As Hollywood robs us of sights like location photography and "real" animals, movies like these vintage titles become much more valuable. Filmed on location in the jungles of Tanzania and Uganda, the many sights of the exotic Wildlife alone are worth the price of admission. Seeing REAL giraffes and elephants on the screen in 2023 is almost a surreal experience. The story involves an escaped prisoner, Brad Harris, hiding from the authorities in the Tanzania jungle, where he comes upon a Tribe of "Savages..." in a rare turn of events, this Tribe actually doesn't want to eat him..this is no sleazy cannibal movie, in fact it;s all quite innocent. The Natives, dazzled by his odd White complexion and blue eyes, make him their king, and he responds by becoming a hunter and protector of the Tribe, especially the children. As time passes the Legend of the :"White King" of the Jungle reaches the mainland, and a new search for the missing fugitive is began. The crew, including the beautiful Gisele Hahn, locate Harris, but quickly become distracted by the treasure trove of rare jewels they find in a Native Temple..Featuring a gorgeous, rousing score, this forgotten film is sadly only available in a washed out and cropped print. I can imagine how absolutely stunning this would look in it's original scope picture ratio. Hopefully one of the "boutique' label blu-ray distributors will pick this one one up for restoration; it definitely deserves it. Directed by Bitto Albertini, the man responsible for some of the "Emanuelle" films, other movies known for their beautiful travelogue style photography. Fans of Jungle movies should be very pleased with this lost gem...
Review of Zambo, King of the Jungle
