The Lion Man

Well what did I expect? I keep on watching these old Poverty Row productions so I should really know the score by now. This adventure film is more or less business as usual down in the Poverty Row back-lot. It's a film full of promise but little delivery. Much like most of these old programme filling B-movies from the 30's. This one has an American boy being left to be brought up by a lion keeping shaman after his dad has been murdered by a villainous sheik. He grows up to be a noble saviour of downtrodden folks in Arabia - the Lion Man of the title, so if you expected this to be a film about a half-man half-lion monster (i.e. me) then prepare to be sadly underwhelmed. It's sort of Tarzan in the desert if you like. Except the film-makers kind of forget to load the thing with much action, instead there's a lot of chat and not too much in the way of excitement. Which is a shame really because The Lion Man had a passable chance at becoming relatively entertaining. But, unfortunately, for the most part it's a little tedious.

I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed seeing this hidden treasure that I thought was long gone. I am so thankful that someone rescued it from the vault it was hidden in! My father was the little "Lion Man" - and I thought he did a FANTASTIC job. He told me that they filmed the entire movie in 3 weeks - and in that time he had to learn all his lines (several which were cut in this version, probably due to the condition of the original film), learn how to ride (and fall off of) a camel, and deal with the Arizona desert. His father was also an extra in the movie - one of the "Arabs" on camel back. Amazingly, I think this movie seems more raw and real than some other more current "Tarzan" like adaptations - because the fight scenes are hand-to-hand in the sand, the tents are more like what was really used at the time, and because my Dad did such a good job!

The original story that inspired The Lion Man was written by Edgar Rice Burroughs and it certainly has some of the same plot premise that his Tarzan character has. The young boy is the son of British explorer Eric Snowden who is the only survivor of a massacre in the desert by a treacherous Arab sheik Ted Adams. Raised by a jungle mystic among a pride of lions he grows up to be Jon Hall.

I suppose Edgar Rice Burroughs counted himself fortunate that his Tarzan series was originally picked up by MGM that Tiffany of studios. This was a cheaply made independent with scant production values and little direction for the human players.

Too bad Burroughs got the short shrift in this cheapie.

A rich British Lord goes into the desert with his son on a secret mission. Tricked by desert bandits the Lord is killed and his son is spirited away to live with a holy man who raises lions. Growing up to be a brave warrior the son ("Lion Man" of the title) aids travelers who are set upon by various bandits.

A very good looking, if somewhat talky and at time static adventure occurs. Very Much of a time this low budget desert tale looks good. It looks much less opulent than say films like Lawrence of Arabia and so seems much closer to reality. The tale is essentially a Tarzan retread which is okay. The problem with the film is that the film is very talky and static. People are posed in tableaux and talk and talk and talk. Its good but it makes the movie seem more draggy and creaky than it really is.

A good, but not great little adventure film.

This is an attempt, by both author Edgar Rice Burroughs and filmmakers, at an Arabian "Tarzan of the Apes". But, this desert-set film shows none of the majesty present in Burroughs' more successful jungle adventure. The focus is on the love between handsome English noble Jon Hall (as "El 'Lion" Chatham) and exotic Arab beauty Kathleen Burke (as "Princess" Eulilah), with revenge happening to coincide with their urge to merge. The opening states that, although guilty of conduct unbecoming, the lad's mother is living - but, she never re-enters the picture. Unfortunately, "The Lion Man" has deteriorated, and is looks like it's missing footage.

*** The Lion Man (1936) John P. McCarthy ~ Jon Hall, Kathleen Burke, Ted Adams