Wild Women of Wongo
Encyclopedia
The Wild Women of Wongo is a 1958
American film directed by James L. Wolcott, featuring low budget, stereotypical portrayals of fictional tropical islanders. The movie was released on DVD
in 2004.
discussing an experiment with Father Time
that went wrong. On the (fictional) island of Wongo she created a tribe where the men are brutish and ugly and the women are beautiful. She then creates a tribe on a nearby island where the women are repulsive and the men are strong and handsome. For years the two tribes lived unaware of each others existence, until ape men from across the ocean attack the village of handsome men. This tribe sends their king's son to seek help against the invaders. The son finds the island of Wongo, the day before the village men pick their brides. The women, seeing the handsome prince, begin questioning their life among the brutes that dwell in the village. The men grow jealous of their visitor and plot to kill him. The women of Wongo, finding out about this, risk their lives to protect the prince, and in doing so offend the crocodile god of the Wongo people (portrayed by stock footage of a crocodilian and a rubber model). The women are rounded up by the village men and are sent out into the wilderness until the reptile god has drawn blood for the insult. The women band together, watching each other's backs until the ape men arrive at their village and, after they dispatch the invaders to the god, leave in search for the men that had abandoned the island. In the other village the men have just begun their rite of manhood, in which they go into the jungle, without weapons, for a month. The women of Wongo, coming upon the weaponless men, decide to take advantage of their helplessness and, one by one, claim them in marriage. The film concludes with all the beautiful men and women married, and the ugly men with the ugly women.
Former Wales rugby union international Rex Richards
appears as the King of Wongo.
's This Movie Sucks!
1958 in film
The year 1958 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* February 16- "In the Money" by William Beaudine is released on this date. It would be the last installment of The Bowery Boys series which began back in 1946....
American film directed by James L. Wolcott, featuring low budget, stereotypical portrayals of fictional tropical islanders. The movie was released on DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
in 2004.
Plot summary
The film starts with narration from Mother NatureMother Nature
Mother Nature is a common personification of nature that focuses on the life-giving and nurturing aspects of nature by embodying it in the form of the mother. Images of women representing mother earth, and mother nature, are timeless...
discussing an experiment with Father Time
Father Time
Father Time is usually depicted as an elderly bearded man, somewhat worse for wear, dressed in a robe, carrying a scythe and an hourglass or other timekeeping device...
that went wrong. On the (fictional) island of Wongo she created a tribe where the men are brutish and ugly and the women are beautiful. She then creates a tribe on a nearby island where the women are repulsive and the men are strong and handsome. For years the two tribes lived unaware of each others existence, until ape men from across the ocean attack the village of handsome men. This tribe sends their king's son to seek help against the invaders. The son finds the island of Wongo, the day before the village men pick their brides. The women, seeing the handsome prince, begin questioning their life among the brutes that dwell in the village. The men grow jealous of their visitor and plot to kill him. The women of Wongo, finding out about this, risk their lives to protect the prince, and in doing so offend the crocodile god of the Wongo people (portrayed by stock footage of a crocodilian and a rubber model). The women are rounded up by the village men and are sent out into the wilderness until the reptile god has drawn blood for the insult. The women band together, watching each other's backs until the ape men arrive at their village and, after they dispatch the invaders to the god, leave in search for the men that had abandoned the island. In the other village the men have just begun their rite of manhood, in which they go into the jungle, without weapons, for a month. The women of Wongo, coming upon the weaponless men, decide to take advantage of their helplessness and, one by one, claim them in marriage. The film concludes with all the beautiful men and women married, and the ugly men with the ugly women.
Former Wales rugby union international Rex Richards
Rex Richards (rugby player)
Rex Clive Richards was a Wales international rugby union player. He gained his only cap against France at Cardiff on 24 March 1956, Wales winning 5 - 3. He played for Cross Keys RFC until 1955 before heading to Hollywood to try to make his fortune as an actor.He had a number of roles, including...
appears as the King of Wongo.
