Lively, entertaining reviews of, and essays on, old and newer films and everything relating to them, written by professional author William Schoell.

Thursday, September 22, 2016

DRUMS OF AFRICA

Flash Gordon and Ming: Buster Crabbe and Charles Middleton
DRUMS OF AFRICA (aka Jungle Man/1941). Director: Harry Fraser.

William Graham (Paul Scott) comes to Africa with his daughter, Betty (Sheila Darcy of Irish Luck). William hopes to find the ruins of a lost city, while Betty is intrigued by Robert Hammond (Buster Crabbe), a doctor whom the natives call "Junga" (he does not, however, run around in a loincloth like Tarzan or Thun'da). Betty also has a fiance named Bruce (Weldon Hayburn), who is accompanying her father on his search for the "City of the Dead." Hammond is hoping to develop and mass produce a serum that can counteract a fever that threatens to break out and kill many people. Hammond is a friend of Betty's uncle, the "reverend" Jim Graham (Charles Middleton), who has a pet tiger he calls "Satan." The chief fun of Drums of Africa is in seeing "Flash Gordon" and his hated adversary "Ming the Merciless" cast as good friends [see photo]. The lost city is interesting-looking, and there's lots of shots of assorted wild life. The picture is basically a mish mosh, thrown together with lots of stock footage, but somehow it holds the attention and it's always great to see Middleton, even if his talents are greatly under-utilized in this. Vince Barnett makes an impression as the ill-fated guide, "Buckthorne." From Pictorial Films.

Verdict: Back lot jungle adventure is cheap but entertaining. **1/2.

4 comments:

Neil A Russell said...

Thanks for pointing this one out, found it on Youtube and am saving it for the weekend!

Neil A Russell said...

I lied, I'm watching it now.
This is the film that out-Star Wars Star Wars.
The stunning revelation that Ming is Flash Gordon's father.
Eat your heart out George Lucas!

Neil A Russell said...

Well the "father" gag fell flat when I found out he's a preacher. Still I got a laugh, and in the long run isn't that what counts?

William said...

You said it!

I still say Ming was Flash Gordon's father. On a furtive trip to Earth Ming encountered Flash's mother and returned to Mongo, and the rest is history, LOL!