The brilliant James Whale prepared to wrap up his screen career by directing this adventure yarn with a marvelous cast, giving Saturday matinée audiences loads of pleasure but sadly not utilizing the color that this film so desperately calls for. His story is preposterous but told in such an entertaining manner that the story hardly matters. All you need to do is grab a bag of popcorn, sit back and enjoy an early variation of what audiences in 1981 got a kick out of with "Raiders of the Lost Ark". O.K., so there aren't any Nazi's for Douglas Fairbanks Jr. to chase in the jungles of South America, but there are plenty of arrow-flinging head hunters as well as a tomb filled with golden artifacts, leading to an adventure-filled flick that may not have done its director any good (considering his horror masterpieces such as "Frankenstein" and "The Old Dark House", as well as the marvelous 1936 movie version of the musical "Show Boat"), but remains marvelous entertainment.
Joan Bennett enters the scene about a third into the film after her husband (a non-villainous Vincent Price) becomes the first victim of a head-hunter's arrow. Much like Deborah Kerr in "King Solomon's Mines", she brings romance into the story, distracting Fairbanks from chasing the film's one villain (Francis McDonald) and leading to an obvious conclusion. George Sanders is profound as another member of the team who faces death with dignity as the natives approach their fortress, and Alan Hale (Sr.) is the wise doctor amongst the group. Hundreds of extras in native costume fill out the population of guides and head-hunting natives. Considering that he appeared in practically every other Universal film of this nature, it is surprising that Andy Devine wasn't cast here to provide comic relief. The one acting embarrassment is John Howard as a cowardly member of the team. While Bennett is gorgeous in her new Hedy Lamarr make-over, her character here is not as memorable, being rather lady too lady-like and not at all like those vixens she would begin playing a few years later in a series of memorable melodramas and film noir.
Joan Bennett enters the scene about a third into the film after her husband (a non-villainous Vincent Price) becomes the first victim of a head-hunter's arrow. Much like Deborah Kerr in "King Solomon's Mines", she brings romance into the story, distracting Fairbanks from chasing the film's one villain (Francis McDonald) and leading to an obvious conclusion. George Sanders is profound as another member of the team who faces death with dignity as the natives approach their fortress, and Alan Hale (Sr.) is the wise doctor amongst the group. Hundreds of extras in native costume fill out the population of guides and head-hunting natives. Considering that he appeared in practically every other Universal film of this nature, it is surprising that Andy Devine wasn't cast here to provide comic relief. The one acting embarrassment is John Howard as a cowardly member of the team. While Bennett is gorgeous in her new Hedy Lamarr make-over, her character here is not as memorable, being rather lady too lady-like and not at all like those vixens she would begin playing a few years later in a series of memorable melodramas and film noir.