I'm not going to criticize the movie. There isn't that much to talk about. It has good animal actions scenes which were probably pretty astonishing at the time. Clyde Beatty isn't exactly a matinée idol. He's a little slight and not particularly good looking. But that's OK. He's the man in that lion cage. We know that when he can't take the time away from his lions to tend to his girlfriend, he will end up on an island with her and have to save the day. Someone said earlier that it is a history lesson. The scenes at the circus are of another day, especially the kids who hang around. I didn't realize that even back in the thirties, they sailed on three masted schooners. It looked like something out of 1860. I guess that's the stock footage they had. No wonder the thing got wrecked. They're always talking about fixing her up. There's even a dirigible. It tells us a little about male female relationships at the time, a kind of giggly silliness. But if you don't take it too seriously, you can have fun watching it.
14 Reviews
Mickey Rooney fed to lions!!! OK, maybe that didn't happen but EXTREME SPOILERS within ...
mobile719 January 2006
Warning: Spoilers
EXTREME SPOILERS!!! ------------------- EXTREME SPOILERS !!! ------------------SPOILERS!!! --------------------------------------
I pretty much went into this movie blind about what it was. I expected Sci-Fi but I got an adventure movie consisting of spliced-together serial episodes. On the one hand I was disappointed, on the other, I got a history lesson.
I thought I was in for a really interesting flick from a camera angle aspect when the very first scene was shot from the perspective of sitting on top of a circus wagon riding into town for a string of shows. How cool was that? Disappointingly, we never saw that perspective again.
This movie was undoubtedly made to take advantage of Clyde Beatty's super stardom as the World's Greatest Lion Tamer. What I really liked about the film is the opportunity to see these people of note doing what they were well known for. I have often wished I had a time machine to go back and see history in the making. Beatty and Houdini had similar body types (short but strong), boyish charm, curly hair, and good looks. It's no wonder that Hollywood created a serial around Beatty, an opportunity they didn't have with Houdini.
The plot of this movie is simple. Girl meets Beatty, but Beatty is so wrapped up in his animals that he doesn't see (after 2 years) that girl loves Beatty. Father gives girl an ultimatum. If Beatty doesn't pop the question in 15 minutes, he's sailing off to the South Pacific with daughter in tow, without Beatty. Well, Sharkey (boo, hiss), Beatty's assistant, throwing one of his many monkey wrenches into the plot, sets big bad Tommy the Lion loose on Beatty. While the 15 minutes tick by, Beatty is busy containing the beast, so the blonde gives up and sails south. Although Beatty is sad, he continues on with the circus season.
Meanwhile, daughter and Captain Daddy are ship wrecked on the island of Kamor where lions, tigers, bears, monkeys and crocs all live in disharmony. Professor Livingston, leader of the expedition, sets out through the jungle in search of help. He accidentally stumbles upon the Lost City of Kamor that contains a fabulous treasure that we never get to see. However, time passes and Livingston never returns. The Captain (Daddy) wants to set out to find him but the crew is mutinous because the wild animals (specifically, Big Sammy the Lion) have been picking them off one-by-one.
Meanwhile, Clyde Beatty's circus season is over and he wants to set off to find some more animals for his show. A carrier pigeon sends news that his girlfriend's ship has foundered on an Island and he decides to kill two birds with one stone: Rescue his sweetie and get some animals. For some strange reason he (and Sharkey, boo hiss) takes a dirigible (called, "Victory") to find her. How Beatty expected to carry lions and tigers and bears (oh, my) back to the States on a dirigible is beyond my imagination. Even landing a dirigible in a jungle is beyond my imagination, but, thanks to Sharkey, we don't have to worry about that. After a hurricane hits that leaves the dirigible floundering in space, Sharkey lets the air out when land (conveniently, the island of Kamor) is spotted.
Beatty survives the crash, as well as his dim-witted sidekick, and (boo hiss), Sharkey, who managed to grab the last (and only) parachute on the dirigible. While Beatty trudges through the jungle he hears a blonde er he hears a scream. It's his sweetie, cornered by a lion (or was it a tiger?). She runs up a tree, followed quickly by Beatty's coconut-headed sidekick. Beatty grabs a couple of sticks and tames the beast in perhaps the only time he doesn't exhibit his famous Beatty close-up hypnotic stare-down with the animals. Beatty is escorted back to the fortified camp where the shipwrecked crew is. He helps them capture Big Sammy, the fiercest lion on the Island, so that they might go out and search for Livingston.
