I've been wanting to catch this flick for quite some time, ever since I learned that it included the work of not only Buster "Flash Gordon" Crabbe, a serial idol and all-around good guy, but also Ray "Crash" Corrigan, another serial idol of lesser impact who had a reasonably successful career playing gorillas on screen. That these two should meet up in this jungle thriller after the classic battle in Flash Gordon between Buster and Crash as the Orangapoid seemed too good a deal to pass up.
But alas this is a pretty tired PRC effort. The plot sounds great. An embezzler and his young daughter crash in the jungle and she grows up to become a mysterious "white witch" (Julie London). Buster is the son of the man who suffered the embezzlement and ended by killing himself because of it. Seeking redemption for his dad, Buster follows rumors to the jungle but is pursued by a man and woman (Barton MacLane and Fifi D'Orsay) who want to rob him of the suspected treasure he seeks. Helped by an unusually refined African native (Prince Modupe), Buster finds the girl and her pet gorilla (Crash) and the story finds its climax and conclusion.
But that's the short version, and the movies alas fails to build much tension along the path. The players are pretty good, but there's little sense of real danger (aside from some crocodiles) and most of the action happens off screen. I'm assuming that's because of budget limitations and censorship requirements.
I like the people in this movie, and I like the story. But the unfortunately the final result is pretty tepid stuff.
To get a look at more images from the movie, check out this site dedicated to Julie London, who makes her debut in this movie.
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