Johnny Weissmuller Movies

Have you ever longed for the day when James Brown, Martha Raye, and Col. Harland Sanders would appear in a movie together? Well, that's barely the tip of the improbable casting iceberg in this bizarre cold-war spoof. The leaders of the American intelligence organization the S.S.A. ("Super Secret Agency") are becoming increasingly alarmed by the disappearance of a number of B-list celebrities, who are being spirited off to Communist Albania. Eager to bring the fading stars back to the Land of the Free, the S.S.A. come up with a simple plan: They'll find four typical guys in their mid-twenties, have them form a rock group, make them into international stars, and wait until they get invited to play a gig in Albania, which will allow them to find out what's become of Rudy Vallee, Butterfly McQueen, and Huntz Hall, among others. Unemployed philosopher Michael A. Miller, Native-American honor student Ray Chippeway, phys-ed major Dennis Larden, and male model Lonny Stevens are drafted by the S.S.A., and after some intensive training by experts (Trini Lopez shows them a few guitar chords, and Richard Pryor gives them a crash course in soul), they become an overnight sensation as The Phynx (yes, it's pronounced "Finks"). Their album sells 17 million copies on the strength of songs like "What Is Your Sign?," and their groupies have to be cleared away by forklift. But fun and games have to go to the back burner when Albanian ruler Markevitch (George Tobias) and his wife, Ruby (Joan Blondell), invite the Phynx to perform at the behest of their son. Pat O'Brien, Xavier Cugat, Patty Andrews, and Dick Clark are just a few of the other notables who make cameo appearances in The Phynx, which had a very brief theatrical release before being sold to television in the early '70s. Legendary songwriters Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller penned the songs performed by The Phynx (and Stoller composed the background score), though for some reason they're not covered nearly as often as "Jailhouse Rock," "Hound Dog," or "Yakkety Yak." ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Devil Goddess was the sixteenth and last of Columbia's "Jungle Jim" series. Johnny Weissmuller, playing "himself" (as he had in the last few films in this series), agrees to help a professor (Selmer Jackson) find a colleague who has disappeared into the jungle. Before you can say "Heart of Darkness", we learn that the missing man (William Griffith) has set himself up as a white god, ruling over a tribe of fire worshippers. The "god's" headquarters is a volcano, long dormant but ripe for eruption. The "goddess" of the title is the daughter (Angela Stevens) of the investigating professor, whom the white despot hopes to marry after bumping off the rest of the search party. Weissmuller and his friends narrowly escape the inflammatory volcano with an unburied treasure in tow. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Though Cannibal Attack is officially an entry in Columbia's "Jungle Jim" B-movie series, star Johnny Weissmuller is cast as "himself", rather than his usual Jungle Jim role. The plot finds Weissmuller investigating a series of cargo and cobalt thefts. The villains are a group of sinister foreign spies with Slavic accents, who are being aided and abetted by Luora (Judy Walsh), daughter of a cannibal princess. To expedite the bad guys' dirty work, tribal leader Rovak (Bruce Cowling) has his men disguise themselves as crocodiles. That's right, crocodiles. The rest of the picture is on an equal level of credibility. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Killer Ape is one of the most violent entries in Columbia's "Jungle Jim" series. In this outing, Jim (Johnny Weissmuller) finds out that members of the Wazuli tribe are selling animals to white hunters. These animals are in turn used for illegal research in a scheme to create drugs for bacterial warfare. Before Jim can foil the villains' plans, he must first clear himself of a murder charge. The film's title derives from the tribesmen's habit of wearing ape costumes to scare away outsiders. As usual, many of the film's best scenes go to Tamba the Chimp, who gets even more screen time than leading lady Carol Thurston. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

