White Pongo (1945) User Reviews

"All right Mumbo Jumbo, bring the Fraulein with us."

[classicsoncall · 4/10 · 5 March 2006]

I went into "White Pongo" cold, preferring not to read the DVD sleeve to get a hint of the story. Lo and behold, it's another in a long line of gorilla films that found popularity in the 1940's, that perhaps thought it could enrich itself with a name no one had ever heard of before or since. Pongo rhymes with Congo, and that's where the action takes place, as an expedition heads into gorilla territory to seek out what may be the missing link between monkeys and men. Not only that, but the animal in question is a rare white gorilla, thought to be highly secretive and very hard to find, but is never more than a few feet away in any scene involving the intrepid explorers.

Maris Wrixon provides the film's female lead and romantic interest, Pamela Bragdon. She's the daughter of Sir Harry (Gordon Richards), and insists on being part of the adventure, citing her experience of having been born on a safari. She has eyes for her personal guard Bishop (Richard Fraser), who's mission on the trip is of a dual nature; he's really an agent attempting to get the goods on safari guide Hans Kroegert (Al Eben), who may have murdered anthropologist Dierdorf. It's Dierdorf's diary that offers a clue to the white pongo creature's existence.

Critics of the filmed versions of "King Kong" who find racism behind every banana tree would really have a field day with this one. The Number #1 Porter Boy is called Mumbo Jumbo (really, I'm not making this up!), and it's a "white" gorilla considered the missing link, not a black one. I try not to get involved in political correctness with Poverty Row films dealing in monkeys, so those arguments are best left for another time. This movie is best viewed with a healthy dose of good humor and good friends.

I will say there's a nifty fight scene between a "normal" gorilla and the pongo; they batter each other with uprooted trees in a creative slug fest. Before it's all over, the white gorilla rescues Miss Pamela from the evil German guide (Nazi overtones anyone?) and carries her off to his cave; Pongo is no Kong however and has to hoist her over his shoulder.

What's probably most disappointing about the movie is the way it ends. The expedition members capture the creature and crate him up for shipment to London. The film closes on that note, leaving the viewer to consider that maybe the movie makers dropped the ball, having never heard of sequel. This critic at least would have preferred to see the animal go free to create havoc another day in "The Return of White Pongo". Oh well, maybe someone will remake "King Kong". Oh, wait...

Another White Gorilla in Bad Movie Territory

[dbborroughs · 4/10 · 25 April 2004]

This is another story of a jungle expedition that runs across a legendary white ape that may or may not be the missing link. There has got to be five or six of these films floating around in the film vaults and everyone of them is a turkey or a close cousin.

The problem here, as in almost every jungle movie, is that the gorillas look like what they are, men in suits. Worse if the fact that the suits are absolutely terrible and so unconvincing that anyone watching it is going to laugh rather than scream.

This movie isn't too terrible, and is actually okay if you have a love of bad movies, especially ones that you can talk back to and make fun of. As these things go its not a movie that I' search out, but it is one that I'd put on if I was in need of some unintentional laughs.

I got through it - what do I win?

[mstomaso · 3/10 · 3 August 2010]

Sam Newfield, director of White Pongo, had a long and productive career, spanning from the mid-1920s to the mid-1960s. Averaging 3-4 films per year (a total of 7 in 1951), he apparently did not have a great deal of time to waste with art, script refinement, and cinematography. His most well-known films achieve a relatively high rating here on IMDb (4), and are all within the horror genre (e.g. Dead Men Walk), but he did occasionally branch out into Sci-Fi (Lost Continent) and made a decent number of respectable war and western films in the last ten years of his career. Although I have not seen many of Newfield's films, and remember even fewer, I am willing to wager that White Pongo is fairly representative of the lot.

