Perils of Nyoka

Members of the serial generation view these re-released DVDs in a different light. We took them no more or less seriously than a new generation takes Indiana Jones or 007, characters we immediately immediately recognized as contemporary clones. I have no idea why the title was changed as it doesn't fit. I rate this serial as one of Republic's ten best. Its soundtrack music is first rate and helps overcome a setting which even as kids we knew was north Los Angeles County. But the search for golden tablets by good guys, bad guys, wicked queens and axis spies is simple ground breaking for Indiana Jones. It is a matter of taste how or if you enjoy the various animals that belong to both sides. As kids we thought them a novel touch.

One of the better Republican serials . Unusual for placing a heroine as the central character with the hero as merely the sidekick; required to do little more than rescue her as she falls into another swamp or sandpit fort he hundredth time. Amusiing to see a dynamic athletic hero reduced to being wallpaper instead go the generic all conquering hero as usually written in every decade. Episodes contained big cat fights, including one to the death. Although the cast list doesn't credit the contribution of "satan" , Vultura's loyal gorilla with a horn sticking his Head. Like a primate unicorn.

Like other Republic serials it has become unfairly neglected since it contains some visionary script writing. This is Lara Croft with more style and written 50 years before the computer graphic had been thought of. Instead there is a live heroine out to find her father and translate a papyrus that she alone can read. Did Lara's creators check the copyright on this film had expired first?

Lorna Grey is the real star. Excudiong powerful allure combined with ruthless ambition to obtain the treasure, then kill everyone just for the fun of it. I

An expedition in the Mideast seeks Tablets of Hippocrates with medical secrets. It is not much of a spoiler to say it is the cure for cancer-kind of amusing in giving a modern twist to Hippocrates. The expedition is led by Professor Campbell (Forbes Murray) and Dr. Larry Grayson (Clayton Moore). Nyoka Gordon (Kay Aldridge) is roped in; like her father, she can translate the papyrus giving its location, but her father was lost on a previous expedition (and there are twists). They are opposed by the sexy villainess Vultura (Lorna Gray), who has Arab sidekicks in Cassib (Charles Middleton) and his brigands, all with selfish ambitions. They are played by white actors. Also among the good guys is an Italian double agent, Count Torrini (Tristram Coffin), pretending to be one of them but working for Vultura.

Having the plot focused on a tablet, a papyrus, translation of ancient languages, and treasure gives this serial a real aura of Arabic mystery and intrigue. There are temples, tents, and wide open spaces, with frequent horseback and car (even chariot) chases, enough to give a sense of limited dialogue. Black and white embellish the mystical atmosphere.

As each chapter ends, one or more protagonists are in danger, which they get out of at the beginning of the next one. In contrast to a close sporting event, this movie is a cliffhanger literally-many scenes have people dangling from cliffs or threatened by or threatened inside them. People constantly face up against the fire of guns and of flames, wind, falls into pits, spikes, dynamite, bridge sabotage, and falling boulders or concrete. Nyoka in particular is often tied up by the bad guys. There are many daring escapes.

Whereas the gun firing can involve the good guys more broadly, the many fight scenes (fists, swords, throwing, jumping, grabbing, rolling) mostly involve Larry and Nyoka mixing it up with the villains; they are the central focus, the prime movers. Moore may be no Bruce Lee, but he often fights many at one time. The viewer will wonder if he has more fistfights here than in all the episodes of The Lone Ranger series put together, or maybe all his films? With lots of deft strikes, dodging, rolling around, and rendering unsuccessful the villains' efforts to grab and capture her, Nyoka holds her own and Larry rescues her when she is in trouble.

Nyoka and Vultura are both very pretty. Nyoka is more noteworthy for her athleticism and Vultura for her evil sexiness. As a femme fatale villainess, Vultura is up there with Fiona Volpe in Thunderball in my book (and the pronunciation on Vol and Vul is the same!) Beautiful face combined with sexy legs and a turban. Nyoka and Vultura have a number of good catfights for viewers to enjoy.

Not to forget, Nyoka is assisted by her capable German Shepherd Fang and Vultura by her menacing gorilla Satan. Aside from Fang, Red Davis's (Billy Benedict) monkey Jitters also performs heroic actions for the good guys.

Nyoka and the Tigermen is action-packed, exotic, fast-moving, captivating, and without any dull moments. I highly recommend it.

I've had the pleasure of meeting both of these ladies at nostalgia film festivals. I was sitting with Kay Aldridge in the viewing room when they ran a chapter of Daredevils of the West in which she co-starred with Allan "Rocky" Lane. Kay gave out with a shriek at the appropriate time as her screen image was about to go over a cliff in a runaway wagon. Adrian told me the story of how Kay was tied up and hanging in mid-air during a scene from "Nyoka" They had her standing on a box for the close-up shot and then took the box away for the long shot. Kay looked up to the heavens and said "Oh Lord, send me a man right away." Of course it got a laugh from the crew. I don't know how old she was at the time of "Nyoka," but when she didn't report to work one day, director Bill Witney discovered that she had chicken pox.Kay had a rather sophisticated way of talking which may have detracted some from her athletic character role, but she did make three serials for Republic. She later married a millionaire and moved to Maine, but did make some festival appearances.

What a serial or film, however you see this film you will see why it was the movie that helped launch the interest in show business by Carol Burnett. Ms. Burnett claimed that after watching the heroine Nyoka Gordon in action that she wanted to be like her in the movies. What a plot and characters-there is Nyoka Gordon, a comely lass raised in the wilds of the studio backlot er I mean Northern Africa. Handsome Larry-our hero, a couple of professor types, a dumb sidekick named Red(played by Billy Benedict on vacation from the East Side Kids), a beautiful villainess named Vultura, her wicked hammy helper-Cassib(played by the guy who gave us Ming the Merciless of Flash Gordon serial fame), a dog named Fang, a goofy little monkey and one poorly designed Gorilla costumed person running around doing Vultura's dirty work. Oh, I almost forgot, it also has Republic perenial of serials Tristam Coffin as Tortellini-the Italian spy for Vultura. This film does not have any Tigermen in it, but it does have a wind tunnel! Tacky looking chariots! that idiotic gorilla guy, some great fist fights! and two beautiful babes in the title roles. After viewing it many times, if Vultura didn't hang with the ghastly looking gorilla-she is the hottest of the two ladies and a better actress. She sure hams it up, but Nyoka looks like she is sleep walking half the time. Watch it at least once, it is funnier if taken as a comedy. If you think of it as serious-you will find it dreadful.