Darkest Africa
Encyclopedia
Darkest Africa is a Republic
Republic Pictures
Republic Pictures was an independent film production-distribution corporation with studio facilities, operating from 1934 through 1959, and was best known for specializing in westerns, movie serials and B films emphasizing mystery and action....

 movie serial. This was the first serial produced by Republic Pictures and was a loose sequel to a Mascot Pictures serial called The Lost Jungle
The Lost Jungle
The Lost Jungle is a Mascot movie serial.A semi-sequel to this serial, Darkest Africa, was released by Republic Pictures in 1936...

, also starring Clyde Beatty
Clyde Beatty
Clyde Beatty joined the circus as a cage cleaner as a teen and became famous as a lion tamer and animal trainer. He also became a circus impresario who owned his own show that later merged with the Cole Bros. Circus to form the Clyde Beatty-Cole Bros...

. Mascot, and other companies, had been taken over in 1935 by Consolidated Film Laboratories and merged to become Republic. Producer Nat Levine
Nat Levine
Nat Levine , was an American film producer. He produced 105 films between 1921 and 1946. He was personal secretary to Marcus Loew, formed Mascot Pictures in 1927, and merged Mascot with Herbert Yates's Republic Pictures in 1935.He was born in New York, New York and died in Los Angeles,...

 was formerly the owner of Mascot Pictures.

Plot

While on Safari
Safari
A safari is an overland journey, usually a trip by tourists to Africa. Traditionally, the term is used for a big-game hunt, but today the term often refers to a trip taken not for the purposes of hunting, but to observe and photograph animals and other wildlife.-Etymology:Entering the English...

 in East Africa
East Africa
East Africa or Eastern Africa is the easterly region of the African continent, variably defined by geography or geopolitics. In the UN scheme of geographic regions, 19 territories constitute Eastern Africa:...

, Clyde Beatty
Clyde Beatty
Clyde Beatty joined the circus as a cage cleaner as a teen and became famous as a lion tamer and animal trainer. He also became a circus impresario who owned his own show that later merged with the Cole Bros. Circus to form the Clyde Beatty-Cole Bros...

 runs into a loincloth
Loincloth
A loincloth is a one-piece male garment, sometimes kept in place by a belt, which covers the genitals and, at least partially, the buttocks.-History and types:Loincloths are being and have been worn:*in societies where no other clothing is needed or wanted...

 wearing boy, Baru, and his pet ape
Ape
Apes are Old World anthropoid mammals, more specifically a clade of tailless catarrhine primates, belonging to the biological superfamily Hominoidea. The apes are native to Africa and South-east Asia, although in relatively recent times humans have spread all over the world...

 Bonga. Baru reveals that he has escaped from the lost city
Lost city
A "Lost City" is a term that is generally considered to refer to a well-populated area which fell into terminal decline, became extensively or completely uninhabited, and whose location has been forgotten. Some lost cities whose locations have been rediscovered have been studied extensively by...

 of Joba, King Solomon's sacred city of the Golden Bat, but that his sister, Valerie, remains there. She was found by High Priest Dagna as a child and declared to be Joba's goddess
Goddess
A goddess is a female deity. In some cultures goddesses are associated with Earth, motherhood, love, and the household. In other cultures, goddesses also rule over war, death, and destruction as well as healing....

 as part of his quest for power. Her escape could cause a revolt among the city's citizens. Clyde agrees to help Baru rescue Valerie and they set out to Joba, through the Valley of Lost Souls.

Meanwhile, the unscrupulous Durkin and Craddock notice the green diamond
Diamond
In mineralogy, diamond is an allotrope of carbon, where the carbon atoms are arranged in a variation of the face-centered cubic crystal structure called a diamond lattice. Diamond is less stable than graphite, but the conversion rate from diamond to graphite is negligible at ambient conditions...

 Baru is wearing and follow them to plunder the city for similar jewels. Dagna receives word of the heroes approach from his Bat-men and makes plans to stop them.

