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| JUNGLE JIM IN THE
FORBIDDEN LAND (director: Lew
Landers; screenwriter: Sam Newman; cinematographer:
Fayte Browne; editor:
Henry Batista; music: ; cast: Johnny
Weissmuller (Jungle Jim), Angela
Greene (Dr. Linda Roberts), Jean Willes
(Denise), Lester Matthews (Commissioner
Kingston), William
Tannen (Doc Edwards), George
Eldredge (Fred Lewis), Frederic Berest (Zulu
Chief), Frank Jacquet (Quigley), Clem
Erickson (Giant Man),
Irmgard Helen H. Raschke (Giant Woman),
William Fawcett (Old One); Runtime: 65; MPAA Rating: NR;
producer: Sam Katzman; Columbia
Pictures; 1952) "This eight in the Jungle Jim series is as ridiculous as any of the thirteen made, but is still enjoyable as an unsophisticated boys adventure film." Reviewed by Dennis Schwartz This
eight in the Jungle Jim series is as ridiculous as any
of the thirteen made, but is still enjoyable as an
unsophisticated boys adventure film. Prolific B film
filmaker Lew Landers ("The Raven"/"The Adventures of
Kit Carson"/"The Return of the Vampire") sticks
to the formula of the series, while writer Sam Newman
makes sure the straight-arrow khaki-wearing
Jungle Jim (Johnny Weissmuller) is
up to handling the dangerous ivory poachers,
pre-historic giant beasts and your normal jungle
animals like the fierce panther and the
strong hippopotamus. The cheapie
production, filmed on the back lot and using tacky
special effects and stock film footage, works for the
accepting kiddies and adults who go nostalgic over
those adventure pics they might have caught back then
at a Saturday matinee. In Wasabi, Africa, American anthropologist Dr. Linda Roberts (Angela Greene) is turned down by the arrogant new Commissioner Kingston (Lester Matthews) to get a permit to hire a safari guide to locate the forbidden land of the Giant People. Linda wishes to study the violent Giant People to give science answers about the missing links. Instead the persistent Linda treks into the jungle and begs legendary safari guide Jungle Jim (Johnny Weissmuller) to lead her there. He refuses. Called for a meeting with the blind local wise man, known as the Old One (William Fawcett ), Jim's told by Kingston that traders seeking ivory are murdering a herd of elephants trapped by flood waters, caused by an earthquake, in a remote part of the jungle, and asks Jim to show him the passage into the Giant People land so he can save the elephants. Jim again refuses, saying the Giant People are too dangerous and disturbing them is too risky. Kingston lets on that his government troops have captured two of the Giant People and caged them. Honest
Ivory hunter Fred Lewis (George
Eldredge) is killed by his evil
ward Denise (Jean Willes) and her toady
boyfriend, Doc Edwards (William Tannen),
Fred's new assistant, before he can tell the
commissioner of their plans made with the Zulu chief (Frederic
Berest) to slaughter the elephants for
their valuable ivory tusks. Denise and Doc have jumped
Jim and by giving him a truth serum have discovered
where is the secret passage to the Giant People. They
also frame Jim for the murder of Fred, enabling his
arrest. Lucky for Jim, his pet chimpanzee Tamba aids him when he's bound by the government troops and this enables a free Jim to fight off the two dangerous Giant People who escaped capture, the Zulu tribe set to slaughter the elephants at the secret path of the Giant People and, finally, the diabolical evil white ivory hunters. REVIEWED ON 10/21/2012 GRADE: C+ Dennis Schwartz: "Ozus' World Movie Reviews" © ALL RIGHTS RESERVED DENNIS SCHWARTZ |