''Jungle Goddess'' is a 1948 American
action
Action may refer to:
* Action (narrative), a literary mode
* Action fiction, a type of genre fiction
* Action game, a genre of video game
Film
* Action film, a genre of film
* ''Action'' (1921 film), a film by John Ford
* ''Action'' (1980 fil ...
/
adventure
An adventure is an exciting experience or undertaking that is typically bold, sometimes risky. Adventures may be activities with danger such as traveling, exploring, skydiving, mountain climbing, scuba diving, river rafting, or other extreme spo ...
crime film
Crime films, in the broadest sense, is a film genre inspired by and analogous to the crime fiction literary genre. Films of this genre generally involve various aspects of crime and its detection. Stylistically, the genre may overlap and combine ...
starring
George Reeves
George Reeves (born George Keefer Brewer; January 5, 1914 – June 16, 1959) was an American actor. He is best known for portraying Superman in the television series '' Adventures of Superman'' (1952–1958).
His death at age 45 from a g ...
,
Ralph Byrd
Ralph Byrd (April 22, 1909 – August 18, 1952) was an American actor. He was most famous for playing the comic strip character Dick Tracy on screen, in serials, films and television.
Early life and career
The son of George and Edna May ...
, and
Wanda McKay
Wanda McKay (born Dorothy Quackenbush; June 22, 1915 – April 11, 1996) was an American actress and model.
Early years
McKay was born as Dorothy Quackenbush in Portland, Oregon,McKay's obituary in the Los Angeles Times says that she was " ...
. Directed by
Lewis D. Collins
Lewis D. Collins (January 12, 1899 – August 24, 1954) was an American film director and occasional screenwriter. In his career spanning over 30 years, he churned out dozens of Westerns.
Career
Born in Baltimore, Maryland, Collins' film caree ...
, the film was based on an idea by producer William Stephens.
''Jungle Goddess'' was later featured in a Season 2 episode of ''
Mystery Science Theater 3000
''Mystery Science Theater 3000'' (abbreviated as ''MST3K'') is an American science fiction comedy film review television series created by Joel Hodgson. The show premiered on KTMA-TV (now WUCW) in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on November 24, 1988. ...
''.
Plot
In Africa, pilot Mike Patton is persuaded by his business partner, Bob Simpson, to conduct a search for a missing heiress whose plane supposedly went down in the jungle, resulting in her never being seen again.
Encountering an indigenous tribe of natives, Bob recklessly shoots a man. He is taken before a woman, Greta, who is being treated like a
high priestess
The term "high priest" usually refers either to an individual who holds the office of ruler-priest, or to one who is the head of a religious caste.
Ancient Egypt
In ancient Egypt, a high priest was the chief priest of any of the many gods rever ...
. Bob is sentenced to die, but when she gets Mike off to herself, Greta pleads with him to help her escape.
During a struggle, a gun goes off and a guard is left dead. With the tribesmen in pursuit, Mike and Greta are betrayed by Bob, who has gone mad. But after he is killed by a spear, Mike and Greta make it to the plane and safely get away.
Cast
*
George Reeves
George Reeves (born George Keefer Brewer; January 5, 1914 – June 16, 1959) was an American actor. He is best known for portraying Superman in the television series '' Adventures of Superman'' (1952–1958).
His death at age 45 from a g ...
as Mike Patton
*
Wanda McKay
Wanda McKay (born Dorothy Quackenbush; June 22, 1915 – April 11, 1996) was an American actress and model.
Early years
McKay was born as Dorothy Quackenbush in Portland, Oregon,McKay's obituary in the Los Angeles Times says that she was " ...
as Greta Vanderhorn
*
Ralph Byrd
Ralph Byrd (April 22, 1909 – August 18, 1952) was an American actor. He was most famous for playing the comic strip character Dick Tracy on screen, in serials, films and television.