Meanwhile, Sharkey (boo hiss) stumbles upon the Lost City of Kamor and the dying Livingston ("Water! Water!"), who tells him of the great treasure (pointing toward a pit full of crocs).
Sharkey (boo hiss) then appears at the encampment. I don't know why maybe because he realizes that he needs a weapon to deal with the crocs. Maybe it was the smell of the cook's dinner. Who knows. Nevertheless, he sneaks into a camp, releases a tiger, and while Beatty tames the tiger (who he stares down into submission), Sharkey (boo hiss) steals a rifle and attempts to tip-toe away but not before Big Sammy the Lion enjoys a nice meal out of him. Fortunately, Sammy is rewarded for his deed by being offered a spot in Beatty's Greatest Show on Earth, room and three meals a day, no hunting necessary, see the world.
At the end, Beatty finally "gets it" and in the last moment we find him kissing his girl.
I pretty much went into this movie blind about what it was. I expected Sci-Fi but I got an adventure movie consisting of spliced-together serial episodes. On the one hand I was disappointed, on the other, I got a history lesson.
I thought I was in for a really interesting flick from a camera angle aspect when the very first scene was shot from the perspective of sitting on top of a circus wagon riding into town for a string of shows. How cool was that? Disappointingly, we never saw that perspective again.
This movie was undoubtedly made to take advantage of Clyde Beatty's super stardom as the World's Greatest Lion Tamer. What I really liked about the film is the opportunity to see these people of note doing what they were well known for. I have often wished I had a time machine to go back and see history in the making. Beatty and Houdini had similar body types (short but strong), boyish charm, curly hair, and good looks. It's no wonder that Hollywood created a serial around Beatty, an opportunity they didn't have with Houdini.
The plot of this movie is simple. Girl meets Beatty, but Beatty is so wrapped up in his animals that he doesn't see (after 2 years) that girl loves Beatty. Father gives girl an ultimatum. If Beatty doesn't pop the question in 15 minutes, he's sailing off to the South Pacific with daughter in tow, without Beatty. Well, Sharkey (boo, hiss), Beatty's assistant, throwing one of his many monkey wrenches into the plot, sets big bad Tommy the Lion loose on Beatty. While the 15 minutes tick by, Beatty is busy containing the beast, so the blonde gives up and sails south. Although Beatty is sad, he continues on with the circus season.
Meanwhile, daughter and Captain Daddy are ship wrecked on the island of Kamor where lions, tigers, bears, monkeys and crocs all live in disharmony. Professor Livingston, leader of the expedition, sets out through the jungle in search of help. He accidentally stumbles upon the Lost City of Kamor that contains a fabulous treasure that we never get to see. However, time passes and Livingston never returns. The Captain (Daddy) wants to set out to find him but the crew is mutinous because the wild animals (specifically, Big Sammy the Lion) have been picking them off one-by-one.
Meanwhile, Clyde Beatty's circus season is over and he wants to set off to find some more animals for his show. A carrier pigeon sends news that his girlfriend's ship has foundered on an Island and he decides to kill two birds with one stone: Rescue his sweetie and get some animals. For some strange reason he (and Sharkey, boo hiss) takes a dirigible (called, "Victory") to find her. How Beatty expected to carry lions and tigers and bears (oh, my) back to the States on a dirigible is beyond my imagination. Even landing a dirigible in a jungle is beyond my imagination, but, thanks to Sharkey, we don't have to worry about that. After a hurricane hits that leaves the dirigible floundering in space, Sharkey lets the air out when land (conveniently, the island of Kamor) is spotted.
Beatty survives the crash, as well as his dim-witted sidekick, and (boo hiss), Sharkey, who managed to grab the last (and only) parachute on the dirigible. While Beatty trudges through the jungle he hears a blonde er he hears a scream. It's his sweetie, cornered by a lion (or was it a tiger?). She runs up a tree, followed quickly by Beatty's coconut-headed sidekick. Beatty grabs a couple of sticks and tames the beast in perhaps the only time he doesn't exhibit his famous Beatty close-up hypnotic stare-down with the animals. Beatty is escorted back to the fortified camp where the shipwrecked crew is. He helps them capture Big Sammy, the fiercest lion on the Island, so that they might go out and search for Livingston.
