Sorry, this movie sucks

This movie was so-so. It had it's moments, but wasn't the greatest.

Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

It's funny, it's tense, it features two great performances from two actors and the director expertly creates a web of odd tension where you actually don't know what is happening for the majority of the run time.

When Johnny Weissmuller started getting too old to play Tarzan, he put on some khakis and returned to the African wilds as Jungle Jim. The Tarzan films allowed Weissmuller to disguise the fact that he wasn't all the great of an actor, since Tarzan only spoke in broken English, but with him now being required to deliver normal dialogue reveals him as a painfully wooden actor.. However, Weissmuller does have screen charisma and that's enough to carry this routine jungle adventure that has a dash of sex appeal, with it's story about Jungle Jim saving a jungle girl captured by an evil witch doctor, while also fighting a treasure hunter played by Buster Crabbe (who also played Tarzan in the 1930s).

...And what an imposing figure she is too, seen right after the opening credits, looking strangely imperious as she stood out looking over her "kingdom". On first glance, I found myself checking the credits to make sure "she" was a woman, and although little information was available on Anita Lhotse, I found out indeed she was, a former swimming champion who once dated Clint Eastwood. But for this fourth of the Jungle Jim series, she's presented as an evil figure, indeed referred to as a witch, although it's insinuated that she was lost in the jungle as a child (a la Tarzan) yet according to native legend without the big heart of Johnny Weismueller's earlier character. Indeed, she has a very masculine face, a severe hair style, and enough muscle tone to make Xena, Warrior Princess jealous. Like Tarzan too, she has the ability to call wild animals, but seemingly, it's not to help somebody in distress.Weismueller is joined by another former Tarzan, Buster Crabbe, quite different here as a villain searching for lost treasure. He's the type of white man that makes the natives hate all white men, even though Jungle Jim is clearly on their side. Accompanied by his puppy and baby chimp pals (who seemingly understand English), Jim finds out the truth about "the white witch", and comes across another lost city filled with a mystery of its own. In silly "native headdress", Rick Vallin hunts all of the white characters, bringing them altogether for the ultimate showdown. Silly fun for those who can stomach such nonsense, it's a fun time filler with plenty of thrills, unintentional laughs, and a not quite leading lady who only pretends to whistle to her animal pals and doesn't utter a word. Not surprising she only made one film, it's also a relief that Columbia didn't spin off a series featuring her.

Captive Girl (1950) * 1/2 (out of 4) Johnny Weissmuller is back as Jungle Jim and this time he's trying to locate an evil white woman roaming the jungles. She actually turns out to be a good guy but the real bad people are a tribal witch doctor (John Dehner) and a fortune hunter (Buster Crabbe) seeking gold. CAPTIVE GIRL is mildly interesting because it features former Olympic gold medal winners and former screen Tarzan's Weissmuller and Crabbe going up against one another. You'd think that the producers would have taken advantage of this and done something fun with it but they don't. In the end this fourth installment turns out to be another very weak one and it's clear that there really isn't much hope for this series. The ultra low-budget is obvious because the majority of the screen time is either stock footage or quick cutaway shots to Jim's dog and a monkey that is constantly following him around. This here is probably the only reason to watch the film because throughout I noticed that the monkey would start being mean to the dog and then we'd get a fast edit to something else. They say working with animals is something directors hate and I'm going to guess that they had a lot of trouble here as the two co-stars obviously didn't get along well. Weissmuller fits the role nicely, as usual, but also as usual his line delivery is pretty much not there. Crabbe does what he can with his role as the bad guy and I'm sure character actor Dehner didn't like appearing in this type a role at this point in his career. Anita Lhoest plays the white girl and while she's cute that's about all she's able to do.

This is a funny movie that is completely unbelievable. Had I seen this movie in the early fifties, I would have believed it is realistic. It is light entertainment at the most, but the Jungle Girl Anita is one fine "Honey", I think I love her. To my consternation this beauty made only ONE movie. History is abundant with horse faces making multiple flicks, why not a beauty like Anita? Oh well, That's life, but this movie is not about life.