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THe Lost Tribe (1949)
Topic Started: Dec 3 2015, 07:50 PM (406 Views)
Fedora
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Posted Image, Posted Image, Posted Image

The Lost Tribe (1949) - 72 mins
Starring Johnny Weissmuller, Myrna Dell, Elena Verdugo, Joseph Vitale, Ralph Dunn & Paul Marion
Directed by William Berke
After killing her companions, two white sailors follow native woman, Li Wanna (Elena Verdugo), hoping that she will lead them to Dzamm, a legendary African hidden city. The sailors are attacked and killed by a lion, but Jungle Jim (Johnny Weissmuller) rescues Li Wanna, who had been on her way to ask Jim his help. The pair travel across the mountains and along a secret pass to the land of Dzamm, where the girl's father, Zoron (Nelson Leigh) explains that his peaceful city is being threatened by white fortune hunters from the coast, who intend to steal the diamonds that his people use to decorate religious objects. Zoron gives Jim a supply of diamonds and asks him to use the jewels to buy peace for his people. The white men, led by Calhoun & Capt. Rawlins (Joseph Vitale & Ralph Dunn) have learned of Dzamm's riches from Li Wanna's brother, Chot (Paul Marion). He had brought several of the objects as gifts for Calhoun's niece, Norina (Myrna Dell).
The greed of Calhoun & Rawlins will not be sated by Jim's offering. They want all of Dzamm's treasures and will kill to get them - and Jungle Jim will be expendable

Full tilt Jungle Jim adventure - the second entry in the series following Jungle Jim (1948).

I really enjoyed this one (yep, have watched it multiple times including last week). I like the coastal setting which has an extensive footprint throughout the film. Looks to me as though it’s the same place as was used in the Buster Crabbe serial 'The Sea Hound' from two years earlier. At any rate it’s a nice break from the Sam Kratzman pot plant jungle and the very 'unjungle' look of Corriganville. In fact the whole production has that episodic 'serial' feel - which I really enjoy.
Jim, despite being in his mid 40s, still manages to clean up a shark and a croc and a lion during the 70 minute running time - and whilst he's more flab than muscle these days, he is nonetheless a rugged customer (courtesy of an imposing 6 foot 3 inch frame).

The JJ series apparently ran for 16 entries across 7 years - and yes they were all pretty much the same - but occasionally there were some good ones. For example Jungle Jim (1948) boasted a charismatic performance from George 'Superman' Reeves. And Pygmy Island (1950) was fun viewing. Why I even enjoyed Jungle Moon Men (1955), which enthralled me with its widescreen presentation at my local cinema - although I wondered at the time why he was using his own name rather Jim.

And I absolutely loved the Jungle Jim TV series
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The Batman
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Nice review, Hat-head. I haven't had the chance to see a Jungle Jim film, but would if I could.

Always be yourself! Unless you can be Batman...then always be Batman!
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Sgt Saturn
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Fedora
Dec 3 2015, 07:50 PM
And I absolutely loved the Jungle Jim TV series
Are you old enough to remember the OTR radio series? Or the newspaper comic?
The Ol' Sarge
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Fedora
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Yep - spent quite a bit of time securing and then restoring several of the JJ radio series (was able to get complete adventures - it ran for years)
They were quite well done - apparently following closely the weekend comic (listen and then read)
Have also purchased several of the comic publications as well
JJ is a great character - although I couldn't really get into the late 30s serial
I was always amazed how the Johnny Weissmuller Jungle Jim posters always made Johnny look a lot more viral and agile than he actually turned out to be in the film
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Don Diego
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The Batman
Dec 3 2015, 08:23 PM
Nice review, Hat-head. I haven't had the chance to see a Jungle Jim film, but would if I could.

If you liked the later Weissmuller Tarzans and you don't mind the Katzman cheapness you like these and some of them turn up on TCM
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The Batman
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Thanks, Mr D, I'll keep an eye out for them.


Always be yourself! Unless you can be Batman...then always be Batman!
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panzer the great & terrible
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I'm not as enthusiastic about these as the Don, but they won't rot your brain. Just slow.
Life is just a bowl of cherries, it's too mysterious, don't take it serious...
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Inspector Carr
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Fedora
Dec 3 2015, 07:50 PM
although I wondered at the time why he was using his own name rather Jim.

this little tidbit of information from Wikapedia......

He made thirteen Jungle Jim films between 1948 and 1954. According to actor Michael Fox, Weissmuller would shoot two Jungle Jim films back to back with nine days filming for each with a break of two days between, then he would return to his home in Mexico.[20] Within the next year, he appeared in three more jungle movies, playing himself due to the rights of the name "Jungle Jim" being taken by Screen Gems. In 1955, he began production of the Jungle Jim television adventure series for Screen Gems, a film subsidiary of Columbia. His costars were Martin Huston and Dean Fredericks. The show produced only twenty-six episodes, which were subsequently played repeatedly on network and syndicated television.
"Life is a Crapshoot however you need a pair of dice to participate"
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Barcroft
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I always enjoyed the Jungle Jim films and I got to see the last couple of films in the old Avenue theatre in Baltimore as a kid. Like Fedora I always wondered about the jungle but at the time did not know it was Corriganville. A guilty pleasure I still enjoy today.
Barcroft
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