Meanwhile, Sharkey (boo hiss) stumbles upon the Lost City of Kamor and the dying Livingston ("Water! Water!"), who tells him of the great treasure (pointing toward a pit full of crocs).
Sharkey (boo hiss) then appears at the encampment. I don't know why maybe because he realizes that he needs a weapon to deal with the crocs. Maybe it was the smell of the cook's dinner. Who knows. Nevertheless, he sneaks into a camp, releases a tiger, and while Beatty tames the tiger (who he stares down into submission), Sharkey (boo hiss) steals a rifle and attempts to tip-toe away but not before Big Sammy the Lion enjoys a nice meal out of him. Fortunately, Sammy is rewarded for his deed by being offered a spot in Beatty's Greatest Show on Earth, room and three meals a day, no hunting necessary, see the world.
At the end, Beatty finally "gets it" and in the last moment we find him kissing his girl.
SF?? How do they define it?
fredleted-131 August 2012
Warning: Spoilers
There was no SF in this movie -- this film came in a 50 Mega Movie pack --but it took me back in time to the 1930's.
These movies are like travelling into the past; everything you see is gritty, hands on, and black & white. No subtleties. These movies were what we could watch on TV these days, the reality programs, the Bonanzas and the Gilligan's Islands.
Great for passing an hour of your life when it doesn't matter. Nothing you don't have to analyse or think about. And that moment of Eureka when you see the film a few years down the track and recognise a star of the future. Yes, in the first five minutes, you see Mickey Rooney (uncredited) playing a great little cameo to the big star.
A good laugh, and reasonably forgettable in these times.
These movies are like travelling into the past; everything you see is gritty, hands on, and black & white. No subtleties. These movies were what we could watch on TV these days, the reality programs, the Bonanzas and the Gilligan's Islands.
Great for passing an hour of your life when it doesn't matter. Nothing you don't have to analyse or think about. And that moment of Eureka when you see the film a few years down the track and recognise a star of the future. Yes, in the first five minutes, you see Mickey Rooney (uncredited) playing a great little cameo to the big star.
A good laugh, and reasonably forgettable in these times.
Nicely edited down
junk-monkey10 December 2006
Warning: Spoilers
The only reason I watched this film was because I had recently read Robert Hough's less than perfect, but interesting, fictionalised account of the life of Big Cat trainer Mabel Stark. Beaty appears as a character in the book, in a less than flattering light.
I hadn't realised until checking the movie out later on the IMDb that it was originally a serial. Whoever edited the original running time of 233 minutes down to the 68 minuted version available on DVD has done a hell of a good job. The shortened version plays just as well as any B movie of the period despite the many 'duh-what?' moments. For instance are we really expected to believe our hero dug that twenty foot deep tiger trap in a morning without even getting his jodhpurs dirty? Looking over the chapter titles I see that number five is titled "Gorilla Warfare" and number eleven is called "The Gorilla". There were no gorillas at all in the movie. I guess that's where some of the cuts were made.
Historicaly interesting.
I hadn't realised until checking the movie out later on the IMDb that it was originally a serial. Whoever edited the original running time of 233 minutes down to the 68 minuted version available on DVD has done a hell of a good job. The shortened version plays just as well as any B movie of the period despite the many 'duh-what?' moments. For instance are we really expected to believe our hero dug that twenty foot deep tiger trap in a morning without even getting his jodhpurs dirty? Looking over the chapter titles I see that number five is titled "Gorilla Warfare" and number eleven is called "The Gorilla". There were no gorillas at all in the movie. I guess that's where some of the cuts were made.
Historicaly interesting.
Pish! Pish Flaps!
Bezenby6 September 2014
Hey kids! Wanna see a guy whipping tigers and lions and bears and leopards and firing a blank gun at them and stuff? This is the film for you - and this guy's the hero!
***this film is crap***
I can't even be bothered describing this one. It's a jungle film with very little jungle action. No natives. The same animals you see at the start turn up as wild animals, and this nugget just abuses the animals all the way through. I don't care if it's a bygone age.