There are essentially two weakly developed plots. First - an expedition of upper crust white guys and a beautiful young woman are out in the jungle searching for a missing link (an albino gorilla whose only truly distinguishing characteristic is bad costuming). Since this plot had been done several times previously in equally bad films and the excellent King Kong, the screenwriter included a rather over-dramatic romantic quadrangle between the young lady, a privileged jerk to whom she is apparently betrothed, a decent young laborer, and - of course - the albino gorilla. Raymond Schrock, who had been writing for film since the teens gets the only credit I can give anybody in the production team for giving the actors something reasonable to work with. Schrock is an interesting character. Most of the films he was involved with are very obscure and difficult to find, but those which remain in the light seem to rate pretty highly here on IMDb. Sadly, White Pongo was made within the last five years of his career. and, in terms of plot, it's a very predictable, unoriginal, mess.

The cinematography is fairly standard for the jungle adventure genre as it stood in the middle of the 20th century. In other words, it is quite limited by available technology and set problems. The directing exemplifies the term "pedestrian", and the acting, though uninspired, is not nearly as bad as might be expected from the largely unknown cast. Those interested in the history of African American participation in film may be interested to see activist actor Joel Fluellen playing an unfortunate stereotype "Mumbo Jumbo" in this film, and will appreciate the irony that the only two 'ethnic' actors in this film (Fluellen and Al Eban) outlasted the rest of the cast. Fluellen appeared in some fairly good roles in Oscar and Grammy nominated films late in his career.

Best viewed with the aid of intoxicants and friends with good senses of humor. Otherwise - to be avoided.

Unintended Comedy

[skallisjr · 4/10 · 18 March 2004]

One of many Poverty Row jungle films, this has to be one of the truly "so bad it's good" films of its era. A Chief Native Bearer named "Mumbo Jumbo" -- addressed by the other actors with a straight face! Pongo is a white gorilla, and one of the natives points to the ground and cries, "B'wana! B'wana! Pongo tracks!" Normal gorillas leave recognizably different tracks? Pressing through the jungle on their trek, they pass the same tree multiple times.

I have a copy of the film on videotape. One of my favorite scenes was edited out of the print it was made from. The hero and heroine are drifting down the river on a boat. They're sitting in the moonlight, and Pongo is following the boat in the jungle, making quite a racket as he snaps small trees, hurls aside boulders, and rustles through the underbrush, to keep up with the boat. He's framed by the profiles of the hero and heroine, in the background. The hero looks deeply into the heroine's eyes and says, dreamily, "Quiet out here in the river, isn't it?" I hope the DVD has that one left in.

This is not a great film, and all of its humorous scenes are intended to be serious. But because of that, it's a fun film.

What a piece of pathetic trash! I loved it!

[Ghost222 · 2/10 · 18 July 1999]

This movie for some reason isn't as popular as Plan 9 and Robot Monster, but it's really good (in a bad way).

The whole film is a waste of your time. You got a stupid storyline - an albino gorilla running around the jungle terrorizing people. You got scientist trying to stop the havoc. Then there's the horrible monkey suit and dialogue. Yes, it's one of the worst! Watch it!

Fairly entertaining jungle adventure

[Red-Barracuda · 5/10 · 16 July 2013]

A group of explorers embark on a journey into the middle of the African jungle in search of a fabled white ape; a creature thought to be the missing link.

The idea that a white ape would be closer to man than a black one is possibly a little bit subconsciously racist if you were to choose to over-analyse this movie. But it's really best to take this detail with a pinch of salt as White Pongo is resolutely not a film to take seriously at all. It was one of dozens of adventure films from the 40's that were set in exotic and unchartered locations. Back in those days before the advent of television audiences certainly seemed to get a kick out of seeing stories set in the wild. There was still something mysterious about these places and the world hadn't been so fully explored that it didn't seem impossible that a large hitherto unknown gorilla could be out there somewhere. White Pongo like others of its type pandered to these kinds of feelings.

The film itself is a quite typical adventure film from the time. Men-in-monkey-suit movies were ten-a-penny back in the 40's and this is simply another one in the cycle. It's a fairly enjoyable one though. Aside from White Ponga (it's never actually referred to as 'Pongo' for some reason) there are other typical black apes. The latter are nastier, baser creatures. White Ponga by contrast is relatively noble. He kills bad guys and, like King Kong before him, is somewhat obsessed with the white woman of the party, whom he captures. Aside from the monkey mayhem there is strife and underhand dealings happening amongst the explorer outfit; while there is the requisite smattering of stock footage of wild animals thrown in for good measure. Overall, it isn't exactly a bad way to spend an hour of your time.

