During the 1930s-60s, Hollywood made a ton of Tarzan and Tarzan knockoff movies. A few of the Tarzan films (especially the ones with Johnny Weissmuller) were excellent...and most of the rest were pretty crappy...particularly the knockoffs. These knockoff and crappy Tarzan pics abound with terrible stock footage (often of animals not even native to Africa) and the plots are, to put is charitably, pretty dull. In light of this, I was shocked how much I enjoyed "King of the Jungle", a knockoff all the way...but a wonderful knockoff.
The story starts out pretty much like Tarzan. Some parents bring their very young child to the African savannahs in order to go sightseeing. However, they are killed and the child is but a toddler. But instead of apes adopting the child, it's adopted by a lioness!! Now don't start complaining about how 'that's not possible'....it's not like it's very likely gorillas would successfully raise a child either!
The child grows into a man (Buster Crabbe) and he is at home with all the lions. However, when some folks come to the savannah looking for lions, they accidentally also capture the young man. He is given the name 'Kaspa the Lion Man' and is taken to America in a cage!! Not surprisingly, he soon escapes but manages to meet a nice lady (Frances Dee) and she is able to convince him to go back with the folks...and she is hired to take care of him. Soon, Kaspa has learned to talk and is a bright, handsome guy....and he has a strong affinity for lions. He becomes the ultimate circus lion tamer--doing his job with no whip, no chair, no gun...just love for the animals. What's next? See the film....you won't be unhappy.
This film is not without problems. The most obvious is the similarlity to Tarzan. It's too similar in spots and is truly a knockoff. There also are some godawful staged fights...such as when they have a bull and lion spar each other as well as later in the film when a lion and tiger fight. I don't think any of the animals were killed or seriously injured....at least in the footage you see...though it is cruel and irresponsible. However, it also has some amazingly good qualities....no crappy stock footage(!!!), a breathtaking finale at the circus as well as a wonderful and sweet ending. Overall, a lot more good than bad in this one...and it's no wonder Crabbe's next film was a movie serial...."Tarzan the Fearless".