Cast
- Jean Hawkshaw as Omoo
- Mary Ann Webb as Mona
- Cande Gerrard as Ahtee
- Adrienne Bourbeau (not to be confused with Adrienne BarbeauAdrienne BarbeauAdrienne Jo Barbeau is an American actress and the author of three books. Barbeau came to prominence in the 1970s as Broadway's original Rizzo in the musical Grease, and as Carol Traynor, the divorced daughter of Maude Findlay in the sitcom Maude...
) as Wana - Marie Goodhart, Michelle Lamarck, Joyce NizzariJoyce NizzariJoyce Nizzari is an American model, dancer, and actress. She was Playboy magazine's Playmate of the Month for its December 1958 issue. Her centerfold was photographed by Bunny Yeager. She is of Italian descent....
, Val Phillips and Jo Elaine Wagner as Woman of Wongo - Pat CrowleyPat CrowleyPatricia "Pat" Crowley is an American film and television actress.Crowley was often confused with her acting contemporary Kathleen Crowley, who appeared as guest leading lady in different episodes of many of the same television series and is not related.Pat Crowley appeared in The Untouchables...
, Ray Rotello, Billy DayBilly DayBilly Day is a former footballer who played for Middlesbrough and Newcastle United.Billy Day started his senior career with Middlesbrough in 1955. He made his debut against Leicester City in October that year. Day was a winger who became very popular with the Middlesbrough supporters...
, Burt Parker, Robert Serrecchia and Whitey Hart as Man of Wongo - Barbara Lee Babbitt, Bernadette, Elaine Krasher, Lillian Melek, Iris Rautenberg and Roberta Wagner as Woman of Goona
- Johnny Walsh as Engor
- Ed FuryEd FuryEd Fury , born Edmund Holovchik, was an American body builder and physique model who travelled to Italy to take advantage of the popularity of sword and sandal films...
as Gahbo - Roy Murray, Steve Klisanin, Walter Knoch, Ronald Mankowski, Gerry Roslund, Varden Spencer and Kenneth Vitulli as Man of Goona
- Rex RichardsRex Richards (rugby player)Rex Clive Richards was a Wales international rugby union player. He gained his only cap against France at Cardiff on 24 March 1956, Wales winning 5 - 3. He played for Cross Keys RFC until 1955 before heading to Hollywood to try to make his fortune as an actor.He had a number of roles, including...
as King of Wongo - Burt Williams as King of Goona
- Zuni Dyer as Priestess
- Olga Suarez as Spirit of the Priestess
Production
- Some of the stock music in the film was also used in Plan 9 from Outer SpacePlan 9 from Outer SpacePlan 9 from Outer Space is a 1959 science fiction film written and directed by Edward D. Wood, Jr. The film features Gregory Walcott, Mona McKinnon, Tor Johnson and Maila "Vampira" Nurmi...
.
In other media
The movie was featured in an episode of Ed the SockEd the Sock
Ed the Sock is a puppet, created and voiced by Steven Kerzner, that became a Canadian television personality in the 1990s, best known for his appearances hosting programming on MuchMusic and his own talk show, Ed's Night Party, later renamed Ed & Red's Night Party...
's This Movie Sucks!
This Movie Sucks!
This Movie Sucks! is a Canadian comedy television series hosted by Ed the Sock, premièring on May 28, 2010, two years after Ed's Night Party went off the air. The show is similar to another former Ed the Sock series, Ed's Nite In...
Influence
- The theatrical rock band The TubesThe TubesThe Tubes are a San Francisco-based rock band, whose 1975 debut album included the hit single, "White Punks on Dope". During its first fifteen years or so, the band's live performances combined quasi-pornography with wild satires of media, consumerism, and politics...
had a song by the same name on their 1983 record Outside InsideOutside InsideOutside Inside is a 1983 release on Capitol Records by The Tubes. The album was produced by David Foster. The Tubes had their biggest radio hit with the single "She's a Beauty" ....
, and is a parody of the movie.
- The Film CrewThe Film CrewThe Film Crew were a comedic team similar to Mystery Science Theater 3000, comprising former MST3K cast members Michael J. Nelson, Bill Corbett, and Kevin Murphy...
released a version of the movie on DVD in 2007, with sarcastic commentary.