Queen of the Amazons

1947 "White Goddess of the Dark Jungle... She offered ECSTASY and DEATH!"
3.7| 1h1m| NR| en| More Info
Released: 15 January 1947 Released
Producted By: Screen Guild Productions
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Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
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Synopsis

Jean Preston is determined to find her fiancée, Greg Jones, who went on a safari and didn’t come back when expected. She travels to Akbar, India with Greg’s father, Colonel Jones, Wayne Monroe and the Professor. She asks about Jones at the front desk of the hotel where she stays.

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Reviews

Stoutor It's not great by any means, but it's a pretty good movie that didn't leave me filled with regret for investing time in it.
PiraBit if their story seems completely bonkers, almost like a feverish work of fiction, you ain't heard nothing yet.
ChampDavSlim The acting is good, and the firecracker script has some excellent ideas.
Neive Bellamy Excellent and certainly provocative... If nothing else, the film is a real conversation starter.
Hitchcoc I got this in a science fiction collection. I kept waiting for some technological or science oriented event to take place. This is a bad jungle movie. That's it. It's about a group of people who go to Africa to find some guy who disappeared during a safari into the bush. His fiancée is with the group. She gets to go along because of the way she handles a gun. We are led to believe that the women in this movie are formidable and capable. One can out shoot the male lead. However, when faced with danger, they shrink back and scream. The Amazon Queen is the same way. She has built a society in the jungle, showing no mercy at times, but when it comes time to confront the villain, all she can do is plaster herself against a wall and howl. The men are just as bad. Most of the film is stock footage from African newsreels. It allows you to get a sandwich between plot elements. At times it appears that the safari has about 400 native supply carriers. At other times they have about five. People get eaten by lions and killed with spears. A romance develops between the great white hunter and the other guy's fiancée. The evil Amazon Queen doesn't do much of anything except make idle threats. And when push comes to shove, she doesn't seem to have any power at all. What a worthless movie!
classicsoncall The fact that nothing about this movie makes any sense is what also gives it it's dubious charm. I have to say the movie's opening had a pretty decent hook with the elephant procession in Akbar, India, while a pretty but demure Indian girl held out the hope of a mysterious adventure. Once on safari though, things take a downhill turn as wildlife stock footage threatens to overtake the main story, easily eating up a third of the film.Even the movie's title, "Queen of the Amazons" turns out to be a contradiction, as the main story plays out in Africa. In retrospect, the action could have taken place in South America just as easily, but then the film would be making a concession to at least one plot point. After all the intrigue inspired by talk of bad voodoo surrounding the jungle white goddess/she devil, it's almost comical to observe the Amazon Queen Zita (Amira Moustafa) coochie cooing with her boyfriend Greg Jones (Bruce Edwards). Greg never bothered to get in touch with his fiancée about a change in plans, so now Jean Preston (Patricia Morison) is leading the search to find him.Side stories abound in this clunker, as expedition guide Gary Lambert (Robert Lowery) has it bad for Jean after it was established that he considers women on safari a nuisance. There's also the identity of an ivory poacher to be revealed, which doesn't take too much to figure out. Hint, it's the cook spouting bad poetry (J. Edward Bromberg), who could have been given any kind of name besides Gabby, because after all, Gabby belongs in a Western.By the time it's all over, you'll be pretty much standing on your head trying to sort this all out. Fearless Zita (remember that speech to Jean) screams in fright when Gabby throws a spear in her direction. The icing on the cake though is the double ring ceremony at the end of the film, with the Amazon leader proclaiming that she's ready to leave her paradise - huh? It was at that point that Greg Jones' earlier comment made a whole lot of sense to me - "Zita dear, you're quite a queen."
silverscreen888 The film opens in India. We meet a professor type, a military type, a young seedy male type and a gorgeous female type. Hints are dropped about how dangerous such a half-civilized place can be. The young woman insists they find out what happened to "Greg", the Colonel's son who came here a month since; a desk clerk proves unhelpful, and a young woman watches them. A silhouetted figure tells the man to detain the party. The girl tells them of a safari attacked by a tiger--which might not have been "Greg's". Jean, (Patricia Morison) wants to talk with the young woman's husband, who was on the safari; we find out later, when Jean shows her "Greg's" picture, Greg was on the safari before the last. The husband is shot while telling them Greg was after a fortune in ivory, in "Kybo", in Africa. Fortunately, no one heard the shot; the young man, Wayne, suggest they leave. They board a clipper for Africa. Wayne wonders why Jean doesn't give up. She tells him to quit, but that she won't. Once arrived, the Colonel gets them help, a guide, Gary, who hates women in wild places (Robert Lowery). The Commissioner fills them in on the man. Jean has to shoot bullseyes in the man's targets to win him over. Gary recruits one Gabby as cook and we learn soon that Greg had been on a mission--a contraband ivory ring needed stopping. They kill two days, then are off. At a village, they buy supplies and hire bearers. The chief mentions what they all fear is a white woman. A flashback shows where a luxury liner sinks; the local "Amazons" are survivors of a shipwreck, females sent out in the available lifeboats. Days of trek later, they find a coin Jean gave to "Greg". That night Gary and Wayne drive off a lion, and Wayne and Gary argue; Wayne hints he knows who's responsible for incidents that have scared the bearers. That night we learn Jean and "Greg" weren't that