Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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31 of 32 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
AN ABSOLUTE MUST FOR ALEX RAYMOND FANS!, May 6, 2003
By A Customer
This `Jungle Jim' serial on DVD is way above average, without any doubt. Firstly, because of the outstanding picture quality. While serials like `Flash Gordon' -also based on an Alex Raymond comic strip- can look pale and fussy, `Jungle Jim' looks like it was shot yesterday instead of almost seventy years ago. The second special quality of this serial are the comic book introductions with each episode, made especially for the film by Alex Raymond himself. These introductions alone are worth seeing `Jungle Jim', and make this DVD an absolute must for Raymond fans. You get twelve little comic books for free, corresponding with the movie you are watching. `Jungle Jim' is, together with `Mandrake the Magician' -also released on DVD- and `Terry and the Pirates', one of the strangest serials ever made. It is fascinating to watch after so many years; you can really taste the flavor of life in the thirties. However, like in most serials, the level of cinematic achievement is not extraordinarily high. The actors usually have great looks, while their acting skills are rather limited. The dialogues contain very little humor, and the story could have used more surprising ideas. Performances by Grant Withers, Raymond Hutton and the 17-year old heroin Betty Jane Rhodes, as Joan the Lion Goddess, are all quite acceptable. Less good are Evelyn Brent (`Shanghai Lil' de Vrille) and her brother Henry Brandon (The Cobra). They really try hard to make their roles work, but cannot conceal the somewhat obligatory characters, armed with relatively thin scriptwriting. The same goes for the fighting scenes, which are operated in a modest choreography. The jokes used by Jim and his side-kick Mike are mostly limited to "Here goes nothing!" when they swing on a vine. However, the mass scenes are very well directed and the stunt performances are excellent. This serial contains the famous dive by stunt man Eddie Parker, when he jumps backwards over the falls while doubling for Withers. The same stunt would later cause the death of his Mexican friend Angel Garcia, when diving off a cliff in Acapulco for `Tarzan and the Mermaids' (doubling for Johnny Weismuller, the next Jungle Jim). The action Parker performs in this serial is absolutely breathtaking and cannot be seen in the movies today. The stunts in `Jungle Jim' are far more exciting. What nowadays Tom Cruise would not even try with the aid of computer generated images, Grant Withers had to do for real, sometimes helped by Eddie Parker, in these historic scenes. Almost nothing is faked, and it shows. The same goes for the animal handling. There are no tricks with mirrors or glass walls. When Betty Jane is among the lions, she is really among the lions. Behind the camera was a sniper aiming at the animals with a tranquillizer in case something went wrong, that was all the protection the actors were getting in those days. All you are seeing in these movies that doesn't immediately strike you as trick photography, is actually happening. Also exciting are the stock shots with wild animals. There are plenty of handsome tigers, actually fighting with crocodiles, and stuff like that. Jim's journeys through the jungle are never boring and sometimes even thrilling. In that regard, this serial tops the later movie series `Jungle Jim' (1948-1955). The best Jungle Jim-films of all time are `Jungle Jim' (1948) and `Fury of the Congo' (1951), which were less faithful to the Alex Raymond characters. Kolu -adequately performed in the serial by Al Duvall, who also plays Lothar in `Mandrake the Magician'- is the only remaining character. At least, Rick Vallin was called Kolu in the first film, but changed names in later episodes. In several of the later films, Weismuller was even credited as playing `himself' instead of Jungle Jim. Grant Withers, - who in real life took an overdose of sleeping pills and was found dead in his Hollywood apartment on March 28, 1959 -, lacks the Weismuller charisma, but his performance of Jungle Jim Bradley is definitely more accurate. I rate the serial 4 out of 5. This includes 1 extra star for brilliantly restoring a piece of unique cinema history...