Worth A Look

[a-d-larkin · 18 July 2003]

As low budget jungle movies go this one isn't that bad. The production values are reasonable and the acting is perfectly ok. The script and storyline just aren't up to much and the whole film drags badly in the middle section. Not that there's much of a climax either - they just don't seem to know how to use the white gorilla effectively. Of course he steals the girl - they always do. As far as the gorilla costumes etc are concerned believe me they are nowhere near the worst you will ever see in films of this vintage. Enjoyable fun and a decent print on the alpha DVD I saw.

There Sure Is a Lot of Paddling

[Hitchcoc · 3/10 · 26 April 2006]

I'd swear that half of these B jungle movies has the people getting from one place to another. If they aren't paddling down a river, they are walking up a hill or across a field. Native tribesmen follow, single file, saying nothing, carrying supplies on their heads. This one is about an effort to find a white gorilla, a clue to the missing link. In the safari are a couple of factions as we find out. There's a rifle man, who is quiet and mysterious (we find out later what he really is), a young woman who is being pursued by a man who loves her, but who has no character. There is upper class snobbery. There is a group of cutthroat mutineers who wish to take power. Then there are scenes of out and out racism. The gorillas are, as usual, men in bad monkey suits. Even back in those days, couldn't they have put together something a little more convincing. One of my childhood memories is watching this movie on our old Admiral TV and seeing this long haired white ape. I may be wrong, but I think the ape suit shows up in other places, including an episode of the old George Reeves "Superman" TV show. This was another jungle movie that was part of a science fiction collection. I suppose the missing link is borderline science fiction. Overall, pretty lame.

the Missing Link?

[sol-kay · 4/10 · 17 March 2009]

(Some Spoilers) Escaping from his native captors Gunderson makes it to Sir Harry base-camp in the middle to gorilla territory deep in the Congo River Basin with a fantastic story that may well prove that Darwinism is a fact not a theory.

It turns out that some five years ago Gunderson was a member of the Professor Fredrick Dierdorp expedition that vanished in the African jungle. As Sir Harry learns form the delirious and soon to be deceased Gunderson the expedition found a white gorilla who's, after being given a number of aptitude and IQ tests, intelligence rivals that of a human being! The trouble is that the gorilla, called Pongo, broke out of his cage and has been on the loose, terrorizing the local natives in the area, ever since!

Seeing that this is likely to be the greatest discovery in anthropological history Sir Harry musters up an expedition, that includes his beautiful daughter Pam, to find and capture alive the fugitive wild monkey and thus prove that Darwin was right.***SPOILERS*** What Sir Harry doesn't realize is that his German guide Hans Kroegart has other ideas. Hans plans to have Sir Harry unwittingly take him, as a member of his expedition, deep into the uncharted Congo in order to find a hidden gold mine that he's been looking for some ten years. It's after reaching his goal Hans plans to murder Sir Harry & Co. just like he did some five years earlier to Dr. Fredrick Dierdorf team! It was also the ill fated Dierdorf expedition that Hans lead, as it's guide, into the very same area!

With the exception of the excellent acting of Ray Carrigan-the guy in the monkey suite as the white gorilla-everything else about the film was nothing to write home about. We also had a meaningless love triangle in the movie involving Pam with expedition member Bishop and Carswell. That ironically lead the white gorilla, who had the hots for Pam, to let his guard down by coming out in the open and end up getting captured by the expedition team. Something that Sir Harry, in all his failed attempts to capture the big monkey, never expected to happen.

Not bad, not good, so so.

[ChuckStraub · 4/10 · 20 March 2004]

White Pongo isn't a bad movie. The problem is, it isn't a good one either. The acting is adequate but the story moves very slowly. The slight twists and turns of the movie are not enough to bring some much needed excitement to the production. I thought that the costume for the white ape was actually pretty good but the ape wasn't used to the full extent that it was capable of playing. I would have to say that White Pongo is a not so exciting adventure movie, partly a romantic story and a very small part mystery movie. My review would have to be that it is not good, not bad but a so so movie. If you do watch the movie, don't expect too much and you won't be disappointed. If you don't watch it, you didn't miss much.