Early life and career
The son of George and Edna May ...
as Bob Simpson
*
Armida
Armida is the fictional character of a Saracen sorceress, created by the Italian late Renaissance poet Torquato Tasso. Description
In Tasso's epic ''Jerusalem Delivered'' ( it, Gerusalemme liberata, link=no), Rinaldo is a fierce and determ ...
as Wanama
*
Onest Conley
Onest Conley (December 6, 1906 – October 8, 1989) was an American film actor.
Early life
Born in Evanston, Illinois, his mother was the pioneering African-American film actress Madame Sul-Te-Wan (''née'' Nellie Crawford) and his father was R ...
as Drummer
*
Rudy Robles
Rudy Robles (born Pastor Lluviosa Robles, 29 April 1910 – 11 August 1970) was a Filipino film and television actor. He was one of the first Filipino actors to appear in Hollywood movies.
Career
Robles was born in Tacloban, in the Eastern ...
as Nugara
* Jack Carroll as Accompanist
* Dolores Castle as Yvonne
*
Fred Coby
Frederick G. Beckner Jr. (March 1, 1916 – September 27, 1970) was an American character actor born in California. He was known for playing Pony Deal in the American western television series ''The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp'', which starre ...
as Pilot
* Helena Grant as Mrs. Fitzhugh
*
Reed Hadley
Reed Hadley (born Reed Herring, June 25, 1911 – December 11, 1974) was an American film, television and radio actor.
Early life
Hadley was born in Petrolia, Texas, to Bert Herring, an oil well driller, and his wife Minnie. Hadley had one ...
as Radio Newscaster (uncredited)
* Sam Harris as Bar Patron (uncredited)
* Linda Leighton as Helen Phillips (credited as Linda Johnson)
*
Smoki Whitfield
Smoki Whitfield (born Robert Whitfield, and sometimes credited as Jordan Whitfield) was an African American actor, comedian, and musician.
Biography
Smoki was born in Pittsburgh to John Whitfield and Effie Walker. He attended the University of ...
as Oolonga the witch doctor
*
Zack Williams as Chief M'benga
Production notes
The film was the first to be produced by
Robert L. Lippert's independent production company, Lippert Pictures.
Lippert borrowed George Reeves to star and filming began in June 1948.
Reception
A ''Los Angeles Times'' reviewer who saw the film in a theater called it "so corny" that the audience "died laughing when they weren't razzing on it."
Despite this reaction, the film was widely seen, as one of the most watched movies in what were then all 48 states. In 1950 the film was shown as part of a double feature with
Treasure Island
''Treasure Island'' (originally titled ''The Sea Cook: A Story for Boys''Hammond, J. R. 1984. "Treasure Island." In ''A Robert Louis Stevenson Companion'', Palgrave Macmillan Literary Companions. London: Palgrave Macmillan. .) is an adventure no ...
at the Five Points Theatre in Birmingham, Alabama as well several other theaters around the state. In 1954 Jungle Goddess was shown as part of a double feature with a re-airing of ''
The Lawless Nineties
''The Lawless Nineties'' is a 1936 American Western film directed by Joseph Kane and starring John Wayne and Lane Chandler as federal agents in Wyoming. The film also stars a 19-year-old Ann Rutherford as well as George Hayes.
The film's cop ...
'' in several media markets.
The film was popular enough for a follow up ''Green Gold'' which became ''
Thunder in the Pines
''Thunder in the Pines'' is a 1948 American Western film directed by Robert Edwards and starring George Reeves and Ralph Byrd. The film was shot in sepia tone. It was executive produced by Robert L. Lippert.
Plot
Production
Reeves and Byrd a ...
''.
Home media
In 2006, ''Jungle Goddess'' was released on Region 1 DVD in the United States by VCI Home Video. The film was paired with another title starring George Reeves, ''Thunder in the Pines'' (1948).
References
External links
*
*
*
*
Review of filmat ''Variety''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jungle Goddess
1948 films
1940s action adventure films
1940s crime films
American crime films
American black-and-white films
1940s English-language films
Films set in Africa
American independent films
Lippert Pictures films
Films directed by Lewis D. Collins
American action adventure films
1940s American films