Bungle With Jungle Jim

JUNGLE MANHUNT-1951-In a strange African jungle where all the natives look like a combination of American Indians and Polynesians, a happy tribe is attacked and their village burned down by another tribe lead by some guys in skeleton costumes. The chief however is shot by a mysterious white gunman. We then learn this is another entry in the “Jungle Jim” series of low budget films, because Jim (Johnny Weissmuller) is watching some boat men while his annoying pet chimp Tamba fishes. In a flash Jim is in the water to save a lady reporter Ann Lawrence (Sheila Ryan) when her boat overturns. She looking for a missing quarterback/war hero Bob Miller who disappeared into the jungle years before. Jim and Ann investigate with the help of Bono (Rick Vallin), a local chieftain. After escaping when another village is attacked the trio meets the elusive Miller (real life football player Bob Waterfield) who throws a loaded football at the bad guys! It seems Miller is now leading a tribe himself so they go deeper into the jungle and encounter stock footage giant lizards (from 2 MILLION YEARS BC). Later we learn that the evil tribe is run by bad white guy Dr. Heller (Lyle Talbott) who's using kidnapped natives as slave labor to dig up igneous rock to make phony diamonds. 

This Sam Katzman production is just another typical episode in this now very formulaic series. It was directed with speed by Lew Landers and unfortunate to say but it only clocks in at 66 minutes yet seems much longer!

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The Return of Bela

THE RETURN OF THE VAMPIRE-1944-While World War 2 still raged Columbia had wanted to release their own vampire tale featuring Dracula and starring Bela Lugosi. Unfortunately Universal blocked the attempt to use the character's name. That didn't stop them from making this unusual horror tale, sometimes referred to as "the unofficial sequel to DRACULA".

During World War One a strange case of anemia causes Dr. Ainsley (Frieda Inescourt) to call in Professor Saunders to investigate the patient. He figures out that it's the work of a depraved Romanian scientist/now vampire named Armand Tesla (Lugosi) and his werewolf servant Andreas (Matt Willis). After Tesla kills the patient and sets his (its ?) sights on a little girl, the medical duo discover his coffin and drive a stake through his heart killing him and thereby releasing Andreas from his hairy servitude.

This part of the narrative is actually told in flashback 20 years later by Dr. Ainsley to Sir Frederick (Miles Mander) of Scotland Yard just after Prof. Saunders has been killed in a plane crash. Frederick concludes that the doctor's tale is basically nonsense and he plans to open up Tesla's grave and charge the doctor with murder! Andreas is now cured and working with Dr. Ainsley. However before Sir Frederick can act, a German air raid blows open Tesla's coffin and two unwitting gravediggers pull the stake out of him! Tesla rises from the grave, makes Andreas his hirsute servant once more and plots revenge against Dr. Ainsley. He assumes the identity of Dr. Hugo Bruckner and crashes the engagement party of Ainsley's son (Roland Varno) to Nikki (Nina Foch), granddaughter of Prof. Saunders. Tesla sets his fangs on Nikki. Eventually with the help of Andreas and another timely air raid Tesla is put to rest again. Final scene has Sir Frederick asking the audience a question.

RETURN is another nice underrated little film. Lugosi is extremely sinister in the title role and the addition of the werewolf slave is a welcome surprise. This was made by journey man Lew Landers who in 1931 had directed Lugosi (and Karloff) in THE RAVEN. Some critics consider THE RAVEN (his first film) his best film as his career was prolific but undistinguished but they usually forget RETURN. He later made MASK OF DIJON with Erich Von Strohiem, some Jungle Jim entries, then went into TV.

This is quite a highlight in Lugosi's career considering that the same year he starred in two Monogram cheapies VOODOO MAN and ONE BODY TOO MANY. It's also the last time Lugosi had top billing a major studio production.

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JJ Strikes Again

JUNGLE JIM IN THE FORBIDDEN LAND-A scientist Dr. Linda Roberts (Angela Greene; Tess Trueheart in the short lived DICK TRACEY TV show) goes to find Jim (Johnny Weissmuller). Unfortunately her raft is attacked by a hippo and her small crew is killed. She survives and wanders the jungle and is lucky enough to be rescued by Jim when a panther attacks. He kills it with his trusty knife (it's a stuffed animal). Dr. Roberts is looking for "The Land of The Giant People". Jim takes her to see "The Old One", a ancient blind white haired guy who talks like Master Po. On their way a hippo attacks again and Jim kills it (a silly looking model). Later he helps out a man who is legally dealing in ivory. His ward (Jean Willes) causes trouble. Somehow she and a phony doctor convince a commissioner to use two captured "giant people" to find their hidden land. They look like wolf people and aren't very gigantic. Jim is shot with truth serum and reveals where the giants hang out. Then he's framed for murder. Good of course triumphs in the end and Tamba the monkey gets its name in the credits!

Director Lew Landers started directing (under his real name Louis Friedlander) in the early 30's and made THE RAVEN with Karloff & Lugosi in 1935. Among his over 100 credits (!) he made THE BOOGIE MAN WILL GET YOU (with Karloff & Lorre), THE RETURN OF THE VAMPIRE (with Lugosi) and THE MASK OF DIJON (with Erich Von Stroheim).  Like many "work-aholic" directors he later went into TV. He died in 1962. I'd like to see his last movie TERRIFIED. 

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Night Waitress

NIGHT WAITRESS-1936-Helen Roberts (English actress Margot Grahame) is a waitress on probation. She gets involved with schooner operator Martin Rhodes (Gordon Jones, the future Green Hornet) after he gets mixed up with some “secret cargo”. After some misunderstandings and a quick chase and fight (the whole thing is less than an hour!) Rhodes discovers the “cargo” is an armored car filled with money lying underwater. 

Marc Lawrence and (un-billed) Anthony Quinn are two gangsters after both of them. Western star Don “Red” Barry is a murder victim. Comedian Billy Gilbert is a bar owner. 

Director Lew Landers had previously directed the Boris Karloff/Bela Lugosi horror story THE RAVEN under his real name Louis Friedlander. He went on to direct (as Landers) many B-movies including THE BOOGIE MAN WILL GET YOU (with Karloff) and THE RETURN OF THE VAMPIRE (with Lugosi).

Star Margot Grahame was England's highest paid actress before she came to America to co-star in THE INFORMER and THE THREE MUSKETEERS (1935 version).  

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