***takes huge crap onto lion taming***
I need ten lines? Okay
****takes another crap on lion taming****
***this film is crap***
I can't even be bothered describing this one. It's a jungle film with very little jungle action. No natives. The same animals you see at the start turn up as wild animals, and this nugget just abuses the animals all the way through. I don't care if it's a bygone age.
***takes huge crap onto lion taming***
I need ten lines? Okay
****takes another crap on lion taming****
A Dull Film - But Not Awful
Rainey-Dawn16 December 2016
This is an adventure film. Some action with the animals and a man whipping the animals but that's about it. Why is this film considered Science Fiction I'll never know because it's far from it -- not one ounce of Sci-Fi within the film, not unless the ship/boat is suppose to be Sci-Fi. It's also a Romance with the animal trainer and the girl he rescues.
Anyway, the film is quite dull, it's got a couple of cute moments, some beautiful animals and a couple of dorky characters. There is also an animal trainer/tamer that mainly (pretends to) whips them.
I have no way of knowing how these animals were treated on and off the sets but I doubt they were treated all that well - but I don't know for sure.
There's not much to see nor much else to say about this one.
3/10
Anyway, the film is quite dull, it's got a couple of cute moments, some beautiful animals and a couple of dorky characters. There is also an animal trainer/tamer that mainly (pretends to) whips them.
I have no way of knowing how these animals were treated on and off the sets but I doubt they were treated all that well - but I don't know for sure.
There's not much to see nor much else to say about this one.
3/10
A surprisingly low score for a great animal tamer like Beatty.
planktonrules22 May 2023
"The Lost Jungle" features world famous animal tamer, Clyde Beatty. While mostly forgotten today, he was quite possibly the greatest animal tamer of all time and he was the first to be the featured headline act in a circus and the first to own his own circus. Beatty only appeared in six movies...including this 12-part movie serial.
For the most part, I think this serial could be "Clyde Beatty and His Pal Deal with a Bunch of Jerks!". Why? Because instead of the usual villains that populate serials (such as spies, masked villains and the like), Beatty has to mostly deal with jerks who try to kill him. One is his assistant, Sharky, a know-it-all who is jealous of Clyde and tries several times to get him killed. Additionally, when the dirigible Beatty is on crashes, two more homicidal jerks (Krby & Flynn) try to kill Clyde because he knows they killed an explorer to take his treasure! In many cases, he escapes death by fighting with various wild animals, though he also engages in a few fights with his enemies. Along to help him is his sidekick (Syd Saylor) and 1001 animals from the circus where Beatty worked in real life.
So is it any good? Well, yes and no. Nearly all serials are a bit cheesy and you can't judge them by the standards of a typical movie. But despite a few silly portions of the film (the island they crash onto has animals from all over the world on it!), the action is pretty good and usually it's actually Beatty fighting off animals and doing stunts. Not great...but not bad either.
By the way, if you do watch, note Mickey Rooney as an extra in part 1.
For the most part, I think this serial could be "Clyde Beatty and His Pal Deal with a Bunch of Jerks!". Why? Because instead of the usual villains that populate serials (such as spies, masked villains and the like), Beatty has to mostly deal with jerks who try to kill him. One is his assistant, Sharky, a know-it-all who is jealous of Clyde and tries several times to get him killed. Additionally, when the dirigible Beatty is on crashes, two more homicidal jerks (Krby & Flynn) try to kill Clyde because he knows they killed an explorer to take his treasure! In many cases, he escapes death by fighting with various wild animals, though he also engages in a few fights with his enemies. Along to help him is his sidekick (Syd Saylor) and 1001 animals from the circus where Beatty worked in real life.
So is it any good? Well, yes and no. Nearly all serials are a bit cheesy and you can't judge them by the standards of a typical movie. But despite a few silly portions of the film (the island they crash onto has animals from all over the world on it!), the action is pretty good and usually it's actually Beatty fighting off animals and doing stunts. Not great...but not bad either.
By the way, if you do watch, note Mickey Rooney as an extra in part 1.
Real lion fighter
BandSAboutMovies9 November 2023
Warning: Spoilers
There was a serial and movie of this released at the same time. They filmed several principal scenes with different dialog along with a new ending to make two totally different films. It's also sort of a sequel to another serial, Darkest Africa.
