50s Sci-Fi Double Feature: The Jungle/King Dinosaur

This is the first double feature DVD I have bought from VCI Entertainment. I don't know if they have others, but if they do, I will check them out as the quality of this one is excellent. Both of these old movies are in pristine condition here, with crystal picture clarity, good contrast levels, no speckling whatsoever, and fine sound. "King Dinosaur" is in anamorphic wide screen, and "The Jungle" is full-screen, in sepia-tint that lends an old-fashioned look. There are a few extras I haven't bothered with. In general, VCI gets 5 stars for presentation and the care with which they have released these movies. I never expected to find either of these films in such nice condition, so it's a very pleasant surprise. By the way, the package gives "King Dino" a running time of 59 minutes, but it played a full 63, so hasn't been cut as far as I can see.

Now the bad news...

Both these movies are clunkers. "King Dinosaur" follows four scientists as they explore a wandering planet, Nova, which has entered our solar system. The first eleven minutes are stock footage. Then the expedition gets to Nova, which looks a lot like California, but with more animals. The women scream a lot while the men shoot everything in sight. Some scientists! In the end they decide guns are inadequate and haul out the heavier weapons. The effects, which are mainly recycled from 1940's "One Million BC," consist of enlarged iguanas, gila monsters, armadillos and so forth. "King Dinosaur" has neither kings nor dinosaurs. It does, however, have an abundance od corny dialogue and incomprehensible activity, which make it worthwhile for "so bad it's good" aficianados.

"The Jungle" has Cesar Romero, an exotic locale (rural India), song and dance numbers, plenty of wildlife... and a lot of walking through the jungle. Then there's more. And more. It is, needless to say, a bit slow. It's redeemed somewhat by the unusual setting, but for the monsters in a monster movie to be outweighed ten-to-one by singin' and dancin', well, that's a problem. There are, in fact, monsters, of a very unusual type too, but they show up in the last 5 minutes of the movie and probably occupy about 60 seconds of screen time. This is quickly followed by a climax that makes no sense and it's over. Shades of "Monster From Green Hell" or "Two Lost Worlds," this is a monster movie that really isn't.

So there you go. If you're a 1950s monster-movie completist, like me, you might want these films. "The Jungle," especially, has been out of circulation for a while. But if you're looking for hokey fun, you might be better off with "Missile to the Moon" or even "Teenagers From Outer Space."

This is a very nice Double Feature 50's Sci-Fi DVD,and for a good price too.The picture quality is good and there are enough bonus features to make fans of these movies very happy.This DVD is a great addition to my 50's Sci-Fi collection.I'd love to see more like these.If you like movies like this I think you will really enjoy this DVD.I know I did.

VCI Entertainment and Kit Parker Films presents "50s Sci-Fi Double Feature: King Dinosaur (1955) & "The Jungle" (1952) (Dolby digitally remastered)...featuring top performances by actors of the '40s and '50s with outstanding drama and screenplays...from almost forgotten and little known films that will leave you wanting more...so pop some popcorn, sit back and enjoy the movie.

First up we have Lippert Pictures "KING DINOSAUR" (1955) (63 min/B&W) --- Under Bert I. Gordon (Director / Producer), Al Zimbalist (Producer), Tom Gries (Screenwriter), Gordon Avil (Cinematographer), Mischa Terr (Composer (Music Score), John A. Bushelman (Editor), Jack Cornall (Editor), Howard A. Anderson (Special Effects) ------ the cast includes William Bryant (Dr. Ralph Martin), Wanda Curtis (Dr. Patricia Bennett), Douglas Henderson (Dr. Richard Gordon), Patti Gallagher (Nora Pierce), Marvin Miller (Narrator (voice) . . . . . . this film in some circles is considered a cult classic for collectors ... our story opens with an unknown planet that has joined our solar system "Planet Nova" ... it's up to our top scientists to explore and discover if there is life on the planet, if there is what kind and is it friendly ...our four cast members land on this planet and run into various obstacles ... can we start a colony or will there be nothing but death and ruin, don't leave the theater you're about to discover this exciting answer yourself.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