Main cast

  • Clyde Beatty
    Clyde Beatty
    Clyde Beatty joined the circus as a cage cleaner as a teen and became famous as a lion tamer and animal trainer. He also became a circus impresario who owned his own show that later merged with the Cole Bros. Circus to form the Clyde Beatty-Cole Bros...

     as Himself
    Clyde Beatty
    Clyde Beatty joined the circus as a cage cleaner as a teen and became famous as a lion tamer and animal trainer. He also became a circus impresario who owned his own show that later merged with the Cole Bros. Circus to form the Clyde Beatty-Cole Bros...

    , world famous big game hunter and lion tamer. Beatty was billed as the "World's Greatest Wild Animal Trainer"
  • Manuel King as Baru Tremaine, escapee from the Lost City of Joba. King was billed as the "World's Youngest Wild Animal Trainer"
  • Elaine Shepard
    Elaine Shepard
    Elaine Shepard was a Broadway and film actress in the 1930s and '40s. She was also the author of The Doom Pussy, a semi-fictional account of aviation in the Vietnam War.-Film and stage:...

     as Valerie Tremaine, Baru's sister and captive "goddess" of Joba
  • Lucien Prival as Dagna, High priest
    High priest
    The term "high priest" usually refers either to an individual who holds the office of ruler-priest, or to one who is the head of a religious caste.-Ancient Egypt:...

     and ruler of Joba
  • Ray "Crash" Corrigan (in ape suit) as Bonga, Baru's pet ape
  • Wheeler Oakman
    Wheeler Oakman
    Wheeler Oakman was an American film actor.Usually appearing as a henchman in films, rarely a leading role, he appeared in over 280 films between 1912 and 1948....

     as Durkin, "Shady trading-post entrepreneur"

Supporting Cast

  • Edward McWade
    Edward McWade
    Edward McWade was an American film actor and screenwriter. He appeared in 132 films between 1919 and 1944. He also wrote for 15 films between 1897 and 1914.He was born in Washington, D.C...

     as Gorn, keeper of the Books of Law in the Lost City
    Lost City
    Lost City is a 2004 novel by Clive Cussler. It was printed by Penguin publishers ISBN 0 7181 4735 9.It tells of Kurt Austin's dealings with the Fauchard family, which has dominated the weapons industry for several thousand years, their secret past, the monsters they have created, and the plague...

     of Joba
  • Edmund Cobb
    Edmund Cobb
    Edmund Fessenden Cobb was an American actor. He appeared in 623 films between 1912 and 1966.He was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico and died in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles from a heart attack...

     as Craddock, "Shady trading-post entrepreneur"
  • Ray Turner
    Ray Turner
    Professor Raymond Turner is an English logician and theoretical computer scientist based at the University of Essex. He is best known for his work on logic in computer science and for his pioneering work in the philosophy of computer science...

     as Hambone, Clyde's assistant
  • Donald Reed
    Donald Reed
    Donald Reed was a film actor, and later, Beverly Hills video consultant. He appeared in 47 films between 1925 and 1940...

     as Negus, a slave in the Lost City
    Lost City
    Lost City is a 2004 novel by Clive Cussler. It was printed by Penguin publishers ISBN 0 7181 4735 9.It tells of Kurt Austin's dealings with the Fauchard family, which has dominated the weapons industry for several thousand years, their secret past, the monsters they have created, and the plague...

     of Joba

Production

Darkest Africa was budgeted at $107,281 although the final negative cost
Negative cost
Negative cost is the cost of actually producing and shooting a film. It does not include such costs as distribution and promotion.Low-budget movies, for example The Blair Witch Project, can have promotional expenses that are much larger than the negative cost.The term comes from the costs up to the...

 was $119,343 (a $12,062, or 11.2%, overspend). It was the most expensive Republic serial of 1936.

It was filmed between 29 November and 28 December 1935 under the working title
Working title
A working title, sometimes called a production title, is the temporary name of a product or project used during its development, usually used in filmmaking, television production, novel, video game, or music album.-Purpose:...

