Panther Girl of the Kongo (1955)

User Rating:

5.5/10   

Director:

Franklin Adreon

Writer:

Ronald Davidson (written by)

Release Date:

3 January 1955 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

MAN-MADE MONSTERS TERRIFY THE JUNGLE as a mad scientist prepares to unleash a new fury on the world! (original poster)

Plot:

Jean Evans of an international wildlife foundation has made herself at home in Africa as the elephant-riding...

Plot Keywords:

Monster | Jungle | Scientist | Wildlife | Safari

Cast

Phyllis Coates	...	Jean Evans, Panther Girl
Myron Healey	...	Larry Sanders
Arthur Space	...	Dr. Morgan
John Daheim	...	Cass (as John Day)
Holly Bane	...	Rand (as Mike Ragan)
Morris Buchanan	...	Tembo
Roy Glenn	...	Chief Danka
Archie Savage	...	Ituri
Ramsay Hill	...	Comm. Stanton
Naaman Brown	...	Orto
Dan Ferniel	...	Ebu
James Logan	...	Const. Harris

Also Known As:

Panther Woman of the Kongo (USA) (working title)
The Claw Monsters (USA) (recut version)

Runtime:

167 min (12 episodes)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Company:

Republic Pictures (I)

Trivia:

Chapter Titles: 1. The Claw Monster 2. Jungle Ambush 3. The Killer Beast 4. Sands of Doom 5. Test of Terror 6. High Peril 7. Double Trap 8. Crater of Flame 9. River of Death 10.Blasted Evidence 11.Double Danger 12.House of Doom

Movie Connections:

Featured in Firesign Theatre Presents 'Hot Shorts' (1983)

Lydecker Serial Provides Guy Thrills & Irwin Allen Roots

Despite the title, this is a guy show more than anything else, if I remember correctly, Panther Girl is the only girl in it, all the other characters, or cartoon figures, are male. There is no characterisation in the whole run of the serial, every word is spoken to advance the story, only in the final frame of the last chapter does someone make a jaw-dropping bit of non-plot driven talk. But that is not a negative comment on this serial.

I actually like the no non-sense way this serial, and other serials, present themselves (Irwin Allen's The Time Tunnel would later copy this all the way).

The claw monster in this serial was created by the Lydecker brothers, and one of the Lydeckers - Howard - would be associated (with LB Abbott) in the effects for TV's Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea...a series that featured many miniature and full scale monsters, with or without a claw.

Panther Girl is a fine serial, and when seen in full on video in 1997 it was a knockout, but beware of repeat viewings, for some reason this serial does not go over too well when you look too close.