A Ilha dos Pigmeus

Pygmy Island (1950)

** (out of 4)

The fifth film in the series has Jungle Jim (Johnny Weissmuller) helping rescue a woman (Ann Savage) who went into the jungle and never returned. It turns out that a group of white men are racing against the government trying to locate a mysterious rope that can't burn and this here starts up a war with a group of midgets led by Makuba (Billy Curtis). If you're expecting any type of "quality" from a Jungle Jim movie then you're going to be disappointed. I'm sure kids back in the day were thrilled and terrified to see Jungle Jim fight a rubber alligator but when seen today you can't help but view it as nothing more than camp. What's shocking is that they were able to squeeze out sixteen of these films and their quality might not have ever gotten too high but the camp value is usually there. The actual story here is certainly better than some of the entries in the series as the groups are trying to locate this mysterious plant, which will allow them to make a fireproof rope. All is good as we get several fights, an elephant stampede, crocodiles attacking and we get the highlight involving a large gorilla. In the film's best scene Jungle Jim and his friendly chimp are crossing one of those bridges that connect two cliffs and of course there's a long fall to your death if you go over the side. When Jim gets over the bridge he's attacked by a large gorilla (man in a suit of course) and their battle is downright hilarious. Seeing Weissmuller having to fight a gorilla is worth sitting through the entire film. As you'd expect, the performances are all bland to bad with Weissmuller showing that he was more image than acting talent. Savage appears to be asking yourself what she's doing in this type of film but at least Curtis is fun as the midget leader. At 69-minutes the film still seems way too long but if you're into these types of "B" movies then you might find this one a tad bit better than some but at the same time that's really not saying much.

The dog tags of a Woman's Army Corps officer are found in the jungle along with a few other items by our hero Jungle Jim with the body of a dead pygmy. Our government has taken an interest in finding and maybe rescuing Ann Savage because with those dog tags is a piece of rope made of a substance grown only in the jungle. It's strong and it doesn't burn. Of course there are other and unfriendly governments also interested and in 1950 that could only mean the Commies though they are never identified by name. In the film that would be Steven Geray and William Tannen who want to find Savage for their own nefarious purposes.

So it's Johnny Weissmuller and David Bruce for our side and Geray and Tannen for the bad guys going to look for Savage in pygmy country. A lot of stock jungle footage, an elephant stampede, and Jungle Jim battling a gorilla or a guy in a gorilla suit in unconvincing fashion.

When the Jungle Jim series ended, Weissmuller took the series to television where it was better suited. Still it only lasted a season there.

With King Solomon's Mines and The African Queen on the horizon, the movie going public would little tolerate films like Pygmy Island. It's not tolerable now.

Here's a treat for all you Jungle Jim Dandies: another action-packed adventure in the wild life and savage times of A Man Called Jim. This installment has it all and then some: Weissmuller rocks, Tamba the Chimp rolls, evil commie nogoodniks in oversized pith helmets, ornery gorillas on rickety rope bridges and a passel of little people (headed by Billy Curtis, the Terror of Tiny Town himself) providing big thrills as they take to the vines in mop-top wigs and leopard-print skirts.

Trust me, buffs of the bush. A swinging good time (rife with unintentional yuks) is in store for one and all.

With Ann Savage (DETOUR), David Bruce (THE MAD GHOUL) and Steven Geray (Dr. Rudolph Frankenstein in JESSE JAMES MEETS FRANKENSTEIN'S DAUGHTER).

U. S. Army expedition into pygmy territory to find a missing WAC (Ann Savage)as well as looking into a recently discovered kind of rope that will not burn or break.

The pygmy had been killed by the Bush Devil cult but little is known of them, though Jim surmises that they are not a devil cult tribe as they are wearing boots. No doubt part of the others who are after the plant used to make this indestructible rope fibre...

As always Jim keeps his cool as he is faced with danger from an undercover Communist Agent, masked enemies, an elephant stampede ....

Man gorilla suits, pygmies tribe and a communist agent looking for a rope - the above tells you what is in store; fantastic romp aimed at the child in us. Some action enlivens up things keeping things from becoming dull.

Believe it or not, I was pleased to watch it because the presence of Steven Geray as a villain; I discovered this actor with Joseph H Lewis' SO DARK THE NIGHT and since then I try to notice every movie starring this underrated actor. That said, this Jungle Jim feature is really worth, maybe one of the best of the series, though nothing really new, just fun, never boring, William Berke was very comfortable with this kind of stuff, so you already know what to deal with. I hope you'll enjoy thiis movie as much as I did. Jungle Jim was definitely a poor man's Tarzan with clothes. That's good enough for me.