Pygmy Island

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.

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.

I can't believe how much fun Jungle Jim movies really are! I stayed up very late to watch this one and it's a real gem! Anything with... Johnny Weissmuller, Billy Curtis (wearing a black long wig), jungle settings, tons of stock footage, Johnny fighting a rubber crocodile and a guy in a gorilla suit (is that Crash Corrigan? Looks like his suit.)...is well worth it. This is one that should not be missed! Too bad Johnny only made 16 Jungle Jims.

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.

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).