This film is far beyond camp and so bad that it is bad again! There are many bad films who are at least fun to watch, but not this. Although only 70 minutes long you feel every one of it. I was watching it at Vienna's International Film Festival and regretted it heavily.
Kenneth Anger presented the film and that was the only entertaining thing about it. For the rest of the time I tried to decide what was worse, the acting, the dialog, the story or the outrageous costumes and sets. Robert Siodmak must have closed his eyes and ears during shooting this and hoping for a better chance, which he got. The three main actors were easily upstaged by a chimpanzee and even that one would have had a strong rival in his colleague from the Tarzan series.
Maria Montez and Jon Hall did a fine job not to look into the camera while speaking that stupid dialog without laughing but that was about it. Sabu was even worse. I had to close my eyes several times when he was on screen. I don't need to mention that his role was degradingly racist, but he did nothing to show you that he had more sense than the role demanded.
If this had come from a small studio of Poverty Row I would not talk about it at all. But this was a Technicolor production by Universal Pictures during WWII with an unusual amount of outdoor scenes. A lot of money went into the sets and costumes as well.
I do suspect that not only Kenneth Anger saw this film in his early days, I believe so did Stephen Spielberg. The costumes, sets and some parts of the story reminded me of "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom". But Spielbergs film had a definitely better screenplay and actors as well!
Kenneth Anger presented the film and that was the only entertaining thing about it. For the rest of the time I tried to decide what was worse, the acting, the dialog, the story or the outrageous costumes and sets. Robert Siodmak must have closed his eyes and ears during shooting this and hoping for a better chance, which he got. The three main actors were easily upstaged by a chimpanzee and even that one would have had a strong rival in his colleague from the Tarzan series.
Maria Montez and Jon Hall did a fine job not to look into the camera while speaking that stupid dialog without laughing but that was about it. Sabu was even worse. I had to close my eyes several times when he was on screen. I don't need to mention that his role was degradingly racist, but he did nothing to show you that he had more sense than the role demanded.
If this had come from a small studio of Poverty Row I would not talk about it at all. But this was a Technicolor production by Universal Pictures during WWII with an unusual amount of outdoor scenes. A lot of money went into the sets and costumes as well.
I do suspect that not only Kenneth Anger saw this film in his early days, I believe so did Stephen Spielberg. The costumes, sets and some parts of the story reminded me of "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom". But Spielbergs film had a definitely better screenplay and actors as well!