Jungle Jim in the Forbidden Land

During the 1930s and 40s, Johnny Weissmuller starred in a series of excellent Tarzan films for MGM. However, by the late 40s, Weissmuller's handsome good looks were giving way to middle age and MGM tired of the films. So, Weissmuller went looking for work and was hired to essentially play Tarzan in some very low-budget films. But, since they didn't own rights to Tarzan, the films were marketed as Jungle Jim films--Jim being a comic character which was much cheaper to license! Plus, Jim isn't exactly a jungle savage-- allowing the now paunchy Weissmuller to wear more clothes. While I love Weissmuller's Tarzan flicks, the Jungle Jim ones are not especially good...but at least they helped the aging actor to pay the bills.

Here in "Jungle Jim in the Forbidden Land", our hero is approached by a sexy scientist to go to some legendary land where there are giants. Jim knows better and refuses--especially since it involves ivory. But then he eventually is forced to go on this expedition-- one where you'll see all sorts of stock footage and crappy 'creatures'. One of my favorite is just before he agrees to go--- when Jim struggles with a vicious hippo--a hippo that clearly is rubber AND while he's supposed to be under water, Weissmuller clearly isn't and footage of water is superimposed over the scene! Talk about crappy!! There's also a wolfman sort of guy! Why? Who knows?! And then there's the Indian elephants (in Africa) with tusks taped onto it (you can see them wiggling about). The bottom line is that if you like crappy jungle films, then you will like this one. If you think it in any way approaches the quality of the classic Tarzan films, then are you in for a rude awakening! Rather awful overall...and a bit dull.

Dr. Linda Roberts (Angela Greene), an anthropologist in Africa, is on a mission to find a tribe of giants. Failing to get permission for her trek from the district commissioner, Kingston (Lester Matthews), she asks explorer Jungle Jim (Johnny Weissmuller) for help.

However, Kingston has his own plans for the tribe and manages to capture two of its members. In the meantime, poachers searching for ivory complicate matters for Roberts -- and for Jim, who finds himself framed for murder.

The giant people here aren't too gigantic and look more like werewolves- and of course their makeup isn't good. Sort of pointless to add them in the film but I guess it adds a fantasy angle. But ivory poaching is far from that and it is a nasty trade. Jean Willes plays a bad girl wanting to take down as many elephants as possible for their ivory- she's real horrid person and, needless to say, she gets her just desserts. Which is the point of Jungle Jim films. Good vs evil, done in a simplistic, yet fun way. There's enough action, especially towards the end to keep you watching. Liked the chemistry between Weissmuller and Angela Greene and how they worked together to take on the poachers. As for Tamba, he's up to his usual monkey business.

The Jungle Jim movies produced by Sam Katzman and starring Johnny Weismuller were all low grade jungle adventures made strictly to fill the bottom half of a double bill. Unless you watch them out nostalgia or, are like me, a fan of Weismuller, they are pretty rough going. None of them seem to have been made with idea of making something good. The concurrent Tarzan films at RKO with Lex Barker, and the Bomba the Jungle Boy series at Monogram starring former "Boy" Johnny Sheffield, while not great, were at least reasonably well produced.

JUNGLE JIM IN THE FORBIDDEN LAND is slightly enlivened by the presence of the strange "giant people." They are not giants, just very tall. They are supposed to be some kind of missing link. The makeup by Clay Campell is surprisingly good for such a cheap picture, but the only problem is that the "giant people" look more like werewolves than some kind of "missing link". Otherwise, JUNGLE JIM IN THE FORBIDDEN is just another Jungle Jim movie with the usual perfunctory performances, light skinned Africans, Columbia backlot jungle, stock footage, Tamba's hijinks etc.

I know there are a lot of negative comments on IMDb regarding the series of Jungle Jim movies starring Johnny Weissmuller in the early 1950's. Yes, they were low budget films, and Johnny couldn't act his way out of a paper bag if his life depended on it. Nonetheless, I find these films fun, as long as you check your mind at the door while watching them.

This entry in the series has Jungle Jim (Weissmuller) helping a pretty female anthropologist, Dr. Linda Roberts, (portrayed by actress Angela Greene) find the land of the Giants, a strange group of people who snarl like lions and look like werewolves on growth hormones. Of course we have to have the requisite bad guy, who is played by Lester Matthews, a corrupt commissioner who is stealing ivory from tusks of elephants.

I love these movies because of the outrageous acts of daring do we are supposed to believe...watch Jungle Jim wrestle underwater with a 2,000 pound hippo! See Jim go one on one with a black panther, rolling on the ground with it attacking him and emerge without a scratch, his khakis as clean and starchily pressed as if he just got them from the cleaners. It's hilarious, and all in good, clean fun.

If you watch these movies knowing they are not to be believed, but just enjoyed, then you'll have a good time.

And I will never stop repeating: never watch such items with a serious, first degree glance, that's very important. It is fun, exciting, second degree, destined to families, kids, adults with a young spirit in search of their childhood memory. This one directed by Lew Landers is better than the ones made by William Berke. That doesn't mean Landers was that better than Berke. Although.... I was very amused, never bored by this adventure action packed short film. I recommend it to any open minded moviegoers. Even TARZAN lovers will spend a good time in this TARZAN's cousin material. Forget the L. A. backlot settings.