I'm surprised I missed this one as a kid growing up, since anything with wild animals, especially jungle cats I found to be thrilling; that's why Tarzan has always been a favorite. "The Lost Jungle" more than anything appears to be a showcase for the talents of circus animal trainer Clyde Beatty, who portrays himself in the film. Beatty is not particularly impressive in physical stature, which makes it all the more remarkable in the way he handles himself surrounded by all manner of wild beasts both in captivity and in the wild.
The search for a legendary island city of Kamor in the South Pacific forms the backdrop for the film's adventure. However it's not Beatty who initiates the voyage, but a Professor Livingston (Crauford Kent) who theorizes that a place exists where animals native to both Africa and India live together. That leg of the journey takes place aboard a schooner directed by Captain Robinson (Edward LeSaint), who for good measure drags his daughter Ruth (Cecilia Parker) along. Ruth is technically Beatty's fiancée, but since he can't tear himself away from his lions and tigers, he quite literally misses the boat.
Beatty forms his own expedition to Kamor to rescue the Robinson's when news of their disappearance arrives. Their trip aboard a dirigible also meets with disaster, but at least they make it to their destination. What I found amazing was that two different parties set out for a largely mythical land, somewhere in a vast ocean (maybe), and they both wind up in exactly the same place.
As a romantic, Beatty's a good lion tamer. When he first encounters Ruth, she's about to become lunch for a savage island lion named Sammy. After saving her from a main course, Beatty once again mangles every opportunity to let Ruth know how much he missed her. Instead he's fixated on the incredible wildlife that the island has to offer - sheesh!
Skulking around to make life tough for Beatty is the villain of the piece, a low life named Sharkey (Warner Richmond). Motivated by jealousy and greed, Sharkey does his best to do bodily harm to the boss. Beatty never suspects what a heel he is, but the viewer can only cheer when a savage lion evens the score with the bad guy.
If you pay close attention, you might recognize a whiskerless George (Pre-Gabby) Hayes aboard the dirigible as one of Beatty's crew. However another future star also makes an early appearance in the movie. The young boy with the dog who's fascinated by Beatty's heroics is none other than Mickey Rooney!
Perhaps the real stars of the movie though are the four footed entertainers themselves, second billed to Beatty as The Hagenbeck Wallace Animals. Truthfully, it's hard to imagine how those jungle scenes were created, especially the very realistic battle between a lion and tiger. I imagine some stock footage was used, but it's difficult at times to draw a line between the staged and real scenes.
A couple of times in the movie, Clyde Beatty makes a reference to "bring them back alive" regarding the jungle cats of Kamor. I would be curious to know if there were any conflicts with Beatty contemporary Frank Buck over the phrase, as Buck was an adventurer who captured wild animals for zoos and circus use during the same era. In fact, Buck's film "Bring 'Em Back Alive" preceded this one by two years, and the line was one of his trademarks.
In any event, "The Lost Jungle" is worth a viewing to see the real Clyde Beatty in person, using his skill and resources to tame wild beasts. If nothing else, you won't want to miss that famous stare down.
The search for a legendary island city of Kamor in the South Pacific forms the backdrop for the film's adventure. However it's not Beatty who initiates the voyage, but a Professor Livingston (Crauford Kent) who theorizes that a place exists where animals native to both Africa and India live together. That leg of the journey takes place aboard a schooner directed by Captain Robinson (Edward LeSaint), who for good measure drags his daughter Ruth (Cecilia Parker) along. Ruth is technically Beatty's fiancée, but since he can't tear himself away from his lions and tigers, he quite literally misses the boat.
Beatty forms his own expedition to Kamor to rescue the Robinson's when news of their disappearance arrives. Their trip aboard a dirigible also meets with disaster, but at least they make it to their destination. What I found amazing was that two different parties set out for a largely mythical land, somewhere in a vast ocean (maybe), and they both wind up in exactly the same place.
As a romantic, Beatty's a good lion tamer. When he first encounters Ruth, she's about to become lunch for a savage island lion named Sammy. After saving her from a main course, Beatty once again mangles every opportunity to let Ruth know how much he missed her. Instead he's fixated on the incredible wildlife that the island has to offer - sheesh!
Skulking around to make life tough for Beatty is the villain of the piece, a low life named Sharkey (Warner Richmond). Motivated by jealousy and greed, Sharkey does his best to do bodily harm to the boss. Beatty never suspects what a heel he is, but the viewer can only cheer when a savage lion evens the score with the bad guy.
If you pay close attention, you might recognize a whiskerless George (Pre-Gabby) Hayes aboard the dirigible as one of Beatty's crew. However another future star also makes an early appearance in the movie. The young boy with the dog who's fascinated by Beatty's heroics is none other than Mickey Rooney!
Perhaps the real stars of the movie though are the four footed entertainers themselves, second billed to Beatty as The Hagenbeck Wallace Animals. Truthfully, it's hard to imagine how those jungle scenes were created, especially the very realistic battle between a lion and tiger. I imagine some stock footage was used, but it's difficult at times to draw a line between the staged and real scenes.
A couple of times in the movie, Clyde Beatty makes a reference to "bring them back alive" regarding the jungle cats of Kamor. I would be curious to know if there were any conflicts with Beatty contemporary Frank Buck over the phrase, as Buck was an adventurer who captured wild animals for zoos and circus use during the same era. In fact, Buck's film "Bring 'Em Back Alive" preceded this one by two years, and the line was one of his trademarks.
In any event, "The Lost Jungle" is worth a viewing to see the real Clyde Beatty in person, using his skill and resources to tame wild beasts. If nothing else, you won't want to miss that famous stare down.
