Nabonga Gorilla (1944)

Nabonga
Gorilla
The Girl and the Gorilla
The Jungle Woman

Cast:

Buster "Flash 'Ahhhh-Ahhhhhhhhhhh' Gordon" Crabbe is Ray Gorman
Julie London is Doreen Stockwell
Barton MacLane is Carl Hurst
Bryant Washburn is White Hunter
Prince Modupe is Tobo
Ray Corrigan is Nbongo the Gorilla

What the box says:

A small plane carrying a girl and her father crashes deep in the jungle. Miraculously the girl is rescued by Nabonga, a gorilla who protects her from danger and teaches her the ways of the land. But can Nabonga protect her from growing up, falling in love and facing the realities of the modern world forever?

Plot:

A group of police chase for a man named Stockwell.

Stockwell and his daughter, Doreen, take off in a plane during a storm. However, the plane crashes in the jungle. A group searches for the plane but doesn’t find it. However, they do shoot a gorilla.

At the plane, Stockwell shoots the pilot who’s about to try to fix the radio to call for help. Doreen has wandered off and finds the wounded gorilla.

Daddy, can we keep him?

Cut to a village, Charles Hurst and Marie (who is how do you say could only be more French if she had the Eiffel Tower tattooed on her forehead?) check out Ray Gorman. Charles finds several newspaper clippings about how a large amount of money was taken from Gorman’s bank.

Ray hears a local legend about a white witch. He helps a native, Tobo, who was about to get into some trouble. Tobo tells him about where the white witch is supposed to be and volunteers to go with him.

That night, Charles attacks Ray. However, he doesn’t get Ray’s map and is driven away. Ray decides to head out immediately.

That morning, Charles, Marie and their bearers head out to trail after Ray.

Elsewhere, a gorilla is with the grown up Doreen. The gorilla has to fight another before winning.

Tobo and Ray trudge along through the jungle and reach the river.

Which of us will handle Cheetah if he attacks us? They build a raft to float their supplies across. Stock crocodiles head for Tobo. Ray is able to head back and save him.

Charles’s bearers refuse to go any farther into the jungle. They’re afraid of the white witch, only Charles and Marie head farther.

Ray and Tobo reach the wrecked plane. Ray explains why he’s looking. His father, the bank president committed suicide after the he was blamed for the bank robbery. Ray wants to restore his father’s reputation. Tobo heads off to look for some more supplies. However, he’s chased by the gorilla. Later, Ray finds Tobo’s body.

Charles strains his ankle and sends Marie on ahead.

Ray keeps searching and finds a cave when the gorilla corners him.

I am not Dr. Zaius, and you will not make a monkey out of me... Doreen orders the gorilla down.
Hi, I'll be the jungle girl of this movie... The couple talks about her dad wandered off one day and never came back. Doreen is fairly uncertain about human customs. Ray tries to explain how Doreen’s father stole the jewels. Doreen doesn’t understand theft and is positive the jewels are hers.

Marie is close by and caught by Samson, the gorilla. She claims to have come to save Ray and convinces him to build a trap to catch Samson and then take the treasure. Ray agrees.

Ray catches Samson in the cage. He searches the cave and finds the case of jewels. Charles catches up and fights Ray before knocking him out. Charles and Marie head off when Doreen catches them. Charles ditches Marie. A woozy Ray catches up so Charles and Ray round 2 ensues.

Marie runs off and frees Samson who dispatches her. Samson to the rescue. Charles shoots Samson who though mortally wounded still finishes him. Ray offers to take Doreen from the jungle.

What I say:

At least, Nabonga Gorilla is more gorilla oriented than Bride of the Gorilla. I'm still not sure what kind of creature Raymond Burr was supposed to be in that movie. Whatever it was, didn't look monkey or primate oriented. However, the gorilla is so easily included in most movies. Some actors had gorilla suits and would rent out being gorillas by the day. Think of how many sitcoms had episodes with gorillas. Robot Monster had the alien with a diving helmet and a gorilla suit.

A man who heads into the jungle to recover proof that his father didn't help rob a bank and runs into Doreen, the Sheena rip-off. Well, a young girl grows up in the jungle and learns the jungle creatures. That sounds a lot like Sheena, the female version of Tarzan. Shouldn't jungle girls be able to have better communication with the jungle creatures?

Carl or Charles, not quite sure what his name is, has to be one of the most most stereotypical villains of all time. He shows up to just chase the hero who he suspects has a treasure map. Any other jungle movie would have someone talking about how the local industry is making fake treasure maps. But evil Carl, just has his (how do you say French strumpet who almost throws a hip out walking) when she throws herself at the movie's hero.

A 75 minute movie normally is short enough not enough to be boring. Nabonga Gorilla isn't boring . It still doesn't seem to have much going on. It took most of the movie before actually Ray revealed why he was looking for the lost plane and treasure. The entire discussion between Ray and Doreen about how the treasure doesn't belong to Doreen could have been taken out of the conversation of a 4 year old screaming "MINE!!!". Any movie that has crocodile wrestling can't be all bad. What jungle movie doesn't need plenty of stock footage of jungles and animals? Perils of the Jungle and White Pongo.

Quotable Dialogue
"Come back, little monkey."
"Sometimes, business is pleasure."
"I'm glad Samson didn't kill you."
"Build your funny sleeping place if you want to, I don't care."
Morals of the Story
Seat belts are the best safety devices.
Africa is the best hiding place after robbing banks in the USA.
Bamboo gorilla traps can be built in 2 hours.