If anyone believes that 1930s movies are just fluff pieces with lots of inane musical numbers, this film will dispel that opinion. The great Walter Huston plays Flint, a crippled and borderline insane ruler of a remote African kingdom. When Ann (Virginia Bruce) comes by, Flint keeps her captive and repeatedly tortures her, believing that she is the daughter of the man who paralyzed him. Along comes Kingsland (Conrad Nagel), a doctor who is addicted to some kind of jungle root. Flint torments Kingsland by withholding the root and insisting that Kingsland cure him of his paraplegia. Lupe Velez as Flint's love-hungry mistress livens up the picture, until Ann's father (C. Henry Gordon) arrives with a shocking secret that provides the twist ending of the film.
I suppose the movie isn't for all tastes, but I certainly like it. The plot includes murders, drug addiction, torture, jealousy, a decapitation, bizarre native rituals, and a strong theme of sadism which runs throughout. This little gem could not have been made just two years later. A must for pre-Code fans.
I suppose the movie isn't for all tastes, but I certainly like it. The plot includes murders, drug addiction, torture, jealousy, a decapitation, bizarre native rituals, and a strong theme of sadism which runs throughout. This little gem could not have been made just two years later. A must for pre-Code fans.