This 1952 programmer was the eighth entry in Columbia's profitable "Jungle Jim" series. Johnny Weissmuller, as ever, stars as pith-helmeted Jungle Jim, who this time must grapple with an avaricious ivory hunter. And that's not all: Jungle Jim is confronted by a legendary "giant man," actually a clever hoax cooked up by a tribe of mercenary natives to drive district commissioner Kingston (Lester Matthews) out of office. Columbia contractees Angela Greene and Jean Willes competently share the leading-lady chores. Fans of the "Jungle Jim" series were immensely satisfied by Forbidden Land, else why would Columbia turn out seven additional entries over the next three years? ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Johnny Weissmuller is back as Jungle Jim in Columbia's Jungle Manhunt. In this outing, Jungle Jim leads a search for football hero Bob Miller (Bob Waterfield), who is lost somewhere in the foliage. Our Hero's mission is complicated by the presence of villains Bono (Ric Vallin) and Heller (Lyle Talbot), who are exploiting native labor in their efforts to create artificial diamonds. The film was partially designed as a test balloon for the movie potential of gridiron star Bob Waterfield, who demonstrates his athletic prowess in the finale, wherein he lobs a couple of hand grenades in the manner of a forward pass! The nominal heroine is played by Sheila Ryan, who would soon retire to private life as Mrs. Pat Buttram. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Pygmy Island was entry number five in Columbia's "Jungle Jim" series. Johnny Weissmuller is back as Jungle Jim, who this time around leads a search for missing WAC officer Ann Kingsley (Ann Savage). He'd better hurry; enemy agents are also on the trail of the heroine, who became lost while searching for material vital to the U.S. defense program. Somewhere in the foliage is a tribe of white pygmies (!), who cast their lot with Jungle Jim against the bad guys. Highlights in Pygmy Island include a stampeding elephant herd and a couple of fierce jungle battles pitting our hero against a crocodile and a gorilla. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Mark of the Gorilla was Number Four in Columbia's "Jungle Jim" series. Johnny Weissmuller stars as Jim, who this time around contends with homicidal fortune hunters. At stake is a buried treasure, consisting of ill-gotten Nazi loot. Villain Brandt (Onslow Stevens) hires a couple of thugs to pose as killer gorillas, in hopes of scaring the natives away from the burial site. Believe it or not, this monkey masquerade was played straight, though it's difficult not to giggle when watching the film today. As was customary in the "Jungle Jim" series, Mark of the Gorilla has two leading ladies: Trudy Marshall (the mother of actress Deborah Raffin) as Jungle Jim's assistant, and Suzanne Dalbert as an incognito European queen. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

"Tarzan with clothes on". That's how one reviewer summed up Sam Katzman's newest film series Jungle Jim, starring ex-Tarzan Johnny Weissmuller in the title role. Based on the popular comic strip by Alex Raymond (previously cinematized as a 12-episode Universal serial in 1936), this first entry in the "Jim" series finds our hero guiding gorgeous lady scientist Hilary Parker (Virginia Grey) through the wilds of Africa-actually the Columbia back lot and nearby Bronson Canyon-in search of an herb that will cure infantile paralysis. At first, Hilary resents Jungle Jim's casual chauvinism, but after being nearly killed on several occasions (she apparently can't take two steps without confronting a lion or snake) she's willing to acknowledge his expertise in all things African. Once Hilary's expedition has arrived in a hidden native village, they find themselves as the mercy of crooked gold prospector Bruce Edwards (a pre-Superman George Reeves), who foments a tribal sacrifice as a means of putting the good guys out of the way. Many of the film's wildlife scenes were culled from the 1930 documentary Africa Speaks, which continued to be cannibalized throughout the subsequent 15 "Jungle Jim" epics. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Tarzan (Johnny Weissmuller) goes on one of his occasional pro-ecological kicks in Tarzan and the Huntress. This time, the Lord of the Jungle runs afoul of an animal-trapping exposition headed by titular huntress Tanya (Patricia Morison). Not wishing to see his jungle friends packed in crates and shipped off to zoos, Tarzan does everything he can to discourage Tanya from seeking out specimens in his territory. The plot then goes off on a different tangent, as Tanya's unscrupulous partner Weir (Barton MacLane) conspires with aspiring despot Prince Ozira (Ted Hecht) to knock off the Prince's benevolent uncle, King Faroud (Charles Trowbridge). Tarzan saves the day by summoning his elephant pals to trammel the villains, but not before his mate Jane (Brenda Joyce) and his adopted son Boy (Johnny Sheffield) are placed in the usual deadly peril. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

This adventure, set upon the mighty Mississippi, features two former Tarzans. One of them is a river-boat captain who was shell shocked in the war. The other is an evil trapper. The trouble is caused by their shared affection for a pretty young woman. Their rivalry climaxes as the two wrestle it out in an alligator hole. This was the only film in which one of the Tarzans (Johnny Weismuller) did not play a man from the jungle. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

World War II rears its ugly head in this patriotic (if somewhat nonsensical) Tarzan picture. When a Nazi pilot (Rex Williams) crash lands in the jungle, he is nursed back to health by Tarzan (Johnny Weissmuller) and Boy (Johnny Sheffield). The isolationist ape man is vaguely aware that the Nazi is part of an invading German force, but he refuses to become involved with the problems of the world. The Nazis march into a "lost" jungle kingdom, enslaving the citizens and threatening the life of their princess (Frances Gifford). Gradually Tarzan becomes convinced that the Nazis are up to no good, destroys their invasion plans, and restores the princess to her throne. Don't miss the Tarzan Triumphs scene in which Cheeta the chimpanzee is mistaken for Adolph Hitler! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide