Jungle Gents

The Bowery Boys kept tabs on Abbott and Costello through the years, meeting up with mad doctors and monsters, so why not try out some gags with natives and witch doctors?

The gang also lucked out big time. BOMBA, THE JUNGLE BOY (starring Johnny Sheffield) was still being filmed on the lot, a sort of teenage Tarzan adventure series that had a following. Accordingly, they got all the jungle scenery for free!

The biggest plus in the series had Sach gaining super powers --every now and then. This time he goes to the doctor for a sinus infection, gulps down some pills and SUDDENLY has the ability to smell diamonds??? Simply amazing.

Of course, what better place to get all those hidden diamonds than in Africa! So away everybody goes... along with the usual band of crooks, who discovered the gang has come into possession of an old sea captain's map that will lead them to a fortune in diamonds. Obviously, Louie had financed the whole operation, right?

This is outrageous, and narrated by Slip, or make that Leo Gorcey's famous malaprops. Naturally, who else but Sach is entrusted with a secret map(!) --which gets burned up when he attempts to start a camp fire? Heaven forbid he tell Slip the bad news, so Sach makes up his own treasure map (from an ad for womens girdles?) and follows his nose!

The gang goes in circles, then Sach gets a cold and can't smell anything! The guys meet up with a crazy witch doctor who starts dancing around Sach. Best line department: "Even if you don't cure me, I dig the floor show!"

Not to miss the appearance of beautiful native girl Annatia, played by Laurette Luez. She takes an immediate liking to Sach.... "kiss, kiss, kiss!" and the rest is history! Luez at the time was a popular model, born in Honolulu, who also had many small roles in movies, such as the classic noir film, D. O. A., possibly her best role.

A lot of crazy stuff follows, and more classic narration from Slip. The guys end up in a cave --there's ghosts and the diamond treasure. Creative writing 101 on the part of Ed Bernds.

Goofy notes: this was the screen debut of future movie star Clint Walker, who plays Tarzan? Super trivia question.

And Emil Sitka from the Three Stooges has a bit as a painter on the boat.

Released via Warner Brothers in 6 to 8 movies per dvd box. A collectors item for devout fans.

A lot of the Bowery Boys movies had the theme that Sach discovered a new power-- whether a K.O. punch in the boxing ring, or a wonderful singing voice, etc. In this film, Sach develops the power to "smell" diamonds! (Sach got it from taking a new antibiotic, "Striptopifficin" 50,000 micrograms, for a sinus "infatuation.") When a jewel thief runs into Louie's Sweet Shop, and tries to hide some stolen diamonds from a policeman, Sach sniffs out the loot-- "a king's transom" of diamonds, as Slip says. So the Boys decide to sniff out diamonds in Africa. Actually, they spend a lot of time on a sound stage with trees and tropical plants, and look at mis-matched stock footage of the Serengeti Plain (sort of like an episode of "Ramar of the Jungle"). They hack through a steaming jungle, where the temperature is 130 degrees "centipede." Sach meets beautiful jungle girl Anatta (Laurette Luez), with the same beauty salon hairdo, eye shadow and lipstick she had as Tigri in "Prehistoric Women" (1950). She wants to "Kiss, kiss, kiss" Sach (who said these movies make sense)? The Boys are captured by a hostile tribe, and the witch doctor wants to shrink everyone's head (except Sach's). Slip bemoans, "I don't know one place in New York City that sells 1-and-7/8 size hats!" Will they escape? Will they find the diamonds? Will they ever see the Bowery and Louie's Sweet Shop again? Watch the movie and enjoy!

A Bowery Boys movie, written by Edward Bernds and Elwood Ullman. It doesn't get any better than this. And if you don't think this movie has one of their prettiest guest stars in Laurette Luez, you should get your eyes examined by an "octopus" (oculist).

In many of the later Bowery Boys films, the plots involve Sach developing some sort of strange superhuman power--one that seems to disappear before the next film. Some examples of Sach's powers in films are super strength, the ability to predict numbers at gambling and mind reading...but the strangest has got to be here in "Jungle Gents". It seems that due to a sinus infection and his medication, Sach has the weird ability to sniff out diamonds with his nose!! Soon the boys and Louie find themselves in Africa...looking for lost diamonds. Talk about a strange, contrived plot!!!

A major strike against the film is the lack of originality. Sure, being able to smell diamonds IS original...but Sach developing super powers eventually became a cliché because this plot device was used so often. Of course, you don't expect Shakespeare or a Truffaut picture when it comes to the Bowery Boys!! There is also a strike against the extensive use of what is obviously stock footage...which you'd expect in a low-budget B-movie. You also get a giant stuffed lion which attacks Sach. In other words, it's not particularly distinguished and is like most of their later films...a bit lame. For better films, try to find the earlier Bowery Boys as well as the East Side Kids pictures.

By the way, the director and co-writer, Edward Bernds, also directed quite a few of the Three Stooges films...including the really lame later ones. He also did several of the Blondie and Dagwood pictures. So, he would appear to be in his element working here with the Bowery Boys.

If as Carol Channing and Marilyn Monroe sang that Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend than it would have been in Lorelei's interest to befriend Huntz Hall because in Jungle Gents a sinus operation has left Sach with a nose that can smell where diamonds are located. What to do with that but go to Africa and do a little prospecting.

The whole Bowery Boys gang including Bernard Gorcey who once again leaves Louie's Sweet Shop to accompany Leo Gorcey, Huntz Hall and the rest to the Dark Continent. Of course diamonds already mined and out of the ground are easier to find which leads the boys into contact with some smugglers played by Patrick O'Moore and Rudolph Anders.

Really at this point the series was sliding downhill. How many more plots can they have where Huntz Hall develops some strange power that gets them all in a jackpot?

A diamond thieve rushes into Louie's sweet shop and stashes his loot. Sach (Huntz Hall) is able to smell the diamonds and the thieve gets arrested. Slip (Leo Gorcey) gets a quest for lost diamonds and the group heads off to darkest Africa.

Initially, I was afraid of this group going to Africa. There are natives. At least, I don't think they're cannibals although they are head shrinkers. I would like a smart black character to play off the idiot group. A sexy white jungle girl is not my first pick. I guess they're doing the reverse Tarzan. They could play that up more with vine swinging and a Tarzan yell. In the end, they skirt around the most awkwardness of the dated premise. It's fine for a Bowery Boys film.