This stars Clyde Beatty, who was one of the most famous circus performers and animal trainers in the world. He got into the business by hitching a ride on a train and joining Howe's Great London and Van Amburgh's Wild Animal Circus. His greatest shows had him in a cage alone with 43 lions at the same time. His wife Harriett Evans and his daughter Albnina were both animal trainers.
Directed by David Howard (Mystery Ranch) and Armand Schaefer (who went into producing when TV came around), who wrote the story with Wyndham Gittens and Barney A. Sarecky, this has Clyde looking for his lady Ruth (Cecilia Parker) in the jungle. He even crashes a zeppelin to get out there! Every animal is real except for the guy in the ape suit.
This stars Clyde Beatty, who was one of the most famous circus performers and animal trainers in the world. He got into the business by hitching a ride on a train and joining Howe's Great London and Van Amburgh's Wild Animal Circus. His greatest shows had him in a cage alone with 43 lions at the same time. His wife Harriett Evans and his daughter Albnina were both animal trainers.
Directed by David Howard (Mystery Ranch) and Armand Schaefer (who went into producing when TV came around), who wrote the story with Wyndham Gittens and Barney A. Sarecky, this has Clyde looking for his lady Ruth (Cecilia Parker) in the jungle. He even crashes a zeppelin to get out there! Every animal is real except for the guy in the ape suit.
Lions and tigers and bears...oh my!
Vigilante-4078 February 1999
This is not a bad little serial. It has few of the standard serial cliches that bug me, especially not the cliffhanger endings that end up happening completely differently at the start of the next episode (watch the original Captain America serial to see a LOT of that).
Clyde Beatty is a nice enough guy, though obviously not an actor...but then few of the real-life celebrities that did movies and serials in the 30's & 40's were (Red Grange, Frank Hawks, Sammy Baugh...though Houdini pulled it off back in 1919). There are a lot of animal action shots, which is a pleasure to watch. Clyde has this stupid hypnotic eye power over the beasts at a couple of points in the story, but those moments are easily ignored.
All in all a nice little serial...fun, good locations, good guys, bad guys, wild animals, lost treasure...sounds good to me!
Clyde Beatty is a nice enough guy, though obviously not an actor...but then few of the real-life celebrities that did movies and serials in the 30's & 40's were (Red Grange, Frank Hawks, Sammy Baugh...though Houdini pulled it off back in 1919). There are a lot of animal action shots, which is a pleasure to watch. Clyde has this stupid hypnotic eye power over the beasts at a couple of points in the story, but those moments are easily ignored.
All in all a nice little serial...fun, good locations, good guys, bad guys, wild animals, lost treasure...sounds good to me!
Good for older brothers taking their younger brothers to the movies in the 1930s
Aegelis18 October 2021
Plenty of animal action for the day, scary beasts, and a guy keeping them in check (long before the use of CGI or camera tricks). If a person couldn't get to the circus back in the day or were a big fan of the circus, this would definitely appeal to the wild side for younger folks. I couldn't see kids getting into it these days, but surely would've been a treat on the big screen then. Directing is alright, as there were a few points where the limits of special effects needed decent camera work and visual storytelling.
The scripting was pretty awful, very basic to the point of illogical/unemotional. Plot is extraordinarily thin and convenient. I think this is why it would target a young audience, probably more so the males. Between us, I think Ruth could've done much better. Here's a man (hero) obsessed with his work and 'oh by the way, I love you babe' should be a serious red flag. Characters are static, almost caricature like a Laurel & Hardy bit.
Take it or leave it with this film. If you've got time then there may be some interesting things to watch.
The scripting was pretty awful, very basic to the point of illogical/unemotional. Plot is extraordinarily thin and convenient. I think this is why it would target a young audience, probably more so the males. Between us, I think Ruth could've done much better. Here's a man (hero) obsessed with his work and 'oh by the way, I love you babe' should be a serious red flag. Characters are static, almost caricature like a Laurel & Hardy bit.
Take it or leave it with this film. If you've got time then there may be some interesting things to watch.