 Dark Continent. The serial's production number was 416. Over all sixty-six Republic serials, however, this was the third cheapest per chapter (it cost $7,956.20 on average to produce each of the 15 chapters in the serial).

Special effects

The special effects are by John T. Coyle and the Lydecker brothers
Lydecker brothers
-Partial filmography:*Darkest Africa *Women in War - Oscar nominated*Adventures of Captain Marvel *Flying Tigers - Oscar nominated*Commando Cody: Sky Marshal of the Universe...

.

Darkest Africa contained the first use of the flying special effects that Republic would go on to use in future serials, such as the acclaimed Adventures of Captain Marvel
Adventures of Captain Marvel
Adventures of Captain Marvel is a 1941 twelve-chapter film serial directed by John English and William Witney for Republic Pictures, adapted from the popular Captain Marvel comic book character then appearing in Fawcett Comics publications such as Whiz Comics and Captain Marvel Adventures...

. This serial also showcased examples of the studio's model work that would be one of the factors in its future reputation and success. The destruction of the lost city in the final chapter is particularly highlighted by Cline as a "picturesque example."

Stunts

  • Yakima Canutt
    Yakima Canutt
    Yakima Canutt , also known as Yak Canutt, was an American rodeo rider, actor, stuntman and action director.-Biography:...

     was the ramrod (stunt co-ordinator) on this serial.
  • Eddie Parker
    Eddie Parker
    Eddie Parker was a stuntman and actor who appeared in many classic films, mostly westerns and horror films...

     as Craddock (doubling Edmund Cobb
    Edmund Cobb
    Edmund Fessenden Cobb was an American actor. He appeared in 623 films between 1912 and 1966.He was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico and died in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles from a heart attack...

    )

Theatrical

Darkest Africas official release date is 15 February 1936, although this is actually the date the seventh chapter was made available to film exchanges.

A 73-minute feature film version, created by editing the serial footage together, was released on 21 May 1936.

Darkest Africa was first re-released under the title of King of Jungleland, on 10 November 1948, between the first runs of Adventures of Frank and Jesse James
Adventures of Frank and Jesse James
Adventures of Frank and Jesse James is a 1948 Republic film serial.-Cast:* Clayton Moore as Jesse James AKA John Howard* Steve Darrell as Frank James AKA Bob Carroll* Noel Neill as Judy Powell* George J...

 and Federal Agents vs. Underworld, Inc
Federal Agents vs. Underworld, Inc
Federal Agents vs. Underworld, Inc. is a 12-episode black-and-white film serial produced by Republic Pictures during July 1948 and released in January 1949, an original screenplay written collaboratively by Royal K...

. The name change was to conform to Republic's successful tradition of using the "King of..." naming format.

Television

Darkest Africa was one of several Republic serials re-released for television in 1966. It was again renamed, as Batmen of Africa, to capitalise on the Batman
Batman
Batman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...

 craze of the time. This version was cut down to 100-minutes in length.

Critical reception

Cline wrote of this serial, that "some of the finest photography of Beatty's animal training techniques ever seen were numbered in this production." He criticises the performance of Prival as Dagna as less than nothing, consisting of "rapid, shrill delivery of lines in a monotone." Prival's only redeeming quality is a "mean and treacherous cast to his features."

Chapter titles

  1. BARU – Son of the Jungle (29 min 37s)
  2. The Tiger-Men's God (18 min 13s)
  3. Bat-Men of Joba (17 min 59s)
  4. The Hunter Lions of Joba (17 min 27s)
  5. Bonga's Courage (16 min 33s)
  6. Prisoners of the High Priest (18 min 34s)
  7. Swing for Life (17 min 47s)
  8. Fang and Claw (17 min 9s)
  9. When Birdmen Strike (16 min 49s)
  10. Trial by Thunder-Rods (16 min 42s)
  11. Jars of Death (16 min 35s)
  12. Revolt of the Slaves (16 min 18s)
  13. Gauntlet of Destruction (16 min 48s)
  14. The Divine Sacrifice (15 min 48s)
  15. The Prophecy of Gorn (17min 3s)

