Jungle Queen [DVD] [1945] [Region 1] [US Import] [NTSC]

Of course, I rate this one five stars specifically for rabid fans of older black-and-white theater serials. This 1945 film runs for thirteen chapters, 240 minutes in length and the quality of the DVD (VCI Entertainment) is good, excepting that the background footage to the opening credits of each chapter (but not the credits themselves) are only slightly fuzzy. The aspect ratio is 1.37:1 (full-screen.)

THE STORY: The film is set in 1939, just prior to the outbreak of World War II. Nazi officers decide, (as Hitler employs his well-known artistic skill doodling a skull and crossbones on a notepad), that parts of Africa must fall under their total domination in order for them to control military activity in the Mediterranean region; however, they are concerned about widespread rumors of a Jungle Queen, a sort of goddess to the various indigenous tribes of "British Middle Africa," who might impede their aggression. Covert Nazi agents are sent into the district to thwart both the Jungle Queen and any British or American agents who might arrive to contradict their plans.

The Jungle Queen, Lothel (played by Ruth Roman), is known to the tribal groups as "the lady who walks through fire" because she periodically appears from the entrance of a sacrificial fire cave at a shrine-like stone temple in the jungle. She thus issues a warning to the ruling "judge" of the tribal populace about the Nazi intrusion.

Two American Secret Service men are sent unofficially to the jungle city to assist their British allies in subverting Nazi activities but their airplane crashes in the jungle. The two men, Bob Elliot (Edward Norris) and Chuck Kelly (Eddie Quillan), along with the daughter of a prominent British professor, Pamela Courtney (Lois Collier), are the three lone survivors of the crash -- the Jungle Queen helps them all to eventually return to the British headquarters subsequent to a few run-ins with some Nazi-motivated native tribesmen.

From this point forward, it's tit-for-tat in the battles between the Nazis and the allied agents, the tribesmen intermittently switching their loyalties as they are artfully manipulated by the respective factions. Specifically, subsequent to the murder (by a Nazi native operative) of the ruling judge, the issue of who will be the subsequent leader of the tribesmen (the man who is responsible for holding "The Secret of the Sword"!), becomes the concern and focus of Lothel the Jungle Queen, the British and American operatives, and the Nazis.

There are specific actors who make outstanding contributions in various chapters of this serial and I'd like to point them out here:

Douglas Dumbrille plays "Lang," a Nazi of The First Water -- he conveys a stellar performance here as he did in yet another outstanding period film, Charlie Chan: Castle in the Desert [VHS]. (This remarkable film is also available on DVD, but only by acquiring the Charlie Chan set: Charlie Chan Collection, Vol. 5 (Charlie Chan At The Wax Museum/Murder Over New York/Dead Men Tell/Charlie Chan In Rio/Charlie Chan In Panama/Murder Cruise/Castle in the Desert).)

"Kyba," one of the three candidates for the native ruling judge, is portrayed by Clarence Muse who brings a particular dignity to all his film roles, even in the comic relief ones as he did in Sherlock Holmes in Washington where he was cast as George, the shrewdly observant porter in a train club car. He also made his indelible mark in a lengthy role in the complex Bela Lugosi vehicle, Invisible Ghost where his character was that of the clever butler, Evans.

"Captain Drake" is played by Oliver Blake, (sadly, uncredited for his rather lengthy speaking role here), who also played the ostentatious hotel-keeper in Charlie Chan: Castle in the Desert [VHS] -- astoundingly, he wasn't credited for that remarkable performance either! He appeared well over 100 times in various film and television performances, including his integral contribution as the bartender in Raintree County (DVD) Elizabeth Taylor, Montgomery Clift - BY GOLDEN CLASSIC COLLECTIBLES.

And finally, Tala Birell (born in Romania in 1907 as Natalie Bierl) playing Nazi subversive "Dr. Elise Bork," epitomizes everything we have come to expect from the stereotypical female Nazi [film] spy: tall, blond, attractive, large-busted, cold-hearted, (she ruthlessly stabs Captain Drake in the back with a big dagger because she believes he's "not dependable"!), and so on. She is also known to us as "Antonya Raskolnikov" in the landmark 1935 Russian epic Crime and Punishment (1935) [ NON-USA FORMAT, PAL, Reg.2 Import - Spain ]. (Douglass Dumbrille additionally stars in this terrific film.)

The various chapters are directed by Ray Taylor and Lewis D. Collins for Universal Pictures, presented by Commonwealth Pictures Corporation. The screenplay was written by George Plympton (who wrote for MANY of these sorts of serials and films), Ande Lamb, and Morgan B. Cox.