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10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
As good as a serial can be, July 12, 2003
Agree with reviewer form Holland; except I want to give 5 stars. The reason for 5 stars is that I consider what can be accomplished with "B" film budgeted dollars, then this film reaches the apex of what can be accomplished. Character, setting, and dialogue are all marvelously rendered. Sure, we do not have the Stanislavsky school of acting here, but could even Montgomery Clift or Brando focus on internalizing the character while being asked to dive off cliffs or stand next to live, dangerous lions and tigers? I think not! Therefore, five awesome stars. Jungle Jim is a real entertainer.
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9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
"VCI and Universal Pictures present Alex Raymond's ~ Jungle Jim", September 13, 2005
VCI Entertainment and Universal Pictures present Alex Raymond's "Jungle Jim " (1936) (digitally remastered), 12 Chapters of vintage serial loaded with action sequences - really outstanding scenes between a lion and tiger in a to the death fight...high production from Universal's serial department...wild animals give the story realism of the dangers in this unknown continent we call Africa...there is a great deal of entertainment here for the cliffhanger fans out there.
Under director's Ford Beebe and Clifford Smith with screenplay by Wyndham Gittens, Ray Trampe and Norman S. Hall...the cast Grant Withers (Jim 'Jungle Jim' Bradley), Betty Jane Rhodes (Joan Redmond/Mrs. Tom Redmond), Raymond Hatton (Malay Mike) (Raymond Hatton had been in films since the "teens". He had appeared with Lon Chaney in a few films. He is probably best remembered as the crusty old sidekick in a long list of "B" westerns, most notably "The Rough Rider" series (1941-42) with Buck Jones and Tim McCoy- one of my favorite sidekicks of Johnny Mack Brown), Evelyn Brent ( Shanghai Lil), Henry Brandon ( The Cobra), (Henry Brandon was always one of my favorite villains. He had the lead in the 1940 serial "Drums of Fu Manchu". He was often cast as an Indian Chief as in "The Searchers" (1956) and "Two Rode Together" (1961), Bryant Washburn (Bruce Redmond)Al Bridge (Slade), Al Duvall (Kolu)...another great serial provided by Universal Pictures during their heyday in the early '30s...can two safaris that enter the African jungle find a white girl who is the heiress to a fortune...Jungle Jim leads one, while the other safari group wants to kill the girl and take over her inheritance...will Jungle Jim triumph over the evil men who wish to do harm to our heroine Lion Girl...stayed tuned and don't miss each exciting chapter.
CHAPTER TITLES: (Disc One)
1. Into the Lion's Den
2. The Cobra Strikes
3. The Menacing Herd
SPECIAL FEATURES: (Disc One)
BIOS:
Grant Witers
Betty Jane Rhodes
Raymond Hatton
Ford I. Beebe (Director)
PHOTO GALLERY
VCI CLIFFHANGER COLLECTION (Disc One)
The Master Key
The Mysterious Mr. M
Mystery of the Riverboat
Riders of Death Valley
The Royal Mounted Rides Again
Jungle Queen
Raiders of Ghost City
The Phantom Creeps
Winners of the West
CHAPTER TITLES: (Disc Two)
4. The Killer's Trail
5. The Bridge of Terror
6. Drums of Doom
7. The Earth Trembles
8. The Killer Lion
9. The Devil Bird
10.Descending Doom
11.In the Cobra's Castle
12.The Last Safari
Own them now on DVD....if you crave action, drama and plenty of adventure then this is the place for all of the above...if you enjoyed this serial check out another release from VCI Entertainment as they present Edgar Rice Burroughs "Jungle Girl" (1941) (digitally remastered), 15 Chapters of vintage Republic Serial each episode chuck full of scenes loaded with cliffhanger adventure...gotta love it!
Great job by VCI Entertainment for releasing the digital transfere with a clean, clear and crisp print...looking forward to more of the same from the '30s vintage serial era...order your copy now from Amazon or VCI Entertainment, stay tuned once again with a top notch serial from VCI...just the way we like 'em!
Total Time: 232 mins on DVD ~ VCI Entertainment 8340 ~ (9/24/2002)
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