Congo

Jack Holt has been manning the trading post in the Congo, with the shaky and dissipated company of George C. Pearce and Hayden Stevenson. But he wants to get back to civilization before the jungle swallows his soul, and his replacement shows up with Philip Strange. However, Strange has brought his wife, Dorothy Revier with him, and immediately turns to drink and whipping the natives, and such like behavior. Hot offers to accompany Miss Revier back, or even let Strange go back with her, while he awaits another replacement, but Pearce refuses.

With a story written from first-hand experience with pulp novels and watching TRADER HORN, director Archie Mayo has turned out a movie that is surprisingly engaging. Strange plays a stereotypical beast of a man, but Holt gives a surprisingly nuanced performance, always muscular, but his frank talk makes him sound sensible, and even kind. The pre-code status of this movie is limited to Strange's insinuations, and while it's clearly a programmer to help pay Holt's contract, it does its job well enough for the era.