The is a great movie for history buffs of the old movie and entertainment scene.
dhreid2 January 2006
For those of you who did not grow up in the days of old-time circus and traveling shows, you may not know the name Clyde Beatty. Beatty is hailed as one of the worlds most famous animal trainers. My father, who is ninety-six, and still in sound mind, saw Beatty in Raleigh, NC back in the thirties and both of us truly enjoyed this movie. The animal scenes were wonderful and reminiscent of the old circus. Supported by Syd Saylor, a noted and well educated actor and comic, added the light touch in just the right places. This film came as one of the offerings in a 50 pack DVD collection and is one of the few really classics in the bunch, but it was worth the cost of the collection to see and have this movie. Clyde did all the 'stunts' himself and his talent in animal training is relished. Enjoy this for what it is, a fun adventure featuring a true American talent.
Clyde Beatty shows his stuff
Bernie444417 March 2024
Evidently, I watched a different version. This was also released in the same year and under the same title as a 68-minute feature version of the serial by Mascot Pictures Corporation. It is incorporated in the 50 movie pack Sci-Fi collection.
Plenty of animal training scenes staring at the Hogenbeck-Wallace Animals. Clyde the benevolent and gentle animal trainer is too naive about human nature to realize that one of his men Sharkey (Warner Richmond) tries to kill him every time he turns around, and too preoccupied to realize he must marry Ruth Robinson (Cecilia Parker) or lose her to a South Seas trip planned by her father.
While Clyde is busy playing with his felines, Ruth and her father Capt. Robinson (Edward LeSaint) are shipwrecked on an uncharted island of Kamor with lions, tigers, bears, and more unscrupulous beasts, oh my. Ruth gives Clyde the bird. I mean she sends him a cable by carrier pigeon.
Clyde to the rescue on a new airship. Lightning strikes in a storm and you guess it Dirigible Victory splits up. Sharkey bails like a rat leaving a sinking ship, with the only parachute. What are their chances of getting lost on the same island? What is worse, Sharkey is lurking somewhere and up to his nefarious plots.
Will Clyde become "tiger chow" and who will get the girl?
Plenty of animal training scenes staring at the Hogenbeck-Wallace Animals. Clyde the benevolent and gentle animal trainer is too naive about human nature to realize that one of his men Sharkey (Warner Richmond) tries to kill him every time he turns around, and too preoccupied to realize he must marry Ruth Robinson (Cecilia Parker) or lose her to a South Seas trip planned by her father.
While Clyde is busy playing with his felines, Ruth and her father Capt. Robinson (Edward LeSaint) are shipwrecked on an uncharted island of Kamor with lions, tigers, bears, and more unscrupulous beasts, oh my. Ruth gives Clyde the bird. I mean she sends him a cable by carrier pigeon.
Clyde to the rescue on a new airship. Lightning strikes in a storm and you guess it Dirigible Victory splits up. Sharkey bails like a rat leaving a sinking ship, with the only parachute. What are their chances of getting lost on the same island? What is worse, Sharkey is lurking somewhere and up to his nefarious plots.
Will Clyde become "tiger chow" and who will get the girl?
Lions and Tigers and...more Lions and Tigers...
joebridge9 May 2006
Wow, this is one action-packed nerve-jangling movie from start to finish.
Completely contrived of course, but that's not a bad thing in this case and I feel it does have great historic value.
With regard to being contrived, I mean, really, first you have amazing scenes of wild cats fighting in a cage, wild cats that are never found together in nature, then, lo and behold, our friends end up on an uncharted island where, unlike everywhere else in the world, those same wild cats just happen to live (and of course, fight) together naturally. Or, I don't know, maybe their cages fell from a plane on the way to the circus? But seriously, there are few movies that cause your hair to stand on end for real. I have been around lions and with some, their roar travels an amazing distance. Two people I know mistook a lion's roar for what they seriously thought was a big metal bridge being hit by strong winds! I think certain sections of this movie/serial WOULD have perhaps fit the science fiction genre if they had used weird-looking hybrid species of wild cats on the uncharted island. That would have made it more intense and even more unusual, as well..."Tiglons and ligers and bears, oh my." 8/10.
Completely contrived of course, but that's not a bad thing in this case and I feel it does have great historic value.
