"I've Heard The Natives Mention Him. He's Quite A Guy According To Them." by Dave Goode

 

Back when I first discovered "men's sweat mags" as I was entering puberty my favorite stories found within were the jungle adventures. Probably because they reminded me of Jungle Jim. The Johnny Weissmuller movies based on the Alex Raymond comic strip from King Features and not the comic strip itself. They were two different animals. Of course the stories in the sweat mags featured very a little bit more violent. And had a lot more sexual content. But the stories were more or less like the ones you found in the Weissmuller flicks produced by Sam Katzman.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One of my favorite flicks from the series was THE LOST TRIBE (1949). It stars Weissmuller, Elena Verduga, Myrna Dell, Ralph Dunn, and Ray "Crash" Corrigan as Simba the Gorilla. The screenplay is by Arthur Hoerl and Don Martin.

 

It's a formula jungle adventure revolving around a lost city and it's hidden treasures. Plenty of stock footage and cheesy dialogue. It's a wonder that the  MSFT3K crew never got a hold of this. Former Olympic swimming champ Weissmuller fights a lion, a shark, an alligator, and a gang of modern day pirates. Weissmuller is at his two-fisted best in this one. He even gets tied up and worked over the bad guys. Not great art. But a lot of fun.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Funny thing is I was re-reading the Frank Frazetta - illustrated jungle romance tale "Untamed Love" when it struck me that the "great white hunter" in that story reminded me of Victor Mature in the jungle adventure SAFARI (1956). Made me think that Mature might have made a good Jungle Jim in a big budget production. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another actor I can see playing the jungle adventurer was Rory Calhoun. Calhoun had played big game hunter Jonathon Kincaid on an episode of GILLIGAN'S ISLAND that spoofed The Most Dangerous Game, Richard Connell's classic short story.

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THE 40'S PRINCE NAMOR by Dave Goode

If you're a fan-boy then you've probably heard of the talk from the early 50s about a proposed Sub-Mariner television show. It was supposed to have starred actor Richard Egan. And though the former army judo instructor and World War Two combat vet would have been good for the part , the person I always imagine as the Sub-Mariner is Johnny Weissmuller.

I picture a Sub-Mariner movie starring Weissmuller being made sometime between the MGM and RKO Tarzan film series. Namor's undersea kingdom (it wasn't referred to as Atlantis until the Silver Age) would probably have been a lot different than it was in the comics. Most likely a city under a dome of some sort. And there would be a lot of "shot through a fishbowl " photography. Brenda Joyce who played Jane to Weissmuller's Tarzan in the RKO series would have been ideal as NY policewoman Betty Dean. And Frances Gifford or Linda Christian could have been Lady Dorma. Weissmuller with his angular (if not triangular) features , whiplash eyebrows and lean swimmer's physique was a spot-on match for Bill Everett's comic book creation.

Truth is I cant help but think the Sub-Mariner's creator didn't have Weissmuller in mind when he brought the prince of the undersea kingdom to life. After all Weissmuller was the greatest swimmer of the era , setting records in distances from 50 meters to the half mile. The star of the 1924 and 1928 Olympics he was undefeated in official competition and was an accomplished water polo player as well.Who would have been a better model for the Sub-Mariner? Buster Crabbe? No. He's Aquaman.

Retro art by Vance Capley

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