Clyde Comeback

PERILS OF THE JUNGLE-1953-Clyde Beatty (playing himself) and his friend Grant (Stanley Farrar) go to the Belgian Congo to find wild animals and stumble across a kind of menagerie run by Jo (Phyllis Coates), which she inherited from her father. No sooner are the guys welcomed when there's a fire (started by a foolish native would found a lighter). Clyde handles the 2 escaped lions and saves a worker but the fire wipes out Jo’s business. Enter Gorman (John Doucette), her father's nasty ex-partner who wants to buy her land. She refuses. Clyde decides to help Jo capture a gorilla. They go into the jungle with Gorman in hot pursuit. They do manage to capture a gorilla but a second one manhandles Gorman who's saved when Clyde shoots the hairy attacker. The duo leaves Jo and almost immediately head to Southern Rhodesia where the commissioner (Tudor Owen) grants them permits to hunt black maned lions (they got a tip from Gorman). With their guide Ken (Joe Fluellen) leading the safari they go into the jungle and Clyde kills a lion. Later Grant contracts “sleeping sickness” and they take a chance going through hostile restless natives country.

They meet an old white guy named Grubbs (Leonard Mudie) who says the tribe is holding him against his will but Clyde has his suspicions and he’s right! Grubbs is a thief who’s been stealing the tribe's treasure and he sends the natives after them. When they're captured Beaty gets a knife and holds the king (he’s just a boy) hostage and the group makes its get away, taking Grubbs with them. The scary witch doctor sends out the tribe. Grubbs is speared in the back and the boy-king is set free. It ends with Beaty and Grant going off to hunt black panthers for his circus. 

This slow moving cheapie is put together like two episodes from a TV show and the director George Blair was doing a lot of TV at the time (He'd start directing episodes of THE ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN the next year).

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Clyde Of The Jungle

THE LOST JUNGLE-1934-Lion tamer Clyde Beatty has problems with a new lion and his girlfriend Ruth (Cecilia Parker) who leaves him to go to South America with her father Capt. Robinson (Edward LeSaint) who's taking Professor Livingston to look for a lost civilization called Kenmor. He also has an assistant Sharkey (Warner Richman) who tries to sabotage his efforts. Later Clyde previews his newest act, mixed animals all in one cage for his boss and manager Larry (Syd Saylor)). 

Three months later his new act is a huge hit but he's not happy having never heard from Ruth. And with good reason the ship she was on got wrecked on a jungle island! They send an SOS by carrier pigeon and Clyde joins the dirigible rescue party that's going after them but it crashes leaving only Beatty and Larry alive. Although the no good Sharkey parachuted out before the crash. He stumbles upon the entrance to the lost city. We know this because the title “The lost city of Kenmor” pops up on the screen! 

Sharkey finds the dying professor (Cauford Kent) who mentions finding a treasure which excites his greed. Clyde arrives in time to save Ruth from a lion attack but their tender reunion is short lived as Clyde botches his reasons for coming to Kenmor. Meanwhile the crew lead by first mate Kirby (Wheeler Oakman) want to mutiny against Capt. Robinson who won't leave till he hears from the professor. Despite their predicament, Clyde seems intent on bringing back a man eating tiger. The uppity crew gains new respect for their predicament when thye see Clyde capture the tiger. They all agree to go look for the professor. Sharkey just happens to be outside the fence and hears the plan. He lets the tiger loose. Clyde winds up in a pit with the tiger who he somehow puts to sleep and Larry saves him. Then the lion invades the camp and kills Sharkey. After Clyde hog ties the lion, Livingston's map is found. Finally Clyde picks Ruth over wild beasts. 

This is the movie version of a 12 part Republic serial.

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Jungle Jim 2

THE LOST TRIBE-1949-This was the second installment of the Jungle Jim series starring ex-Tarzan Johnny Weissmuller. ]

A travelogue opening uses stock footage to explain the various local animals. 

When Jim rescues Li Wanna (Elena Verdugo the doomed  gypsy in  HOUSE OF FRANKENSTEIN), a native girl from rampaging animals he learns she is from a lost city “beyond the mountains”. Her tribe needs Jim's help because “white men” want the tribe's stash of diamonds. When a lion attacks a gorilla and it's baby, Jim wrestles the king of the jungle and kills it with his knife. He seems none the worst for wear except he loses his hat but the gorilla (man in a suit) seems grateful. Jim also gets help from Kaw-Kaw, a crow and Skipper, a dog. 

A guy named Calhoun (Joseph Vitale) is after the diamonds and fortunately Li Wanna's brother Chot (Paul Marion) is sweet on Norina (Myrna Dell) who is in cahoots with Calhoun and a ship captain (Ralph Dunn) to obtain the mother lode. Later (in a badly staged scene) Jim kills a shark threatening some pearl divers. I liked the introduction Jim gives to Norina when she asks his name : “Jim. Just Jim”. Most of this is Jim running back and forth from the jungle to the town then swimming to the ship and going back to the jungle. He has a lot of fights but never runs out of energy. Finally when he's forced to lead Calhoun and his men to the lost city, a gang of gorillas kill the intruders. Jim's relationship with the apes is kind of funny!

The weirdest thing about this Sam Katzman low budget production is the “un-Africa” like setting. There are no black natives. Most seem Asian or Polynesian!

Johnny Weismuller's last Tarzan appearance was in 1948's TARZAN AND THE MERMAIDS. Except for one movie in 1947 (SWAMP FIRE with Buster Crabbe, another film Tarzan) the only movies he'd make would JJ films until 1977 when had a cameo in WON TON TON: THE DOG THAT SAVED HOLLYWOOD! 

THE LOST TRIBE was directed by William Berke, the veteran low budget director who'd helm a few more in the series.

I reviewed the first Jungle Jim entry here: http://moviemeltdown.blogspot.com/2010/01/jungle-jim-jumps-in.html

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South Africa

PREY-2007-Peter Weller (he made good movies once, right?) is an engineer who takes his dysfunctional family (teenage daughter doesn't get along with step-mom) with him when he goes to Africa to build a dam. Mom (Bridget Moynahan), daughter (Carly Schroeder and young son (Connor Dowds) go for a tour in a game preserve and wind up trapped in an SUV being stalked by lions. Some poachers help them get water. Meanwhile dad and a white hunter look for them. This South African produced CUJO inspired tale features a lot of arguing, screaming and unrealistic twists. It was directed by Darrell Roodt. 

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