyd	...	Baxter
Larry Steers	...	Dr. Kent
Milton Kibbee	...	Gunderson
Egon Brecher	...	Dr. Gerig
Joel Fluellen	...	Mumbo Jumbo

Storyline

Suspecting that a safari guide is a wanted killer, undercover policeman Geoffrey Bishop joins a safari led by the suspect for a scientist that hopes to find and prove that a fabled white gorilla is a missing link.

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Plot Keywords:

gorilla | safari | missing link | white haired gorilla | white gorilla costume | 

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Taglines:

A Half-Human Monster Stalks The Jungle!

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Genres:

Adventure

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

2 November 1945 (USA)

Also Known As:

Adventure Unlimited

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles County Arboretum & Botanic Garden - 301 N. Baldwin Avenue, Arcadia, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Sigmund Neufeld Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

71 min 10 min (short)

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Goofs

Although the title of the film is "White Pongo", the white gorilla is referred to as "White Ponga" throughout the movie.

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Quotes

Clive Carswell: It takes more than a shave to make a gentleman.

User Reviews

Unintended Comedy

One of many Poverty Row jungle films, this has to be one of the truly "so bad it's good" films of its era. A Chief Native Bearer named "Mumbo Jumbo" -- addressed by the other actors with a straight face! Pongo is a white gorilla, and one of the natives points to the ground and cries, "B'wana! B'wana! Pongo tracks!" Normal gorillas leave recognizably different tracks? Pressing through the jungle on their trek, they pass the same tree multiple times.

I have a copy of the film on videotape. One of my favorite scenes was edited out of the print it was made from. The hero and heroine are drifting down the river on a boat. They're sitting in the moonlight, and Pongo is following the boat in the jungle, making quite a racket as he snaps small trees, hurls aside boulders, and rustles through the underbrush, to keep up with the boat. He's framed by the profiles of the hero and heroine, in the background. The hero looks deeply into the heroine's eyes and says, dreamily, "Quiet out here in the river, isn't it?" I hope the DVD has that one left in.

This is not a great film, and all of its humorous scenes are intended to be serious. But because of that, it's a fun film.