So Much Mumbo Jumbo

[TheExpatriate700 · 1/10 · 28 April 2011]

White Pongo isn't an A movie. It isn't even a B movie. It falls more into the range of a D-level movie, made on a shoe string by a minor film company. It fails in just about every way a film can. It's not just that it's cheap and openly racist; it's just plain boring!

The film follows an expedition to capture a rare white gorilla believed to be the missing link. (Why would the missing link have to be white?) In the process, the adventurers run into hostile natives, criminals, and the worst gorilla suit known to man. (I know this was made before the time of Jane Goodall, but couldn't they have come up with something vaguely realistic?)

The film's racism is very obvious, to the point that it verges on satire. The lead black character is named Mumbo-Jumbo for crying out loud. The Africans are shown as savages who are automatically hostile to white people for no reason-never mind the fact that during the colonial era, they would have had every reason to distrust Europeans.

However, what's most damning is the boredom factor. Even though the movie is roughly seventy minutes long, it is filled with scenes of people just cruising down the river with canoes, with no accompanying action or dialogue. It's filler of the worst kind.

Surprising

[c532c · 9/10 · 3 March 2011]

I found this surprisingly lavish for a PRC film, in that it actually offers sets, locations and extras along with the standard guys in gorilla suits (Ray Corrigan?) and creaky stock shots from other old Jungle flicks.

The camera work is above average for PRC as well, indicating that director Sam Newfield may have taken a bit more time and care here. Note the tracking shots as the canoes drift down the river and think of the time & expense to set that up. Or the shots of Pongo crashing through the jungle in the foreground, following the canoes in the background. Again it evinces a bit of extra care (=$) Where most PRC films amaze one by the mere fact of existing, WHITE PONGO stands out--sort of--as a film in its own right, and I wonder what burst of enthusiasm must have led to its creation.

That said, it's still a turkey.

I loved it, even with the Mumbo Jumbo

[dhreid · 6/10 · 12 March 2006]

This is the kind of film that kids will enjoy and does not contain a lot of violence. The setting looked good with a lot of jungle greenery and men in gorilla suits. There is actually a plot to this thing. I would have rather had the plot revolve around looking for and trying to capture a rare white gorilla than looking for a white ape that they suppose to be the 'missing link',,,but I guess the 'link' bit adds something(??). Check out the filmography of Wrixen and Fraser, the native safari guide named, believe it or not..Mumbo Jumbo, they were accomplished actors and played in many notable films. White Pongo is not bad but not good either. There is decent character development and a slight surprise near the end. Ape gets girl, ape looses girl, guy gets girl. Happy ending. Good clean fun.

King Kong's little white brotha from anotha motha

[Coventry · 2/10 · 15 November 2006]

In this extremely boring and even more extremely low-budgeted mid-40's adventure flick, a bunch of very uninteresting people searches for an albino gorilla that is believed to be the missing evolutionary link between men and apes. Really, this line is repeated several times throughout the entire film. "Do you really believe this animal could be the missing link between man ape?" "Yes, I really believe this animal is the missing link between man and ape!" Okay, we got it! So there's a man in a white gorilla suit wandering around the Central African jungle eating bananas and occasionally kidnapping an attractive girl, while the expedition crew just talks a lot. No real surprises here, because they're all old guys! There's one younger couple joining the expedition, and inevitably they fall in love, but the rest of them are retired scientists and over-aged macho hunters. "White Pongo" is a lame film and, even though its running time is only a good 70 minutes, still half of the film is pure padding and shows how the travel from one tree to another. The guys in their monkey suits were seemingly having a good time jumping up and down, but everyone else literally has to struggle him/herself through this dire movie.

Yeah, it's rotten, but I've seen worse

[milkshakeboom · 2/10 · 15 December 2008]

Well, let's face it: a movie from the 1940's about a white gorilla (who's actually yellow on the packaging, but let's not obsess over details here) isn't likely to be Oscar material, and the Razzies didn't exist yet so that's out too, but if you're going into this with an open mind and appreciating of suckdom, then you can sure find worse ways to lose 70 minutes of your life.

