Imprint’s done it again. With their Tales Of Adventure, Collection Two, you get three Republic jungle pictures, along with two major-studio things featuring the likes of Elizabeth Taylor, Janet Leigh, Victor Mature and Dana Andrews.
Angel On The Amazon (1948, AKA Drums Along The Amazon)
Directed by John H. Auer
Starring George Brent, Vera Ralston, Brian Aherne, Constance Bennett
Herbert J. Yates, the boss at Republic, was Czech figure-skater girlfriend a movie star. (It didn’t really work.) Here, she’s a mysterious woman who rescues the survivors of a plane crash deep in the jungle.
Daughter Of The Jungle (1949)
Directed by George Blair
Starring Lois Hall, James Cardwell, William Wright, Sheldon Leonard
This time, a plane crashes in Africa, not the Amazon, and Lois Hall and her dad come to the rescue. The lovely Lois Hall is shamefully overlooked and under-represented on DVD and Blu-Ray. She was in some really cool stuff, ranging from Johnny Mack Brown Westerns at Monogram to Sam Katzman serials at Columbia to The Lone Ranger.
Fair Wind To Java (1953)
Directed by Joseph Kane
Starring Fred MacMurray, Vera Ralston, Victor McLaglen, Paul Fix
Herbert Yates paired Vera Ralston with all sorts of stars in his efforts to make her a star — this time it was Fred MacMurray’s turn. This was a pretty big protduction by Republic standards, and he Lydecker Brothers have a field day (in Trucolor!), with model pirate ships and a fake volcano (built at Mono Lake).
Elephant Walk (1954)
Directed by William Dieterle
Starring Elizabeth Taylor, Dana Andrews, Peter Finch, Abraham Sofaer
This story of stampeding elephants and a tea plantation was to have starred Laurence Olivier and Vivian Leigh. She had to pull out and Olivier went with her. They say you can see her in some long shots — and if this looks as good as Imprint’s stuff usually does, you’ll be able to see for yourself!
Safari (1956)
Directed by Terence Young
Starring Victor Mature, Janet Leigh, Roland Culver, John Justin, Earl Cameron
Here, a pre-Bond Terence Young takes Victor Mature and Janet Leigh (and a CinemaScope lens) to Kenya, where they take on everything from the Mau Mau to alligators.
If you haven’t figured it out by now, this set is gonna be terrific. The Lydeckers alone make it must! Stacked with extras and highly recommended.
The Hannibal 8 