Jacare (film)
Encyclopedia
Jacaré was a film made in 1942 of James Dannaldson
’s expedition to the Amazon.
Clyde E. Elliott
, Charles E. Ford
and James Dannaldson
led the film crew, which shot some 260,000 feet of film on the lower reaches of the Amazon River in Spring 1942. To Elliott's great relief, the film was not "doctored" with scenes made at the studio of white girls lost in the jungle, a process, he claimed, by which Paramount ruined his previous film, Booloo, made in 1938.
Dannaldson, a biologist formerly associated with the University of Southern California, became an actor for Jacaré, who goes up the Amazon to catch specimens. The other leading members of the cast were a 22-foot anaconda, many caymans (Amazonian alligators), jaguars, water buffalo, anteaters, tapir
s and capybara
s.
Elliott and his colleagues, with two American cameramen, spent three and a half months at Para, at the mouth of the Amazon, usually within a day's journey of the city, so that they could return to civilization for the night. Their chief expense, aside from film and equipment, was insurance, the premiums protecting negative, cameras and personnel. A crew of thirty-five natives, who acted as bearers and animal catchers, cost 50 cents a day apiece. When the filmmakers needed a gaggle of caymans, Ford offered a prize of 60 Milréis
to the native who captured the largest alligator. Ford got about seventy-five of the reptiles at a cost of approximately $3.
Dannaldson worked with jaguars and caymans, whose jaws had been wired shut. He said his only close call came when an anaconda he wrestled got a loop around his neck and almost strangled him before the natives could unwrap it.
The company's most primitive adventure occurred on Marajó
Island, at the mouth of the Amazon, where they spent four weeks. They ran out of imported food and had to subsist for five days on moldy doughnuts filled with small worms and on chickens which, Dannaldson said, seemed to be 90 per cent vulture.
Jacaré’s wild-animal footage thrilled audiences, especially the terrifying attack of the anaconda. Producer Jules Levey
incorporated a narration by Frank Buck
and music by Miklos Rozsa
. Director Charles E. Ford
died of peritonitis after surgery in Cedars of Lebanon Hospital shortly after returning from the Amazon.
James Dannaldson
James Melven Dannaldson starred in the Frank Buck film Jacaré.-Early life:Dannaldson was the son of James Jerrmiel Dannaldson and Lulu Belgium Rola Hiatt. Young James...
’s expedition to the Amazon.
Clyde E. Elliott
Clyde E. Elliott
-Filmography:* Jacare * Booloo * The Devil Tiger * Bring 'Em Back Alive * Western Ways * A Winter's Tale * The City * Le voyageur * A Bit Old Fashioned * My Barefoot Boy...
, Charles E. Ford
Charles E. Ford
-External links:* Charles E. Ford on the Internet Movie Database * Reviews of Jacare * *...
and James Dannaldson
James Dannaldson
James Melven Dannaldson starred in the Frank Buck film Jacaré.-Early life:Dannaldson was the son of James Jerrmiel Dannaldson and Lulu Belgium Rola Hiatt. Young James...
led the film crew, which shot some 260,000 feet of film on the lower reaches of the Amazon River in Spring 1942. To Elliott's great relief, the film was not "doctored" with scenes made at the studio of white girls lost in the jungle, a process, he claimed, by which Paramount ruined his previous film, Booloo, made in 1938.
Dannaldson, a biologist formerly associated with the University of Southern California, became an actor for Jacaré, who goes up the Amazon to catch specimens. The other leading members of the cast were a 22-foot anaconda, many caymans (Amazonian alligators), jaguars, water buffalo, anteaters, tapir
Tapir
A Tapir is a large browsing mammal, similar in shape to a pig, with a short, prehensile snout. Tapirs inhabit jungle and forest regions of South America, Central America, and Southeast Asia. There are four species of Tapirs: the Brazilian Tapir, the Malayan Tapir, Baird's Tapir and the Mountain...
s and capybara
Capybara
The capybara , also known as capivara in Portuguese, and capibara, chigüire in Venezuela, Colombia, and Ecuador ronsoco in Peru, chigüiro, and carpincho in Spanish, is the largest living rodent in the world. Its closest relatives are agouti, chinchillas, coyphillas, and guinea pigs...
s.
Elliott and his colleagues, with two American cameramen, spent three and a half months at Para, at the mouth of the Amazon, usually within a day's journey of the city, so that they could return to civilization for the night. Their chief expense, aside from film and equipment, was insurance, the premiums protecting negative, cameras and personnel. A crew of thirty-five natives, who acted as bearers and animal catchers, cost 50 cents a day apiece. When the filmmakers needed a gaggle of caymans, Ford offered a prize of 60 Milréis
Milréis
The mil-réis was effectively a unit of currency in both Portugal and Brazil .The usage of mil-réis as a word dates back to the economic crises of the 19th century, when the currency was devaluated for the first time and most prices reached the thousands.It was replaced in 1911 by the escudo in...
to the native who captured the largest alligator. Ford got about seventy-five of the reptiles at a cost of approximately $3.
Dannaldson worked with jaguars and caymans, whose jaws had been wired shut. He said his only close call came when an anaconda he wrestled got a loop around his neck and almost strangled him before the natives could unwrap it.
The company's most primitive adventure occurred on Marajó
Marajó
Marajó is an island located at the mouth of the Amazon River in Brazil. It is part of the state of Pará.- Geography :With a land area of 40,100 km² , which compares to the size of Switzerland, it is the largest island to be completely surrounded by freshwater in the world...
Island, at the mouth of the Amazon, where they spent four weeks. They ran out of imported food and had to subsist for five days on moldy doughnuts filled with small worms and on chickens which, Dannaldson said, seemed to be 90 per cent vulture.
Jacaré’s wild-animal footage thrilled audiences, especially the terrifying attack of the anaconda. Producer Jules Levey
Jules Levey
for the television producer please see Jules LevyJules Levey was the producer of the Frank Buck movie Jacaré.-Early career:...
incorporated a narration by Frank Buck
Frank Buck (animal collector)
Frank Howard Buck was a hunter and "collector of wild animals," as well as a movie actor, director, writer and producer...
and music by Miklos Rozsa
Miklós Rózsa
Miklós Rózsa was a Hungarian-born composer trained in Germany , and active in France , England , and the United States , with extensive sojourns in Italy from 1953...
. Director Charles E. Ford
Charles E. Ford
-External links:* Charles E. Ford on the Internet Movie Database * Reviews of Jacare * *...
died of peritonitis after surgery in Cedars of Lebanon Hospital shortly after returning from the Amazon.