White Pongo is in the jungle, and the hunters all are trying to find him, since he's the missing link between man and ape, or something to that effect. Among the expedition are your obligatory hottie, your obligatory guy with a hidden agenda, and your obligatory hero undercover, who ultimately stops the obligatory guy with a hidden agenda and ends the film liplocked with the obligatory hottie. After you sit through 15-20 minutes of complete filler such as boats going down rivers, stock footage of real Africa (as opposed to "Hollywood Africa" that takes up most of the film) and what is apparently the only jungle noise that the sound technicians could come up with (some sort of monkey chirping that you'll be hearing in your sleep after listening to it for the duration of the film), White Pongo ultimately kills the obligatory guy with a hidden agenda, then saves the obligatory hottie who has been kidnapped by an unnamed evil gorilla by having the worst five minutes of gorilla brawling ever put to cellulite. However, this is made more fun by the audio track on the Alpha Video DVD being at least a full minute behind the video for a good six or seven minutes of the latter part of the film, so at some points it seems like the gorillas are girlie-screaming and running through a pile of crunchy jungle on two feet. Anyway, WP wins the battle, and his reward is being caged up and brought back to America by the obligatory hero undercover. Hey, who said life was always fair, right? To be honest, there actually was at least an attempt at a coherent storyline in this film, so I can appreciate that end of it. Beyond that, though, White Pongo is just another wonderfully awful film for all of us who can enjoy the worst Hollywood could give us in those days gone by.

One of one 183234557 films made with a guy in an ape suit during the 1930s and 40s.

[planktonrules · 3/10 · 28 July 2009]

I wish I had a dollar for every film made about the African jungle or that featured some knucklehead dressed up in a gorilla costume during the 1930s and 40s--I'd be a millionaire. Sure, in this case it's a WHITE gorilla, but it's still at heart a movie like so many others.

The film begins with a man escaping and making his way through the jungle back to civilization. During this torturous trek, he sees a white gorilla and once rescued he babbled on and on about it. How his rescuers took this to mean that this albino gorilla was some sort of "missing link", I have no idea and they soon set off to look for the beast.

There must be something about the jungle, as some sort of aphrodisiac must grown in the wild. First, two men in the party fall for the lone lady in the group. Then later, Pongo (the white gorilla) himself and a black gorilla ALSO fall for this hottie! I could say more about the film, but frankly who cares?! Yet another man in gorilla suit film AND the gorilla becomes infatuated with the lady--haven't we seen this before....many times? Overall, a dull and not particularly inspiring film. I wish I could get as excited about the film like some of the other reviewers, but I just got bored with the film almost as soon as it started.

A white Kong?

[lastliberal · 4/10 · 11 March 2008]

This film appears to be a typical jungle safari film with lots of time spent floating down the river and traipsing through the jungle. There are some funny parts that keep it interesting.

They are after a white gorilla, a supposed "missing link," that can think like a man. The gorilla is following them along as he is interested in the white woman (Maris Wrixon) with the group. Her father's secretary is also interested in her, but she has eyes for one of the riflemen on the safari.

There is skulduggery afoot as some of the group appear to be more interested in finding treasure than the white gorilla and an eventual mutiny ensues, leaving five men behind and a search for treasure led by the native guide, Mumbo Jumbo (Joel Fluellen). I kid you not, that is his name.

As expected, the white gorilla waits for a chance to grab the girl and take her back to his pad. But, instead of getting down to action, he waits and she escapes. When he catches her again, a black gorilla sees her and desires her too. They fight. She escapes again, and they capture the white gorilla to go back to London.

Not so smart after all, was he?

very basic jungle flick with smart directing

[drystyx · 5/10 · 30 June 2011]

Jungle flicks should be interesting. Most directors know how to make them fun.

This director knows how to do it.

The story line is basic. Adventure in the jungle, in this case a safari after a white gorilla, but that isn't important. What we care about is that the people are interesting, and a lot more three dimensional than one would think.

Fortunately, the gorilla isn't featured that much. He's just an extra plot device. Yes, he's the goal for the men who pay for the safari, but for the film, he's just a device. The real story is the action and interplay between the characters.

