| Welcome to In The Balcony. We hope you enjoy your visit. You're currently viewing our forum as a guest. This means you are limited to certain areas of the board and there are some features you can't use. If you join our community, you'll be able to access member-only sections, and use many member-only features such as customizing your profile, sending personal messages, and voting in polls. Registration is simple, fast, and completely free. Plus, you'll be eligible for the monthly $1 million prize. (Not really.) Join our community! If you're already a member please log in to your account to access all of our features: |
| Call Of The Jungle; My First Monogram | |
|---|---|
| Topic Started: May 29 2009, 11:54 AM (127 Views) | |
| Chandu | May 29 2009, 11:54 AM Post #1 |
Knowledge Seeker and rascal at large
  ![]](http://209.85.122.85/static/1/pip_r.png)
|
It excited me as the movie began and the Monogram logo flashed across the screen, that this would be my first actual Monogram viewing since joining The Balcony. I was quickly calmed, however as I read the cast list. The only two names I recognized were John Davidson and "Stan" Jolley and they were listed somewhat towards the middle of the supporting cast. I figured Stan musta been regular guy, before he achieved such fame and glory in his serial days and started takin' hisself so much more seriously! I'm sure many of the rest of you would've recognized other cast members, but those were the only two for me. The star was Ann Corio, who IMDB says probably made more money as a stripper than what her movie career brought her. The story takes place on a presumably south seas island and the plot is centered around two stolen black pearls, taken from the native islander's major idol. Most of the action takes place at Louie's bar, a set which must have somehow survived to later serve as The Monkey Bar in Tales Of The Gold Monkey, they look so similar. A black marketeer is summoned to look at the pearls, buys them and is subsequently murdered for the pearls. Then it becomes a who-dunnit and the plot is actually pretty good. If it weren't for the poor acting, it might've been a pretty good movie. It would've made a great episode for Gold Monkey, anyway. I'd class this film right up there alongside such epics as the Jungle Jim and Tarzan series, but it was fun to watch and now I've finally seen a genuine Monogram Picture in my adulthood. I also discovered, when I recorded it, I didn't stop it exactly at the end, so I inadvertantly got a Turner short subject with it. It was about how a quintet of Dodge trucks survived the wilds of Africa during the filming of King Solomon's Mines and I enjoyed that as well. |
| Not plane, nor bird, nor even frog. It's just little ol' me... | |
 |
 
|
| Vornoff | May 29 2009, 10:06 PM Post #2 |
Charter Member
|
Congrats on your first Monogram as adult - a huge milestone indeed! You will find Monograms are really an acquired taste, I think. They can really, really be boring but are rewarding if you can get yourself into the right mood. The trick, as with many poverty row movies for me is not to look at them as real movies but to enjoy all the other crap that's going on around - the scenery, furniture, locations (if any), silly dialog, bad acting etc. No doubt you got this from TCM, which just showed it. Did you notice that they showed three Jungle Jim movies shortly thereafter? And they looked like they were in wonderful shape. We watched Jungle Manhunt today and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was an absolute riot. It was a bad-act-off between Weissmuller and Bob Waterfield, a football player the producers thought would be a great addition to the movie. Good jungle physique but couldn't act a lick. The ever-present Rik Vallin was there, as well, this time as a native with a funny feather hat. Anyway, hope you didn't miss those - they are great. The lovely stripper, Ann Corio:  Edited by Vornoff, May 29 2009, 10:07 PM.
|
| "Doctor of nothing!" | |
|
|
|
| Black Tiger | May 30 2009, 09:28 AM Post #3 |
Charter Member
|
When HBO first started out, one of the more memorable programs was a stripper variety show hosted by Ann Corio that looked like it was filmed at a Vegas nightclub. Good show with great routines like the giant champagne glass bath and feather boa dance. Don't know if this ever made it to video, but worth seeing if it did. Corio was an excellent host. |
|
|
|
| Chandu | May 30 2009, 09:33 AM Post #4 |
|
Knowledge Seeker and rascal at large
|
Yes I saw the Jungle Jim pictures followed, but I bought the Jungle Jim set from Rodney and thought I already had them. Upon further review, I discovered, too late, the set didn't include Jungle Jim In The Forbidden Land, so I missed that one, but have the other two. I decided early on in Call Of The Jungle, that Monograms probably best be viewed in the same frame of mind as serials and Jungle Jim flicks. |
| Not plane, nor bird, nor even frog. It's just little ol' me... | |
|
|
|
| mort bakaprevski | May 30 2009, 09:33 AM Post #5 |
Soony Roony!
|
Always wondered if Mr. Vallin was (somehow) related to Jungle Sam... but have never been able to find any evidence of this. On the other hand, Rick's diet would have been a lot skimpier if Mr. K. wasn't providing a fairly regular paycheck. |
| “You’ve got to take the bitter with the sour.” | |
|
|
|
| Vornoff | May 31 2009, 07:02 AM Post #6 |
|
Charter Member
|
Never thought of that but you might be right! Watched Tarzan's Magic Fountain yesterday in my new Lex Barker set and who shows up as a flame-arrow shooting native? None other than our Mr. Vallin. I can't get away from him! 
|
| "Doctor of nothing!" | |
|
|
|
| « Previous Topic · Jungle Boogie! · Next Topic » |
12:41 PM Nov 27
