I found this movie playing on the 'Movies!' TV network. It was great fun watching it, because it hit theaters in 1951 when I had just started first grade. By today's standards, being in black and white and with sometimes cheesy special effects, it is a primitive movie. But it represents that era very well. I enjoyed watching it.
After Johnny Weissmuller, former Olympic swimming champion, had made a number of Tarzan movies, he became Jungle Jim in a series of movies, this being one. The actual setting for this movie is never stated but it looks to be either the jungle of Africa or the jungle of South America. Some of the scenic shots show very dark-skinned indigenous people, while most of the characters look like they could be from the Americas. Nevertheless it was shot in the Simi Valley area, many of the scenes looked like terrain from some of the western movies of the 1940s and 1950s. But hang a few Palm fronds onto Oak trees and presto, it looks like the jungle.
Weissmuller as Jungle Jim was about 46 during filming and looked his age, although in good shape for his age. There are several scenes where he has to swim, either to rescue a damsel in distress or for underwater activities.
The story involves a lady journalist traveling to find an American athlete and war veteran lost over the jungle some 9 years earlier. When Jungle Jim saves her, he helps her with the search. In the process they find the lost aviator, who had taken up with a village and taught them techniques like irrigation and blacksmith skills. Plus their village had a sidewalk!
But they also encountered a ruthless, rogue Chemist who had discovered a particular radioactive ore that when processed a certain way could turn plain sugar into perfect, valuable diamonds. (That is about as likely as is cold fusion.) So together, the two men and the lady must defeat this guy to save the people and prevent the world market being flooded with diamonds.
Bob Waterfield was the lost aviator, Bob Miller, wearing an authentic WW2 A-2 aviator jacket, and Sheila Ryan was the lady journalist, Anne Lawrence.
After Johnny Weissmuller, former Olympic swimming champion, had made a number of Tarzan movies, he became Jungle Jim in a series of movies, this being one. The actual setting for this movie is never stated but it looks to be either the jungle of Africa or the jungle of South America. Some of the scenic shots show very dark-skinned indigenous people, while most of the characters look like they could be from the Americas. Nevertheless it was shot in the Simi Valley area, many of the scenes looked like terrain from some of the western movies of the 1940s and 1950s. But hang a few Palm fronds onto Oak trees and presto, it looks like the jungle.
Weissmuller as Jungle Jim was about 46 during filming and looked his age, although in good shape for his age. There are several scenes where he has to swim, either to rescue a damsel in distress or for underwater activities.
The story involves a lady journalist traveling to find an American athlete and war veteran lost over the jungle some 9 years earlier. When Jungle Jim saves her, he helps her with the search. In the process they find the lost aviator, who had taken up with a village and taught them techniques like irrigation and blacksmith skills. Plus their village had a sidewalk!
But they also encountered a ruthless, rogue Chemist who had discovered a particular radioactive ore that when processed a certain way could turn plain sugar into perfect, valuable diamonds. (That is about as likely as is cold fusion.) So together, the two men and the lady must defeat this guy to save the people and prevent the world market being flooded with diamonds.
Bob Waterfield was the lost aviator, Bob Miller, wearing an authentic WW2 A-2 aviator jacket, and Sheila Ryan was the lady journalist, Anne Lawrence.