Jungle Drums of Africa

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Jungle Drums of Africa - Wikipedia

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Jungle Drums of Africa
Original poster for the serial
Directed by	Fred C. Brannon
Written by	Ronald Davidson
Produced by	Franklin Adreon
Starring	Clayton Moore Phyllis Coates Johnny Spencer John Cason Roy Glenn
Cinematography	John MacBurnie
Distributed by	Republic Pictures
Release date	January 21, 1953 (1953-01-21) (U.S. serial)^[1]
Running time	12 chapters / 167 minutes (serial)^[1] 100 minutes (TV)^[1]
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$172,840 (negative cost: $167,758)^[1]

Jungle Drums of Africa is a 1953 12-episode American serial film shot in black-and-white. It was an original commissioned screenplay by Ronald Davidson produced by Franklin Adreon and directed by Fred C. Brannon for Republic Pictures. The story is set in Kenya, and involves the efforts of an American uranium processing company's representative and a woman medical missionary, to thwart the efforts of agents of a "foreign power", abetted by a disaffected native witchdoctor, to gain control of a large uranium deposit on lands owned by the latter's tribe. This serial features black American actors in major roles, including that of a college-educated chieftain.

Plot

The daughter of a medical missionary in Africa carries on her father's work after he dies. She later befriends two adventurers prospecting for uranium. But it isn't long before she finds herself in danger from crooks trying to get the uranium for themselves and a local witch doctor, who sees her as a threat to his power.

Cast

Clayton Moore as Alan King
Phyllis Coates as Carol Bryant
Johnny Spencer as Bert Hadley
Henry Rowland as Kurgan
John Cason as Regas
Roy Glenn as Naganto, the witch doctor
Bill Walker as Chief Douanga
Steve Mitchell as Gauss, the store clerk henchman
Don Blackman as Naganto

Production

Jungle Drums of Darkest Africa was budgeted at $172,840 although the final negative cost was $167,758 (a $5,082, or 2.9%, under spend). It was the most expensive Republic serial of 1953.^[1]

It was filmed between September 29 and October 18, 1952 under the working title Robin Hood of Darkest Africa.^[1] The serial's production number was 1935.^[1]

Stunts

Tom Steele as Alan King/Third Constable (doubling Clayton Moore)

Special effects

Special effects created by the Lydecker brothers.

Release

Theatrical

Jungle Drums of Darkest Africa's official release date is 21 January 1953, although this is actually the date the sixth chapter was made available to film exchanges.^[1]

This was followed by a re-release of Adventures of Captain Marvel, re-titled as Return of Captain Marvel, instead of a new serial. The next new serial, Canadian Mounties vs. Atomic Invaders, followed in the summer.^[1]

Television

Jungle Drums of Darkest Africa was one of twenty-six Republic serials re-released as a film on television in 1966. The title of the film was changed to U-238 and the Witch Doctor. This version was cut down to 100-minutes in length.^[1]

Critical reception

Harmon and Glut describes this serial as "an uninteresting arrangement of stock footage and clichés."^[2]

Chapter titles

Jungle Ambush (20min)
Savage Strategy (13min 20s)
The Beast Fiend (13min 20s)
Voodoo Vengeance (13min 20s)
The Lion Pit (13min 20s)
Underground Tornado (13min 20s)
Cavern of Doom (13min 20s)
The Water Trap (13min 20s)
Trail to Destruction (13min 20s)
The Flaming Ring (13min 20s) - a re-cap chapter
Bridge of Death (13min 20s)
The Avenging River (13min 20s)

_Source:^[1]^[3]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k Mathis, Jack (1995). Valley of the Cliffhangers Supplement. Jack Mathis Advertising. pp. 3, 10, 132–133. ISBN 0-9632878-1-8.
^ Harmon, Jim; Donald F. Glut (1973). "1. The Girls "Who Is That Girl in the Buzz Saw?"". The Great Movie Serials: Their Sound and Fury. Routledge. p. 16. ISBN 978-0-7130-0097-9.
^ Cline, William C. (1984). "Filmography". In the Nick of Time. McFarland & Company, Inc. p. 254. ISBN 0-7864-0471-X.

External links

Jungle Drums of Africa at IMDb

Preceded by Zombies of the Stratosphere (1952	Republic Serial Jungle Drums of Africa (1953)	Succeeded by Canadian Mounties vs. Atomic Invaders (1953) (Serial)
		Succeeded by Commando Cody: Sky Marshal of the Universe (1953) (Intended to be a TV series)

v t e Republic serials
Pre-war serials (1936–1941)	Darkest Africa Undersea Kingdom The Vigilantes Are Coming Robinson Crusoe of Clipper Island Dick Tracy The Painted Stallion S.O.S. Coast Guard Zorro Rides Again The Lone Ranger The Fighting Devil Dogs Dick Tracy Returns Hawk of the Wilderness The Lone Ranger Rides Again Daredevils of the Red Circle Dick Tracy's G-Men Zorro's Fighting Legion Drums of Fu Manchu Adventures of Red Ryder King of the Royal Mounted Mysterious Doctor Satan Adventures of Captain Marvel Jungle Girl King of the Texas Rangers Dick Tracy vs. Crime, Inc.
War-time serials (1942–1945)	Spy Smasher Perils of Nyoka King of the Mounties G-Men vs. the Black Dragon Daredevils of the West Secret Service in Darkest Africa The Masked Marvel Captain America The Tiger Woman Haunted Harbor Zorro's Black Whip Manhunt of Mystery Island Federal Operator 99 The Purple Monster Strikes
Post-war serials (1946–1955)	The Phantom Rider King of the Forest Rangers Daughter of Don Q The Crimson Ghost Son of Zorro Jesse James Rides Again The Black Widow G–Men Never Forget Dangers of the Canadian Mounted Adventures of Frank and Jesse James Federal Agents vs. Underworld, Inc Ghost of Zorro King of the Rocket Men The James Brothers of Missouri Radar Patrol vs Spy King The Invisible Monster Desperadoes of the West Flying Disc Man from Mars Don Daredevil Rides Again Government Agents vs. Phantom Legion Radar Men from the Moon Zombies of the Stratosphere Jungle Drums of Africa Commando Cody: Sky Marshal of the Universe Canadian Mounties vs. Atomic Invaders Trader Tom of the China Seas Man with the Steel Whip Panther Girl of the Kongo King of the Carnival
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