With regard to being contrived, I mean, really, first you have amazing scenes of wild cats fighting in a cage, wild cats that are never found together in nature, then, lo and behold, our friends end up on an uncharted island where, unlike everywhere else in the world, those same wild cats just happen to live (and of course, fight) together naturally. Or, I don't know, maybe their cages fell from a plane on the way to the circus? But seriously, there are few movies that cause your hair to stand on end for real. I have been around lions and with some, their roar travels an amazing distance. Two people I know mistook a lion's roar for what they seriously thought was a big metal bridge being hit by strong winds! I think certain sections of this movie/serial WOULD have perhaps fit the science fiction genre if they had used weird-looking hybrid species of wild cats on the uncharted island. That would have made it more intense and even more unusual, as well..."Tiglons and ligers and bears, oh my." 8/10.
One for Cecilia Parker fans!
JohnHowardReid12 May 2018
Warning: Spoilers
Copyright 22 March 1934 and 25 June 1934 by Mascot Pictures Corp. 233 minutes.
Chapter titles (each chapter is two reels in length, except for the first which has three): 1. Noah's Ark Island; 2. Nature in the Raw; 3. The Hypnotic Eye; 4. The Pit of Crocodiles; 5. Gorilla Warfare; 6. The Battle of Beasts; 7. The Tiger's Prey; 8. The Lion's Brood; 9. Eyes of the Jungle; 10. Human Hyenas; 11. The Gorilla; 12. Take Them Back Alive.
COMMENT: Unusually for a serial (particularly a Mascot effort), The Lost Jungle actually improves as it progresses instead of the other way around. Partly, this has to do with the way the chapters are laid out. Admittedly, the animals are a bit tiresome and Mr Beatty is no beauty. But the ruined city sets with their maze of passageways are rather jolly and we enjoyed the fake gorilla. And fortunately, we see less and less of the "comic" bowtie-wiggling Syd Saylor (and more of his daring stuntman), plus more and more of the delightfully appealing Cecilia Parker. Although she wears just the one outfit throughout, Miss Parker has never looked so alluring. She's beautifully photographed too with lots of swooning close-ups.
The villains, led by the ever reliable Warner Richmond (as the murderous Mystery Man) and Wheeler Oakman (as the no-scruples leader of the mutiny) provide plenty of interest too.
Whilst the direction is always super-efficient, it's likely that Messrs Howard and Schaefer spent a great deal of their time thinking up entertaining new action and suspenseful cliffhanging twists for their script.
The Lost Jungle is also unique for Mascot in that it has no economy episodes. Every chapter right up to the end title is chock-full of new thrills. Admittedly one or two stock shots re-appear from time to time, but I'm not complaining.
So, if you don't like the first ep or even the second, persevere! Miss Parker is mighty hard to resist (and Mr LeSaint shares some of that charisma too).
Chapter titles (each chapter is two reels in length, except for the first which has three): 1. Noah's Ark Island; 2. Nature in the Raw; 3. The Hypnotic Eye; 4. The Pit of Crocodiles; 5. Gorilla Warfare; 6. The Battle of Beasts; 7. The Tiger's Prey; 8. The Lion's Brood; 9. Eyes of the Jungle; 10. Human Hyenas; 11. The Gorilla; 12. Take Them Back Alive.
COMMENT: Unusually for a serial (particularly a Mascot effort), The Lost Jungle actually improves as it progresses instead of the other way around. Partly, this has to do with the way the chapters are laid out. Admittedly, the animals are a bit tiresome and Mr Beatty is no beauty. But the ruined city sets with their maze of passageways are rather jolly and we enjoyed the fake gorilla. And fortunately, we see less and less of the "comic" bowtie-wiggling Syd Saylor (and more of his daring stuntman), plus more and more of the delightfully appealing Cecilia Parker. Although she wears just the one outfit throughout, Miss Parker has never looked so alluring. She's beautifully photographed too with lots of swooning close-ups.
The villains, led by the ever reliable Warner Richmond (as the murderous Mystery Man) and Wheeler Oakman (as the no-scruples leader of the mutiny) provide plenty of interest too.
Whilst the direction is always super-efficient, it's likely that Messrs Howard and Schaefer spent a great deal of their time thinking up entertaining new action and suspenseful cliffhanging twists for their script.
The Lost Jungle is also unique for Mascot in that it has no economy episodes. Every chapter right up to the end title is chock-full of new thrills. Admittedly one or two stock shots re-appear from time to time, but I'm not complaining.
So, if you don't like the first ep or even the second, persevere! Miss Parker is mighty hard to resist (and Mr LeSaint shares some of that charisma too).
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