happy, Wayne is a frustrated suitor too, and Gary is interested. Next dawn, they find a footprint--and Wayne, with a spear in his back. Gary says the print was made by a white man; he wonders if it were "Greg" who made it. This is a dangerous zone, with locusts and lions. The native who found the coin takes off, pursued by someone, only to be eaten by a lioness--the only one who knew the way to find the "Amazons". He wasn't killed because until then, no one knew who had the directions...The chief and his men hunt down the offending lioness. We meet the mysterious white goddess, on the knee of a man painting a picture--"Greg". She asks if he is tired of her; she's had the safari watched. Greg wants to meet the intruders. She insists he has to attend the Council--to keep her natives in line. They kiss. But she, Zita, has plans. Back at camp, her heralds say only 3 can enter her court; it will be Gary, the Colonel and Jean. Zita prepares for the audience. Greg asks her to detain the safari till he returns. The visitors are led in; Zita is cold. Gary notes a safari disappeared near here--everyone but Greg died therefore. Zita blames the trouble on her female warriors; she might have been able to save the others, she says. They are entertained, Zita finds out Jean has come for one reason--to find Greg. She wonders if ivory had anything to do with their coming also. It is why they have to enforce their isolation. Zita tells how her mother taught the children of the survivors, and she became leader after her. She wonders about getting white men for her women; then asks to speak to Jean alone; she says Greg loves her. Jean says if he wants to be free, she'll not hold him. Zita talks about the "law of the jungle", that if she had not said that, she would have had her killed; She admits she may be half savage, but Greg means that much to her--and then offers to be friends. This is a sophisticated and powerful scene in every respect. Zita rescues the Professor from two amorous Amazons and notes Gary and Jean have spent much time together. Gary interrupts her hints, to try to find out who is behind the nefarious goings on. It turns out to be Gabby the cook. Gabby pulls a gun and has the warriors herd everyone out but the ladies. The safari folk come to rescue the captives, with a bit of trickery; and Greg arrives with Amazons, so the Colonel and he have a talk while Gary is off rescuing the women. Gabby hurls a spear at Zita, but misses. Gary arrives there's a strong fight between the two; one of the Amazons kills Gabby with a dart. Next day, two happy couples are married. They go back with ivory heading to the real wild spots--New York nightclubs. Edward Finney produced, and also directed the film with Roger Merton its credited writer. The very talented cast included gorgeous Patricia Morison as Jean, powerful J. Edward Bromberg as "Gabby", handsome Robert Lowery as Gary, John Miljan as narrator and the Colonel, Amira Moustafa as Zita, Keith Richards as the luckless Wayne, Bruce Edwards as the Greg, and Wilson Benge as the Professor. The film's makers tried to break new ground in the plot; they used stocj footage cleverly blended it into the inexpensive narrative. This film is memorable for several good reasons but especially Patricia Morison.
hung_fao_tweeze Heck! It was different time altogether. What made for excitement in 1947 is merely amusing, boring, or fascinating depending on your attitude towards films and movies.I watched it. I enjoyed it despite the amazing plot holes. The first thing you will note that the movie takes place mostly in Africa even though the Amazon is in South America. Oh, but this is about a strange white women's tribe living the jungle so they must be Amazons. Oh, and the white women's tribe is mysterious in its nature even though the origin is very well known and no-one ever decided to go rescue the survivors of the shipwreck. I can't figure it out so it is best not to try.Stock footage runs amok. It doesn't always match or even come close in the continuity of details department or even in film granularity. One hilarious example occurs when the lead actress looks through a telescope at the wildlife and notes how they are all in a hurry. Then we are treated to stock footage of a herd of gazelles jumping away - in slow-mo. Ha ha! We must have been shown footage of 5 or 6 different tribes of people which were lumped together in this film to represent one tribe. We even were privy to stock footage of trees which are not native to Africa - but there they are growing on the landscape. It's pretty awkward but no-one probably noticed in 1947. That wasn't the point back, I suppose. This movie is here to entertain or fill time. It does both.The acting is surprisingly competent enough by most although there seemed to be an abundance of inappropriate smiling, especially by the lead actress who gets a good share of close-ups. Yeah, she's pretty. But for a woman who has lost her fiancé to the jungle she just doesn't seem very upset. She is simply determined to go on with the safari even though her feelings for her fiancé are seriously challenged by another man in her party.Meanwhile, her fiancé has fallen for the 'Amazon' queen but has decided to be a rat and not tell anyone. Apparently he thought no-one would care if he simply vanished along with the rest of his earlier safari party.Meanwhile the Amazonians get the blame for all the mysterious deaths in the region. They are determined to remain secret and keep their territory safe from outsiders - except for the one lone male which the Queen keeps for herself. Considering how awesome this tribe of white women must be since they can overwhelm a safari without much problem - you never see more than 3 of the white women tribe. In fact, they put up no defense whatsoever during the eventual incursions into their camp by the antagonists - except for a well-timed blowgun incident.Meanwhile the Queen says she will kill to keep her man but we can still be friends. Huh?? Others have noted and I will reinforce - this is not a movie to get all serious about. These are the movies I saw when I was young and it is really quite lame - but still it has a charm. It tries to be fun and succeeds a few times.The ending moans and groans. But at least it's happy and doesn't set you up for a sequel.Rainy day fodder when you are not so critical. Bring a pillow.