The action and story flows very well. Nice splices of comedy, jungle scenes, travel, and camping. Smart directing is smart directing.

White Pongo, White Pongo, he lives somewhere near the Congo.

[BA_Harrison · 3/10 · 17 February 2019]

A poverty row jungle adventure, White Pongo fails to live up to the sensational poster, which promises ferocious battling monsters and a sexy maiden in torn clothing cowering in terror. What the film actually delivers is stock characters (a bland hero, Cockney comic relief, a loathesome lovestruck traitor, and a bit of posh crumpet), tepid thrills, some mild racism (the native head porter is called Mumbo Jumbo) and some of the most laughable men in manky ape suits imaginable. It's fun for a while, but ultimately outstays its welcome, even at an economical running time of just 71 minutes.

The plot follows a scientific expedition into the heart of the dark continent in search of White Pongo, an albino gorilla that the boffins believe might be the missing link, thereby proving Darwin's theory of evolution. Also along for the trip are Pam (Maris Wrixon), spunky daughter of head scientist Sir Harry (Gordon Richards), Pam's slimy suitor Clive (Michael Dyne), brave rifleman Bishop (Richard Fraser), and untrustworthy Hans Kroegert (Al Eben) and his men, who have their own reasons for joining the party.

The action consists of lots of paddling up a river in canoes, the building of a stockade (complete with windows, furniture, and a comfy bed for the heroine), lots of shots of Pongo and his ape pals lurking in the undergrowth, a bit of silly light relief involving the testing of a gorilla trap, the good guys tied up by the traitors, and a less than exciting finale in which Pongo makes off with Pam over his shoulder, explorers in hot pursuit. Directed with zero energy or verve by prolific B-movie hack Sam Newfield, Adventure Unlimited (the alternative title for the film) is actually frustratingly limited in the adventure stakes.

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

[mark.waltz · 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.

Man Vs Film 3: Pongo Fury

[Bezenby · 1/10 · 15 October 2014]

F*ckin hell! I'm the most forgiving film guy in the world, but when you fill your film full of basically people walking around, travelling from one place to another, you've got a real problem there.

I mean, last night I watched Queen of the Amazons, and rather enjoyed it. But this film is just padding, padding, padding, with an ending that'll have you logging into the IMDb and starting a film review with "Sh*te Mongo".

Basically, some guy is rescued from some African native's camp in Africa with some diaries pertaining to the missing link, namely a white gorilla that's been kicking about. The guy who escapes catches jungle fever but gets those diaries back to some folk who now set off to catch the white Pongo, also known as 'some guy in a suit who doesn't do much'.

Basically, the whole main portion of the film involves folks travelling to the location of the white Pongo, who spends that entire time following the group. Be infuriated as a) We watch folks sailing down a river b) Pointless romantic interludes c) 'hilarious' jokes at the expense of ethnic minorities, an ending that'll have you foaming at the mouth.

Honestly, I had real trouble trying to pay attention to this one. I had high hopes for it and then it ended up being a torture session. At the halfway point I couldn't believe I hadn't watched the whole film. In the battle of Man vs Film this is a pure win for Film as I had no idea things were going to get so bad.

Searching for the mysterious white gorilla missing link creature

[chris_gaskin123 · 7/10 · 8 June 2006]

I've just watched White Pongo for the first time and found it great fun. It's one of those movies that is unintentionally funny.

A group of scientists from London head to the jungles of Africa to search for a missing link white gorilla creature that lives there. They intend to capture it. They find it and, as often happens in these sort of movies the creature takes a fancy to the only woman in the party and kidnaps her and takes her to its home, a cave. She manages to escape and the gorilla (Ray Corrigan in a white gorilla suit) has a fight with another gorilla (a man in a monkey suit) and is then captured.

This movie is several unintentionally funny moments, including that fight at the end. We also get to see several other men in monkey suits romping about. White Pongo himself looks more like a Yeti to me.

As mentioned above, White Pongo is played by Ray Corrigan who has often played gorillas in movies and his others include Nabonga and The White Gorilla. He also was in the sleuth suit in Unknown Island and played the monster in It! The Terror From Beyond Space.

