mark.waltz Review of White Pongo

White Pongo (1945)

Pongo, Pongo, Pongo, I don't want to leave the Congo, oh no no no no no...

[1/10 · 21 April 2014]

The best performance in this deadly dull jungle film is the man in the white ape suit. All the rest of the actors (not worth mentioning by name) in this dud are as talented as members of a fourth rate summer stock troop. PRC in this case does stand for "Pretty Rotten Cinema", sinking to the bottom of the mire with one of the worst movies ever made. In fact, it runs the risk, had I had the option, of being given a negative rating number. The best moments are the obvious documentary stock footage, real shots of various jungle animals, while the human variety of mammals recite their lines so deplorably with a monotone delivery. Even the so-called beautiful blonde who is the object of White Pongo's affections here is unappealing, both physically and personally. The actual white gorilla does nothing horrific but stalk the blonde bore until the end when he takes care of one of the villains. For some reason, the black gorillas are frightened of the white one (until a sudden fight breaks out between the two), indicating a slightly racist metaphor that sinks this into the lowest of quicksand.