Moviecut—The Jungle Princess

source: The Jungle Princess

The Jungle Princess

Dorothy Lamour is quite charming in this film playing an indigenous woman who falls in love with Ray Milland in the jungle after saving his life. He displays the sort of childlike naivety that you would find in a woman from the Pacific Islands who is enchanted by a Western man. I'm not too sure if I believe it in the context of Malaysia, but perhaps it's possible in 1935. I'm not particularly a Lamour fan and I never thought she was quite pretty in her films. However, she is charming in this film and quite endearing. In terms of the story and the characters, it didn't particularly impress me as I wasn't engaged at any level. It's just Lamour's performance and that love-sick puppy expression in her eyes when she looks at Milland that makes this film bearable.

The Jungle Princess is a highly unlikely Hollywood fantasy that was put on film to make Depression-Era audiences forget about their troubles for an hour or so. The story is about a little girl who is raised in the jungle by the animals around her. Then she meets Prince Charming (which is why she is a Princess). A torrid affair ensues where she actually gets kissed on the lips from a reticent Ray Milland, who,in real life, would have jumped on the poor princess in a New York minute. Dorothy Lamour made her major debut in this film as the princess.

Absurd yes. Enjoyable, profoundly. This was a movie drawn on Hollywood's fascination with all things south. The Pacific and Latin America. The story was unbelievable but for those of us who never saw a believable story out of Hollywood it was just as real as a Gene Autry western. We enjoyed all genres and that meant Gene Autry and Dorothy Lamour equally. There were Frank Buck documentaries (so-called) that were hokier than anything the B movies presented and those too were very popular. Perhaps we should only judge those pictures in the context of the times they were presented. I would love to see The Jungle Princess again and revel in Ray Milland's revelation on the Johnny Carson show what he did in a swimming scene with Dorothy.

This movie is the movie that launched Dorthy Lamour's career. Dorthy went on to star in a number of "Road To" movies with Bob Hope and Bing Crosby that were hugely popular. According to "The History of Paramount Pictures", "The Jungle Princess was a WHOPPING money maker for the studio". The picture also starred Ray Milland and Ray Mala. Ray Mala was billed only as "Mala". Mala was the star of MGM's 1933 Oscar winning picture "Eskimo/Mala The Magnificent". This picture is from the Golden Age of Hollywood. Well worth watching, this picture is an Old Hollywood favorite. I wish this movie would be released on DVD to make it easier for people to find. There is only one beginning of Hollywood...

This is what Hollywood used to be all about, just a rollicking good time, it didn't have to make sense, it didn't have to be realistic, it just had to transport you to a fantasy world and have a good time! Young Dorothy Lamour looks stunningly beautiful years before she teamed with Bing & Bob, Ray Milland looks stunningly handsome years before he proved he could really act. The tiger wins your heart and the monkey looks like it's taking a break from 'Tarzan'. No they don't make movies like this anymore, and you know what, it's a pity. By the way it is on DVD now, do yourself a favour!