Above: A great color lobby card for JUNGLE DRUMS OF AFRICA (Republic, 1953).

JUNGLE DRUMS OF AFRICA

Republic, 12 Chapters, 1953. Starring Clayton Moore, Phyllis Coates, Johnny Spencer, Roy Glenn, John Cason, Henry Rowland.

This serial has an undeserved bad rap. Even diehard Republic buff Barbour considers it "simply awful" but I think it's a good 'un, certainly one of the best from the post 1950 Republic and a worthy finale to director Fred C. Brannon's career (he died of a heart attack in 1953).

As far as I can see, this serial doesn't utilize much stock footage. The animal fight sequences are obviously stock, but every studio in Hollywood, from MGM (the Tarzan pictures) to Columbia (JUNGLE JIM) to Monogram (Bomba the Jungle Boy) seems to use the same footage, so Republic should not be singled out for blame. The animal sequences lend a genuine "jungly" feel to the proceedings, so much so that one can actually consider it a real jungle serial (unlike SECRET SERVICE IN DARKEST AFRICA or PERILS OF NYOKA, which, great as they are, seem to be completely set in the desert, with nary a palm tree in sight). The native village, the trading post, and the dense foliage all contribute to the excellent safari atmosphere. As for other stock, as far as I can see, the majority of the cliffhangers are new footage. Two death traps from PERILS OF NYOKA are reused (the wind tunnel and the fire pit) but are composed of completely new footage.

Clayton Moore is as memorable as always, in his farewell to serials after 11 good years at Republic. Phyllis Coates, though far from my favorite actress, is much more pleasant here than she is as Lois Lane on SUPERMAN. Johnny Spencer is superb as Moore's buddy Bert. His winning smile and air of boyish enjoyment, along with the camaraderie he shares with Moore, make his part very memorable. He has some good lines, too--when hostile natives are launching arrow-propelle dynamite at him and Alan (Moore), Bert quips: "Looks like jungle hand grenades!"

The baddies are a strong team. Henry Rowland, one of my favorite character actors (fans of the Zorro show should remember him as Count Kolinko, the Russian Czarist agent that the Eagle (Charles Korvin) arranges to sell California to in the "Eagle's Brood" sequence of episodes) is steely-eyed and ruthless as the supposedly friendly-to-the-good-guys trading post owner Kurgan. He rattles off orders in a nasty, harsh bark and plots against everyone (even his own henchman) with appalling callousness. His henchman, the great B-badman (and real life tough guy) John Cason, is often completely overlooked in discussions of the great serial action heavies, but he shouldn't be. His intimidating physical size, growly voice, and gruff, perplexed demeanor make him a perfect thug, one that any mastermind would be happy to have handling his muscle work. Roy Glenn is a hoot as witch doctor Naganto, with superstitious fear (of doctor Coates' "magic"), greed, and rather clumsy guile being his defining traits. I love his pretended "repentance" in one of the later chapters--he sounds like he's reciting, word for word, a speech given him by Kurgan--and his deadpan reports of various calamities to the irritated Kurgan (after his failure to cause Alan and Bert's deaths by sicking a drugged native on them, he reports: "Me give Ebola medicine. Make him crazy. He attack Americans. They knock him out. Then white woman doctor give him medicine. Then he not crazy any more.")

The plot is a timely one, fitting the cold war period this was filmed during. Alan and Bert are American mining engineers out to secure a uranium-mining concession from friendly Chief Dounga (Bill Walker). Kurgan is a representative of an unnamed foreign power (but we all know what power it is) trying to secure the contract for his country. Bert and Alan are aided by the chief and Carol Bryan (Coates), daughter of a medical missionary, and hindered by treacherous witch doctor Naganto and "shoestring trader" Regas (Cason).

All in all, an excellent cliffhanger that does not deserve its bad reputation Check it out, by all means.