The Naked Jungle

What was that line from the old serials ? " Jungle no place for woman " ? ! Released in 1954, "The Naked Jungle " seems like two movies in one. The first half is a rather tedious soap-opera--the second half a genuinely exciting thriller that may have you itching and scratching by the time it's over !

Charlton Heston plays Christopher Leiningen, owner of a South American cocoa plantation in 1901, who has decided that it's time to take a wife, and start producing heirs for the estate.
His "mail-order bride" arrives, and it's gorgeous Eleanor Parker, dressed to kill and ready for life in the jungle with Mr. Heston. Unfortunately he knows nothing about women, and proceeds to treat her abominably. Maybe he needs glasses ? anger management courses ? A voluptuous, stunning redhead wants to settle down with him, and his attitude is rude and insulting.
Why Ms. Parker doesn't take the next boat home will puzzle more than a few viewers !

Luckily for all of us--except Mr. Heston--there is big trouble brewing in the jungle--a vast army of soldier ants, 20 miles long and 2 miles wide. Guess who owns the plantation right in their path ? Will Charlton cut and run ? Will a strong-willed woman abandon her man, even after he has treated her like dirt ?
I think you know both answers ! Special effects are a bit primitive, but there are enough close-ups of the marauding ants to give you some idea of this extraordinary enemy. The final showdown between the ants and Mr. Heston is "worth the price of admission"--and many thought that his "disaster film period" was in the 70s ! By the way, ants were popular "villains" in 1954--"Them" came out the same year !

I have to say that I had a problem with the sudden change in our hero's personality--at a certain point in the film, his attitude to Ms. Parker switches so suddenly and completely that it strains credulity--but don't blame Mr. Heston--he had a script to follow and , unlike many of his films, less than two hours to tell the story. I thought that Ms. Parker was excellent, although her character takes that "stand by your man" philosophy to a whole new level ! William Conrad--much slimmer than in his later "Cannon" role on television--gives able support as the local Commissioner, wondering why Charlton doesn't immediately thank his lucky stars for this goddess who wants to be with him.

The full-screen, colour picture is vivid and beautiful--the sound--mono--the extras--zero.

Again--an interesting, colourful relic from the 50s--but you have to be patient before the big-payoff.

A very sad footnote, dated 6 April, 2008--Mr. Charlton Heston has passed away--he had been ill for some time. While he played many types of roles during a long career in movies, he will likely be best remembered for the spectacles like "Ben Hur" and "El Cid", where even a "cast of thousands" could not detract from Mr. Heston's formidable presence.

When I was a kid I freaked out about the ants eating up a guy that falled sleep... I haven't falled sleep on open country since. When I saw the movie again, more aged, the ant thing was secondary. The main thing was divorced Eleanor Parker going to the jungle to marry a guy that only wants NEW things... and can not return her until the next boat. So they stick together for a while. And then Eleanor Parker says best sounding pianos are those that have been played, and then you get me all sold out. This picture has drama in and out the ants. And here is where superdoper fx movies fall short today. It's a bit racist too, but hey! that's the storyline.

This film kind of disappointed me. I was expecting a full-blooded adventure story involving killer ants instead the first two-thirds of the film involve the tensions between a South American plantation owner(Charlton Heston) and his mail-order bride(Eleanor Parker). This is kind of a one-sided battle in my mind because young Heston's performance here borders on the stiff whereas Parker, a more seasoned pro at this juncture of her career, gives a full-bodied performance. And she looks lovely in her Edith Head creations. The film does kick it into the next gear once the soldier ants arrive to save the day.The Technicolor jungle photography is great to look at. Lastly, William Conrad a.k.a TV's "Cannon" does a colorful turn as a local magistrate.

I once had an unpleasant experience with some fire ants in Florida many years ago, involving my ill-fated decision to take a rest under the shade of a palm tree, only to discover I had sat squarely on a bunch of the red devils, and they seemed none to happy about that (I guess I can't really blame them, as I would probably be upset being squashed by a comparatively giant bottom myself). The lesson learned there was watch where you sit. Watching producer George Pal's The Naked Jungle (1954) brought back memories of my less than enjoyable experience, as soon I begin rubbing at welts long since gone. Wonderfully directed by Byron Haskin (Treasure Island, The War of the Worlds), The Naked Jungle stars an excellent Charlton Heston (Ben Hur, Touch of Evil), Eleanor Parker (Scaramouche), William (TV's Frank Canon, P.I.) Conrad and a whole lotta ants (imagine a column of voracious ants two miles long and twenty miles wide...we're gonna need the industrial size Raid)...or, Marabunta, as they're often referred to within the movie.