White Pongo is certainly worth viewing. Great fun.

Rating: 3 stars out of 5.

Pongo Pongo Pongo, he don't want to leave the Congo

[bkoganbing · 2/10 · 29 December 2011]

A half crazed survivor of an expedition comes out of the Congo jungle telling a tall tale of a fabulous albino gorilla that the natives call Pongo which gets another expedition going. Could this albino ape possibly be the fabled missing link on the evolutionary chain between sapien and simian?

This PRC cheapie used some stock jungle footage and no doubt a trip to the Botanical Gardens served as the rest of the jungle. Not all that different from major studios either, but in this case the film was shot from an old Bell&Howell home movie camera with terrible sound.

There's also a murderous guide with German accent and in 1945 people with those accents were inevitably villains. Add to that a love triangle with a couple of the men panting hot and heavy after Maris Wrixon the only woman on the trip. Even the fabulous White Pongo gets his old libido running for her.

This one is awful, the cast should be commended for keeping straight faces throughout.

White Pongo

[BandSAboutMovies · 2/10 · 14 November 2023]

Back in the day of these movies, the costumes were never one and done. Ray "Crash" Corrigan was an experienced gorilla man and played a similar role earlier that year in The White Gorilla, where he was both the jungle explorer and the gorilla. This costume was years later brought out of storage for Jerry Warren's 1956 movie Man Beast. Corrigan also played apes in Tarzan the Ape Man, Tarzan and His Mate, the Flash Gordon serial, Three Missing Links, Murder in the Private Car, Hollywood Party, Round Up Time In Texas, The Ape, Three Texas Steers, Dizzy Detectives, Dr. Renault's Secret, The Monster Maker, The Hairy Ape, Miraculous Journey, Crime On My Hands, The Lost Tribe, Zamba, Forbidden Jungle, Bela Lugosi Meets a Brooklyn Gorilla, The Strange Case of Doctor Rx, Captive Wild Woman, Nabonga and Unknown Island. Corrigan was also It in It! The Terror from Beyond Space.

He sold the suits to Steve Calvert, a Ciro's bartender, who like him rarely asked for screen credit. But he was making money. Corrigan was on a hunting trip with Clark Gable when he decided to buy some land that he called Corriganville. That was used to shoot movies and as a tourist attraction. Corriganville was eventually sold to Bob Hope in 1966, becoming Hopetown, but is now known as Corriganville Park.

Anyways, White Pongo.

In the Belgian Congo, natives dance around the fire and plan on killing Gunderson, who is freed by an attack by an albino gorilla named White Pongo and an elderly scientist who sends him with a diary all about the gorilla into the jungle. As you can imagine, the goal is to bring this supposed missing link back to civilization which is never a good idea.

Director Sam Newfield made hundreds of movies, such as The Terror of Tiny Town, Fight That Ghost and I Accuse My Parents. It was written by Raymond L. Schrock, who wrote the Lon Chaney The Phantom of the Opera.

If you like walking and boat-rowing scenes, you've found your movie!

[soulexpress · 1/10 · 23 August 2017]

Or as everyone in the film calls it, White Ponga. The title refers to a legendary albino gorilla, who may or may not be—you guessed it—the missing link between humans and apes. Following a sighting by a white man, a scientific expedition of upper-class Brits combs the jungle for the creature (passing the same tree several times). The character named Baxter sounds like an American trying badly to impersonate an Englishman (which he was). The others talk in accents thick enough to merit sub-titles.

WHITE PONGO features boat-rowing, walking through the jungle, and stock footage galore, designed to pad out the film as the plot was too anemic to support a feature. There's also a romantic sub-plot, but who cares?

As with any low-budget jungle film of this era, the gorilla suits are just plain awful. They remind me of the Don Martin/Mad Magazine story, "National Gorilla Suit Day." The jungle scenery looks like a movie set designed by white people whose closest encounter with Africa was "The Lion Sleeps Tonight." And of course, the pacing is glacial.

Other items of note:

• The African character named Mumbo Jumbo.

• The scene in which a native points to footprints in the dirt and exclaims, "Bwana, bwana! Pongo tracks!" Do white gorillas have noticeably different tracks than black ones?