The thirteen chapters are as follows:
-- Invitation to Danger
-- Jungle Sacrifice
-- The Flying Mountain
-- Wildcat Stampede
-- The Burning Jungle
-- Danger Ship
-- Trip-Wire Murder
-- The Mortar Bomb
-- Death Watch
-- Execution Chamber
-- The Trail to Doom
-- Dragged Under
-- The Secret of the Sword

This serial represents a bulwark of great settings, locations, and cliffhanger ambiance including all manner of Nazi uniform regalia, a secret radio headquarters, hidden telephones, pit-type lion traps, tusk necklaces, thatch and bamboo jungle villages, campfires with giant coffee pots, big daggers, canoes, memorable "woodie" station wagons, elephant gun bullets, a cool old tavern, a ship ("The Silver Star"), a machine gun booby trap, interesting period rifles (including German Mausers and .303 British Enfields), handguns, and much more. We also get to view a savory amount of the inevitable wild animal filler-footage featuring chimpanzees, hyenas, apes, lions, deer (it looked like a white-tailed fawn to me), and crocodiles (which appear to actually be Florida alligators.)

In summary, this is an outstanding jungle thriller which has it all for devotees of the genre and I highly recommend it. If you'd like to see a jungle serial of similar excellence, be sure to watch Nyoka and the Tigermen (Digitally Remastered). For some cool episodic television versions of this genre, I also recommend the various entries of Ramar of the Jungle - Volume One.

VCI Entertainment and Universal Pictures present "Jungle Queen" (1945) (Dolby digitally remastered), with 13 Chapters of jungle vintage serial episodes loaded with action sequences...story line has a mysterious girl Lotel, the Jungle Queen who arrives in the nick of time for the tribes to rescue them...are Nazi agents behind stirring up the local tribes in Africa to fight against our British allies...who is really behind all of the plots, Lang (Douglass Dumbrille) and Dr. Elise Bork (Tala Birell) seem to have everything under control as our key villains posing as dutiful scientists, or do they...can Bob Elliott (Edward Norris) and Chuck Kelly (Eddie Quillan) be of assistance before the final chapter "The Secret of the Sword" can be discovered...what part does Pam Courtney (Lois Collier), niece of the explorer Alan Courtney (Boyd Irwin) play in this intriguing tale....what strange power does the Sword have over the tribes and why is it so important...will the Jungle Queen once more walk through the sheets of flames as before and have the answers...the Universal stunt people leave no stone unturned with each cliffhanger episode....don't leave the theater until the final chapter is over and done with "The Secret of the Sword"....just remember double thrills, chills, mystery and suspense...hitting the bull's eye with excitement...don't miss a single spine-thrilling episode..return next week to this local theater for another episode of action and adventure that will keep you thrilled until the next chapter.

Under director's Ray Taylor and Lewis D. Collins, two of the best in the Serial genre, associate producer Morgan B. Cox and Ray Taylor, original story Eliot Gibbons, original screenplay Morgan B. Cox, Andre Lamb and George H. Plympton, music score by Franz Waxman, Hans J. Salter, Frank Skinner, Dimitri Tiomkin, Milton Rosen...the cast include Edward Norris (Bob Elliot), Eddie Quillan (Chuck Kelly), Douglass Dumbrille (Lang), Napoleon Simpson (Maati), Lois Collier (Pamela Courtney), Ruth Roman (Lothel, Jungle Queen), Tala Birell (Dr. Elise Bork), Clarence Muse (Kyba), Clinton Rosemond (Godac), Lumsden Hare (Mr. 'X'), Lester Matthews (Commissioner Braham Chatterton), Edmund Cobb (Johann, alias Jack)....Carey Loftin (stunt double for Edward Norris)......back to the feature as Universal Pictures is always good till the last drop and this serial is no exception...there is a great deal of entertainment here for the cliffhanger fans out there...all courtesy of VCI Entertainment, who in my humble opinion is the best there is in restoring early serials and features.

CHAPTER TITLES:

1. Invitation to Danger

2. Jungle Sacrifice

3. The Flaming Mountain

4. Wildcat Stampede

5. The Burning Jungle

6. Danger Ship

7. Trip Wire Murder

8. The Mortar Bomb

9. Death Watch

10.Execution Chamber

11.The Trail to Doom

12.Dragged Under

13.The Secret of the Sword

If you're into vintage serials as I am, why not pick up a copy of the following titles from VCI Home Video:

VCI CLIFFHANGER TRAILERS:

1. Buck Rogers (Buster Crabbe)

2. Adventures of the Flying Cadets (Bobby Jordan)

3. Drums of Fu Manchu (Henry Brandon)

4. Jungle Girl (Frances Gifford)

5. The Phantom (Tom Tyler)

6. Zane Greys "King of the Royal Mounted" (Allan "Rocky" Lane)

7. Secret Agent X-9 (1945) (Lloyd Bridges & Keye Luke)

8. Adventures of Red Ryder (Don "Red" Barry)

9. Secret Agent X-9 (1937) (Scott Kolk & Henry Brandon)

10.Zorro's Cliffhanger Collection (Reed Hadley, John Carroll & Linda Stirling)

11.Dick Tracy's G-Men (Ralph Byrd)

12.Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe (Buster Crabbe)

13.Jungle Jim (Grant Withers & Raymond Hatton)

14.Miracle Rider (Tom Mix & Tony Jr)

If you crave action, drama and plenty of adventure then this is the place for all of the above...check out another release from VCI Entertainment and Columbia Pictures present "Captain Video: Master of the Stratosphere" (1951) (digitally remastered), 15 Chapters.finally for the first time on video the really great Columbia Serial that broke the mold...we have everything a serial fan would want...the tinted sequences by Cinecolor and unique inventions that were unlike any other serial out there in the '50s...get out there as they're going fast, this is the one you've been waiting for.

