Johnny Weissmuller (Jungle Jim), Carol Thurston (Shari), Burt Wenland (Ramada), Nestor Paiva (Andrews), Ray Corrigan (Norley), Rory Mallinson (Perry), Max Palmer (man ape), Paul Marion (Mahara), Eddie Foster (Achmed), Michael Fox (medical officer), Nick Stuart (Maron), Redro Regas (magi), Harry Wilson (Andrews' henchman).
Director: SPENCER GORDON BENNET. Screenplay: Carroll Young, Arthur Hoerl. Story: Carroll Young. Suggested by the comic strip Jungle Jim by Alex Raymond. Photography: William P. Whitley. Film editor: Gene Havlick. Art director: Paul Palmentola. Set decorator: Sidney Clifford. Make-up: Clay Campbell. Music director: Mischa Bakaleinikoff. Unit manager: Herbert B. Leonard. Assistant director: Carter De Haven, jr. Sound recording: Josh Westmoreland. Western Electric Sound Recording. Producer: Sam Katzman.
Copyright 1 December 1953 by Columbia Pictures Corporation. No recorded New York opening. U.S. release: December 1953. U.K. release: May 1954. Australian release: 6 January 1955 (sic). 7 reels. 68 minutes.
SYNOPSIS: Jungle Jim discovers that the Wazuli tribesmen are selling wild animals to hunters who are using the creatures to produce ingredients for bacterial warfare.
NOTES: Number twelve of the sixteen-picture Jungle Jim series, all starring Johnny Weissmuller, and all produced by Sam Katzman.
COMMENT: Like most of the movies in the "Jungle Jim" series, the credits are superimposed on a few snips of the interesting excitements to come. Then, as usual, the film itself starts off with very obvious and very ancient stock footage. Jungle Jim and his compatriots look on and most unconvincingly try to tie this bewhiskered material in with the main action.
Even more of a possible letdown is that at first it seems that our killer ape is going to play but an incidental part in the story. However, he soon comes into his own.
Director Bennet contrives a few nice thrill effects with menacing low angles and terrifying close-ups of the beast. Of course, Bennet reverts to routine for the rest of the movie, but there's still enough action to satisfy Jungle Jim's young fans.
True, the picture could advantageously be trimmed of a fair swag of excess dialogue in which the characters just stand around swapping clichés.
And, would you believe, here again is that familiar monkey stampede without which no Jungle Jim opus would seem complete. But at least our hero doesn't swim in this entry, so we are spared some of the tired underwater reprises.
As for the acting here, it rates as no more than adequate, often less. Johnny is okay and Miss Thurston gets by, but even a disguised Nestor Paiva makes an inadequate villain. The rest of the players belong in amateur league.
We could also do without a long dissertation by the wise man of the tribe on "Strange Animals", which is not even illustrated! Naturally, the topography, flora, fauna, and especially the native costumes, present a weird and bizarre mixture.
Still, it all comes to a fair climax, though some fans will be annoyed that the actual apex of the action occurs off-camera!
Director: SPENCER GORDON BENNET. Screenplay: Carroll Young, Arthur Hoerl. Story: Carroll Young. Suggested by the comic strip Jungle Jim by Alex Raymond. Photography: William P. Whitley. Film editor: Gene Havlick. Art director: Paul Palmentola. Set decorator: Sidney Clifford. Make-up: Clay Campbell. Music director: Mischa Bakaleinikoff. Unit manager: Herbert B. Leonard. Assistant director: Carter De Haven, jr. Sound recording: Josh Westmoreland. Western Electric Sound Recording. Producer: Sam Katzman.
Copyright 1 December 1953 by Columbia Pictures Corporation. No recorded New York opening. U.S. release: December 1953. U.K. release: May 1954. Australian release: 6 January 1955 (sic). 7 reels. 68 minutes.
SYNOPSIS: Jungle Jim discovers that the Wazuli tribesmen are selling wild animals to hunters who are using the creatures to produce ingredients for bacterial warfare.
NOTES: Number twelve of the sixteen-picture Jungle Jim series, all starring Johnny Weissmuller, and all produced by Sam Katzman.
COMMENT: Like most of the movies in the "Jungle Jim" series, the credits are superimposed on a few snips of the interesting excitements to come. Then, as usual, the film itself starts off with very obvious and very ancient stock footage. Jungle Jim and his compatriots look on and most unconvincingly try to tie this bewhiskered material in with the main action.
Even more of a possible letdown is that at first it seems that our killer ape is going to play but an incidental part in the story. However, he soon comes into his own.
Director Bennet contrives a few nice thrill effects with menacing low angles and terrifying close-ups of the beast. Of course, Bennet reverts to routine for the rest of the movie, but there's still enough action to satisfy Jungle Jim's young fans.
True, the picture could advantageously be trimmed of a fair swag of excess dialogue in which the characters just stand around swapping clichés.
And, would you believe, here again is that familiar monkey stampede without which no Jungle Jim opus would seem complete. But at least our hero doesn't swim in this entry, so we are spared some of the tired underwater reprises.
As for the acting here, it rates as no more than adequate, often less. Johnny is okay and Miss Thurston gets by, but even a disguised Nestor Paiva makes an inadequate villain. The rest of the players belong in amateur league.
We could also do without a long dissertation by the wise man of the tribe on "Strange Animals", which is not even illustrated! Naturally, the topography, flora, fauna, and especially the native costumes, present a weird and bizarre mixture.
Still, it all comes to a fair climax, though some fans will be annoyed that the actual apex of the action occurs off-camera!