1. Scenes censored from British Release

2. Theater Lobby cards & Behind the Scenes Shots

3. Sample Pages from The Original Script with Director Notes

4. Advertising Gallery on King Dinosaur

TRAILERS:

1. King Dinosaur (1955) - William Bryant and Marvin Miller

2. Death Monster - (not available)

3. Bride and the Beast (1958) -Charlotte Austin and Lance Fuller

BIOS:

1. Bill Bryant

Date of birth: 31 January 1924 - Detroit, Michigan

Date of death: 26 June 2001 - Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, California

2. Marvin Miller (aka: Marvin Mueller) (Narrator)

Date of birth: 18 July 1913 - St. Louis, Missouri

Date of death: 8 February 1985 - Los Angeles, California

3. Bert I. Gordon (aka: Bert Ira Gordon) (Director)

Date of birth: 24 September 1922 - Kenosha, Wisconsin

Date of death: Still Living

Second on the double bill is Lippert Pictures - "THE JUNGLE" (1952) (74 mins/Sepiatone) --- Under William A. Berke (Director / Producer), Orville H. Hampton (Screenwriter), Carroll Young (Screenwriter), Clyde de Vinna (Cinematographer), Daksnamurti (Composer (Music Score), G. Ramanathan (Composer (Music Score), L. Balu (Editor), A.J. Dominic (Art Director), P.B. Krishnan (Art Director) ------ the cast includes Rod Cameron (Steve Bentley), Marie Windsor (Princess Mari), Cesar Romero (Rama Singh), Ruby Mayer (The Aunt (as Sulochana), M.N. Nambiar (Mahaji), David (Prime Minister (as David Abraham), Chitra Devi (Dancer), Ramakrishna (Young Boy) . . . . . . our story has our hero Rod Cameron as the great white hunter, who has escaped a previous encounter with giant mammoth elephants ... Marie Windsor the Indian Princess and Cesar Romero as the Rama Singh don't believe Cameron's story ... Romero's brother was killed on Cameron's first safari and believes he had something to do with it ... much Indian wildlife and scenic landscape with a twist and surprising ending ... ........there's a great deal of entertainment here for all the film fans out there...all courtesy of VCI Entertainment, who in my humble opinion is the best there is in restoring early serials and features like this one.

BIOS:

1. Rod Cameron (aka: Nathan Roderick Cox)

Date of birth: 7 December 1910 - Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Date of death: 21 December 1983 - Gainesville, Georgia

2. Cesar Romero (aka: Cesar Julio Romero Jr.)

Date of birth: 15 February 1907 - New York, New York

Date of death: 1 January 1994 - Santa Monica, California

3. Marie Windsor (aka: Emily Marie Bertelsen)

Date of birth: 11 December 1919 - Marysvale, Utah

Date of death: 10 December 2000 - Beverly Hills, California

4. William Berke (Director)

Date of birth: 3 October 1903 - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Date of death: 15 February 1958 - Los Angeles, California

SPECIAL FEATURES:

1. Marie Windsor remembers "The Jungle" as told to Tom Weaver

2. Theater Lobby Cards & behind the scenes shots

3. Advertising Gallery

4. Trivia

TRAILERS:

1. The Jungle (1952) - Rod Cameron, Cesar Romero and Marie Windsor

2. Jungle Bride (1933) - Anita Page & Charles Starrett

3. Macumba Love (1960) - Walter Reed, Ziva Rodann, William Wellman Jr and June Wilkinson.

4. White Gorilla (1945) - Ray Corrigan and Lorraine Miller

Great job by VCI Entertainment for releasing the "King Dinosaur (1955) & The Jungle (1952), digital transfere with a clean, clear and crisp print...looking forward to more of the same from the '40s and '50s vintage...order your copy now from Amazon or VCI Entertainment, stay tuned once again with a top notch films from the Forgotten Age of Hollywood that only VCI Entertainment (King of the Serials) can deliver...just the way we like 'em!

Total Time: 132 mins on DVD ~ VCI KPF563 ~ (10/31/2006)

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