Great job by VCI Entertainment for releasing "Jungle Queen" (1945), the digital transfere with a clean, clear and crisp print...looking forward to more high quality releases from the vintage serial era of the '30s, '40s & '50s...order your copy now from Amazon or VCI Entertainment, stay tuned once again for top notch action mixed with deadly adventure from the "King of Serials" VCI...just the way we like 'em!

Total Time: 240 mins on 2 VHS ~ VCI Entertainment 1753 ~ (11/04/1995)

"Jungle Queen" is a 13 chapter serial released by Universal Pictures early in 1945, directed by Ray Taylor and Lewis D. Collins.

In 1939, the Nazi high command has decided that control of Africa is required before they can conquer Europe. They plan to do this by installing a Judge of the tribes in "Middle Africa" sympathetic to their cause, and start by murdering the current judge. But Lothel (Ruth Roman), known by the natives as "the woman who walks through fire" is interfering with these plans. She appears, through the flames in the chamber of judgement and warns the natives that foreigners are responsible for the murder. Meanwhile, the British have sent for Pamela Courtney (Lois Collier), Secret Service agent to convince her uncle, Alan Courtney (Boyd Irwin) to investigate the murder of the judge. At Tambosa, where the British Commissioner, Braham Chatterton (Lester Matthews) has his headquarters is an Experimental Farm, run by Dr. Elise Bork (Tala Birell), a Nazi secret agent, and her underling Lang (Douglass Dumbrille) who are responsible for the murder. Also headed to Tambosa, supposedly to do some hunting, are two Americans, Bob Elliot and Chuck Kelly (Edward Norris and Eddie Quillan), who happen to be on the same flight as Miss Courtney. The 'plane is sabotaged by the Nazis and crashes, and our trio, at first not trusting each other, have to deal with the usual lions, leopards, crocodiles and unfriendly natives before they can even start trying to find the Nazi agents.

This is a rather plodding jungle serial, though most of the acting is good enough. Our human heroine, Lois Collier doesn't seem helpless, Edward Norris isn't too wooden and the comedy is kept within reason by Eddie Quillan. Clarence Muse does well as Kyba, candidate for judge opposed by the Nazis, and there are some fine minor roles, including Budd Buster as Jungle Jack and Cy Kendall as bad-guy tavern operator Tambosa Tim. While Tala Birell and Douglass Dumbrille do their dirty work with some flair, most of the time they are rehashing the plot, asking "what happened to..." instead of actually doing something. Universal seemed to think acted-out introductions were an improvement over spoken or written summaries, but they take up a couple minutes at the start of each chapter and often there's more later on. As for the plot, installing one sympathetic tribal judge doesn't seem sufficient for Germany to control much of Africa, but logic isn't the point of serials, and don't expect any explanation for why Lothel appears or how she keeps from snagging her flowing apparel in the underbrush. Universal includes a lot of stock footage, much of it pretty old, but while no credit is shown for the music, it is appropriate and at times quite effective.

VCI's edition, #8531 is on a single DVD. The source is obviously a 16mm reduction print, titles headed "Commonwealth Pictures Presents" and while reasonably free of dirt and scratches, the image isn't exactly sharp. It's also a little muddy, though the gray scale is adequate to keep most of the scenes from being lost in darkness. The sound is slightly muffled, deficient in high frequencies but clear enough for the extensive dialogue, though in the last chapter there are periodic blips as if some noise had to be chopped out. Not unusual for available prints of Universal serials of the 1940's, and good enough to display the dreadful quality of the stock footage, especially the grainy, fuzzy scene with the natives beating on a large metal plate. Somewhere a few small defocused dark spots got in, probably dirt on the illumination optics, either in the reduction process or the video transfer, though they aren't too distracting. There are occasional shifts in the audio level, one where the sound momentarily becomes quite loud in the opening credits, the same copy used for all chapters with MPPDA certificate number 10412, likely from the second chapter. The only "Extras" are two trailers, for "Jungle Queen" and "The Phantom Empire." The trailer for "Jungle Queen" has a slightly sharper and less-grainy image than the film itself; the sound is also crisper, if with a little noise.

While "Jungle Queen" will probably appeal most to serial-movie fans, and it is not one of Universal's best, the mildly-looney title character helps, the cast is interesting enough, and the meandering plot has some variety, aided by good performances in several roles. The print is far from pristine, but VCI has cleaned it up fairly well and isn't hard to watch for those familiar with typical editions of other Universal serials from the 1940's. But it is best to watch it with a day or two between chapters so the dialogue doesn't seem more redundant than it actually is.