The film, which takes place deep in the South American jungle, begins with a rather refined looking lady completely out of place on a funky river barge traveling deep in the heart of the jungle. The woman's name is Joanna Leiningen (Parker), and she's on her way to meet her husband, Christopher Leiningen (Heston), at his expansive cocoa plantation. They've never met before, as Christopher, who's spent the last fifteen years or so building his plantation so deep in the jungle has not had time to find a wife, so he arranged for his brother, who was stateside, to find an appropriate woman to which he could marry by proxy and then she would eventually travel to the plantation and set up residence. The newlyweds finally meet, and things don't go very well as Christopher, who's lived in the jungle for awhile (perhaps too long) has misgivings about his new wife, as certain details about her past are revealed. Joanna, a strong-willed woman, chaffs against Christopher's somewhat chauvinistic expectations, but does try to find her place, as she believes the choice to enter into this arrangement was right, but now seems for naught as Christopher decides she should return to the states, that is until it's learned that the Marabunta (normally content to dwell within their mounds, but every once in awhile, like 20 years or so, they organize and ravage the surrounding countryside) are cutting a swath through the jungle, with Christopher's plantation directly in their path, restricting any travel whatsoever, and problems of martial incompatibility become small potatoes against the approaching horde devouring everything they come upon, vegetation, animals, humans (death by hundreds of thousands of tiny, little bites? Seems a particularly nasty way to go...), etc.

I really enjoyed this film. The characters were well written, and are presented in an intelligent, engaging manner. The level of development of the characters of Christopher and Joanna was interesting and fills out pretty much the first half of the film. The second half is mostly comprised of the arrival of the ants, and the feeble efforts to stop this seemingly unstoppable force, first protecting the plantation, but soon for their own survival. Heston is excellent as Christopher, a man dedicated to realizing his dream, wrenching it (respectfully) from the living jungle, and the unquestioned master of his world, forced to contend with someone who isn't meant to be controlled (Joanna) and a menace that can't be controlled (the ants). He's basically a good man, but given his inexperience with women, his isolation from the outside world, and his accustomed complete authority over most all things within his domain, he's completely unprepared for a woman the likes of Joanna, even though it may be the thing he needs most. I thought Eleanor Parker did extremely well (and she certainly ain't bad to look at). Before this film, I was unfamiliar with her work, but she presented a wonderful character in Joanna, a stubborn woman with a past who believes she's found her purpose, even if it means living isolated from everything she knew, working to change the seemingly simplistic and maybe even unrealistic attitudes of her new husband (apparently he was looking for a trophy wife, but got a whole lot more than he bargained for with Joanna). It was really wonderful to see these two clash within character, and I really can't imagine anyone else in their roles after seeing the film. The threat of the ants was done very well, and appeared very realistic, especially through the use of matte paintings depicting the destruction caused as they scoured the landscape. It's hard to visualize something as small as an ant causing so much damage, but when you see billions of them swarming over everything and anything, it certainly seems possible. Haskin's direction really kept my interest throughout the film, and he was certainly helped by having highly professional and experienced actors involved in the project. All in all, an excellent feature with a climatic and satisfying conclusion.

The film on this DVD is presented in the full screen format, which, I believe is as it was originally released, and then later changed to wide screen (the wide screen format became more popular as the 50's wore on, as theaters transitioned to accommodate it). The picture is clear and sharp and the audio is very good, but there are absolutely no special features included in this release, not even the usual theatrical trailer. Perhaps we'll see a special edition released at a later date, as it seems more and more (much to my annoyance) studios release a barebones version first, and then later release a `special edition', allowing them to increase their profits, that is if those of us who bought the original see fit to purchase the product again with the enticements of more features, essentially making us believe the `upgrade' is worth buying. Oh well...

Cookieman108

Charleton Heston plays a plantation owner who battles a horde of ants threating to destroy everything he has. Actually, his main battle is with his wife-by-proxy Elonore Parker. She's ravishing, red headed and strong willed. At first I thought this was a 'nature-run-amok' tale. It is, but unlike movies of the 50s, this is not campy. No giant bugs, just real ants. No science fiction, but based on true stories. But at the center of the story is a love story. An old fashioned love story with ants. A great way to pass a rainy day.