Source:

This was the only 15-chapter serial produced by Republic in 1936 (the others were two 12-chapter serials and one 14-chapter serial). The next 15-chapter serial was Dick Tracy
Dick Tracy
Dick Tracy is a comic strip featuring Dick Tracy, a hard-hitting, fast-shooting and intelligent police detective. Created by Chester Gould, the strip made its debut on October 4, 1931, in the Detroit Mirror. It was distributed by the Chicago Tribune New York News Syndicate...

 in 1937, itself the only 15-chapter serial of its year.

Cliffhangers

  1. A volcanic eruption and resultant earthquake
    Earthquake
    An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves. The seismicity, seismism or seismic activity of an area refers to the frequency, type and size of earthquakes experienced over a period of time...

     causes a landslide
    Landslide
    A landslide or landslip is a geological phenomenon which includes a wide range of ground movement, such as rockfalls, deep failure of slopes and shallow debris flows, which can occur in offshore, coastal and onshore environments...

     to fall on the heroes.
  2. Clyde is forced into a pit containing a Tiger
    Tiger
    The tiger is the largest cat species, reaching a total body length of up to and weighing up to . Their most recognizable feature is a pattern of dark vertical stripes on reddish-orange fur with lighter underparts...

    .
  3. The heroes hide from the chasing Bat-men in an empty sarcophagus
    Sarcophagus
    A sarcophagus is a funeral receptacle for a corpse, most commonly carved or cut from stone. The word "sarcophagus" comes from the Greek σαρξ sarx meaning "flesh", and φαγειν phagein meaning "to eat", hence sarkophagus means "flesh-eating"; from the phrase lithos sarkophagos...

     only for it to be stabbed repeatedly with their spear
    Spear
    A spear is a pole weapon consisting of a shaft, usually of wood, with a pointed head.The head may be simply the sharpened end of the shaft itself, as is the case with bamboo spears, or it may be made of a more durable material fastened to the shaft, such as flint, obsidian, iron, steel or...

    s.
  4. Clyde is punched off a platform by Craddock, lands unconscious in a mine shaft and is attacked by a pack of Hunter-Lions.
  5. Clyde is tied to a tree and attacked by a Lion
    Lion
    The lion is one of the four big cats in the genus Panthera, and a member of the family Felidae. With some males exceeding 250 kg in weight, it is the second-largest living cat after the tiger...

    .
  6. Dagna sets a pack of Hunter-Lions on Clyde.
  7. Clyde hides behind a curtain but he's spotted and the curtain is riddled with a hail of bullets.
  8. An unconscious Baru is attacked by a Tiger
    Tiger
    The tiger is the largest cat species, reaching a total body length of up to and weighing up to . Their most recognizable feature is a pattern of dark vertical stripes on reddish-orange fur with lighter underparts...

    ; The vine
    Vine
    A vine in the narrowest sense is the grapevine , but more generally it can refer to any plant with a growth habit of trailing or scandent, that is to say climbing, stems or runners...

     Clyde is climbing is cut by Durkin.
  9. A patrol of Bat-men attack Clyde from the air, catching him with two thrown spear
    Spear
    A spear is a pole weapon consisting of a shaft, usually of wood, with a pointed head.The head may be simply the sharpened end of the shaft itself, as is the case with bamboo spears, or it may be made of a more durable material fastened to the shaft, such as flint, obsidian, iron, steel or...

    s.
  10. A Bat-man cuts the rope on which Clyde is swinging to freedom.
  11. The heroes are enveloped in a cloud of poison gas.
  12. Swinging the rescue Valerie, Clyde's rope is cut by a slave and they fall into a crowd of armed rebels.
  13. An explosion showers two heroes in rocks.
  14. Valerie commits suicide
    Suicide
    Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...

    by jumping from Pinnacle Rock.
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