Jivaro

This is Mrs. Sheila Beers, writing with the permission of Barney Beers. I saw this movie on a black and white television as a child about 45-50 years ago, and I only can imagine how much better it is in color. However, through missionaries I had heard of the fierce Jivaro Indians, and I found "Jivaro" a compelling story. I still believe the film is much more than an adventure-romance story and that it has more to offer than viewers of the 1950s realized. Now that there is so much interest in saving the Brazilian rain forest, I believe "Jivaro" is even more relevant today. The theme is timeless, being the clash between primitive cultures and the modern world. Since New World exploration in the 1500s, the Jivaro Indians of South America were known as headhunters and cannibals, but a lesser known fact is that South America's richest gold deposits were (and still are) located in Jivaro territory. Although Brazil was settled by the Portuguese, the Spanish who settled Peru, Ecuador, and other countries that border Brazil, soon learned of the Jivaro's treasure and wanted the gold to defeat Protestantism in Europe. In spite of their primitive nature, the Jivaros (like other primitive tribes of South America) knew how to mine gold and refine it. Through their reputation as fierce headhunters and cannibals, the Jivaros protected their wealth. In the late 1500s the Spanish dared to build the city of Logrono, population 25,000, on the border of Brazil. The city provided housing for miners, settler families, and administrators who wanted to send the gold to Spain. Wanting to deflect the invaders, the Jivaros, armed only with spears and possibly blow guns and clubs, wiped out the city in 1599. They killed everyone but the young women they could assimilate into their tribe for breeding. The city, built mostly of wood, was burned to the ground and mostly absorbed by the jungle. For centuries afterward the Jivaros killed any Europeans or Americans who encroached on their territory. When the Jivaros eventually were Christianized in the late 20th century, missionaries noted some members of the tribe had lighter complexions and more body hair, attesting to their descent from the Spanish women taken from Logrono. Because of this fascinating piece of Brazilian history, I would like to see "Jivaro" made available on DVD. By seeing the movie, people could learn more about South Americam cultures and relate the story to current issues about the rain forest.

1953's "Jivaro" was shot in color and Widescreen 3-D on location in Brazil as "Lost Treasure of the Amazon" or "Valley of the Winds," produced by the Pine-Thomas unit at Paramount, remembered for their frugality as 'The Two Dollar Bills.' Fernando Lamas toplines as Rio Galdez, a tradesman and bar owner dealing in the upper reaches of the Amazon while discouraging talk of vast riches deep in Jivaro country, the land of headhunters, as a shrine to their victory over the Spaniards. Into this heated background comes Rhonda Fleming as Alice Parker, expecting to wed her long absent fiancee after two years of waiting in California, instantly an object of desire for fortune hunting Tony (Brian Keith), who also covets the hidden treasure. 3-D thrills are plentiful, enough to offset the expected love triangle, with spears, arrows, and other objects hurled at the camera, saving the dangerous trek through the jungle for the final third (the 'Valley of the Winds' certainly earns its nickname). Apart from the handsome leads, supporting cast members are only on screen a short time, including Richard Denning as Alice's doomed beau, Marvin Miller in brown makeup as a native chief, and Lon Chaney as trader Pedro Martines, around just long enough for some good natured sparring with Rio over a worthless crate filled with rocks. This was easily the least of Chaney's films for Pine-Thomas, previously doing major villains opposite Randolph Scott in "Albuquerque" and John Payne in "Captain China."

Cheesy in the extreme, this one is a lot of fun. Lon Chaney, Jr (The Wolfman) is in a supporting role. Rhonda Fleming's third 3-D movie and Fernando Lamas' second. By the time this one was released, the 3-D boom was over so it was shown flat. However,you can glimpse some 3-D clips in the IMAX 3-D film ENCOUNTER IN THE THIRD DIMENSION, which is available on DVD.

In September 2006, the 3-D version made its public debut (53 years after it was made!) at the World 3-D Film Expo II. It's even more fun in the intended 3-D form. The restored print was quite nice and it is wonderful that this film can be seen in the stereoscopic version as shot.

Exciting adventure in glorious Technicolor 3D with a team of adventurers all vying to find a treasure in the jungle where they clash against each other , take off the relentless natives , as well as the perilous wildlife. In Pedrone, a village along the Amazon River, the remote Brazilian trading post of Rio Galdéz (Fernando Lamas) is home to a variety of outcast Americans and Europeans, including Jerry Russell, a former engineer who becomes obsessed with the Jibaro treasure. The trading post proprietor Rio Galdes puts drunken American Jerry Russell (Richard Denning) to bed in his hut, then sails off on his boat to trade with the local headhunting Indians. Then, unexpectedly the redhead and shiny Alice Parker (Rhonda Fleming) arrives, expecting to marry an allegedly rich planter. Jungle Thriller ! Box-Office Filler !. Color! Adventure! Action!. All the Color and Adventure That Have Movies Great Make This a Must for Audiences Looking for Romance and Action !. Their Greed & Lust for Diamonds Was More Deadly Than the Perils of the Jungle. They survived the impossible...by doing the unthinkable. It's "Man against Man" and "Man against Nature" - Which One Will Prove More Deadlly ?

Thilling and moving film concerning an unstoppable chase to find a valuable treasure, while battling for survival, as the group of explorers are besieged by head-cutters Indians and some greedy people. The film is adapted to the realization of the 3D cinematographic system, that is why we see spears, arrows, bottles, statues and other objects thrown towards the public, for which they enjoy the three-dimensional effects, but on ordinary screens they create a somewhat ridiculous result. The whole piece of adventure teems with emotion , thrills , exotic atmosphere and being entertaining enough . It's a medium budget film with good actors , technicians , production values and pleasing results . The best scenes are a violent fight between Fernando Lamas and Brian Keith, the spectacular fall of the entire expeditionary group from a bridge into a river, as well as the immense efforts of the team have to carry out for their purports , forced to do anything and everything they could to stay alive . In the film there are noisy adventures , action pace , impressive struggles and beautiful landscapes. Regarding corrupt and ambitious people who will have to confront lots of risks until find a treasure and all of them will take on villains , savage Jibaro tribes and fighting each other. There's romance and fast moving scenes and that's why it is neither tiring, not boring , but bemusing. Special effects are passable , but other parts of the movie are never fully realized . It strives for being some inspirational but falls well short of being really inspired and marred for not being shot on location in the Amazon, but mainly in the studio and using too many film transparencies, matte paintings, and excessive stock footage. In spite of it , the movie is entertaining , though shot in fits and starts and obtained success enough. Stars the Queen of Technicolor, the shapely, glamorous Rhonda Fleming, and Fernando Lamas, who married another similar B-movie nymph: Arlene Dahl; along with a good plethora of secondaries, such as: Brian Keith who a a bit later on would take on roles as a starring, Lon Chaney Jr. , Richard Denning, Marvin Miller, Nestor Paiva and the very young and tireless Rita Moreno who today at 93 years of age is still performing.

Produced by William C. Thomas , who along with his partner producer William H. Pine at Paramount, collectively known as "The Dollar Bills" because none of their films ever lost money. The motion picture was mediocrely directed by Edward Ludwing and nothing special. Russian-born Edward Ludwig came to the U. S. as a child and was educated in Canada and New York City. He entered the film business as an actor in silents, then became a scenarist and screenwriter, and in the early 1930s turned to directing. Although most of his films were routine second features, he showed a flair for action pictures, a good example of which is a John Wayne war epic he made for Republic, The Fighting Seabees (1944), one of Wayne's better--and most successful--films for that studio. Edward made some decent movies, such as: The Black Scorpion 1957, Flame of the islands 1955, Big Jim McLain 1952, The big wheel 1949, Wake of the Red Witch 1949, Fighting Seabees 1944, The certain age 1938. In the late 1950s he turned to directing TV series. Jivaro(1954) rating: 5/10. Average but passable and acceptable.

A pure little jewell from Paramount Studios which it was the speciality, adventure, exotic, colourful yarns full of action, romance, that were never boring. Edward Ludwig and Lewis Foster were the more iconic directors, and Rhonda Fleming, Arlele Dahl or Yvonne De Carlo- though the latest was more involved with Universal Pictures - the usual lead females. The charm contained in those films is now totally lost, that's the reason I will never get tired of watching them. Nothing special to say about this one, except it's one of the best of Edward Ludwig. If you don't know anything about this period, in the fifties, try this one to begin, you won't be deceived.