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Burt Kaiser and Lawrence Tierney |
FEMALE JUNGLE (1955). Director: Bruno VeSota.
An actress is strangled to death and a heavy-drinking cop, Jack Stevens (Lawrence Tierney), fears he may have had something to do with the murder in a black out. Suspects also include columnist Claude Almstead (John Carradine of Death at Love House), who was in love with the actress, and caricaturist Alex Voe (Burt Kaiser), who is married to waitress Peggy (Kathleen Crowley of The Flame Barrier) but is carrying on with Candy (Jayne Mansfield). As the night proceeds Almstead takes Peggy out for a ride and Stevens and Sgt. Duane (Duane Grey) interrogate Almstead; Duane is convinced that the columnist is guilty. But on this he may be fatally mistaken.
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John Carradine |
Female Jungle has only been remembered, if at all, because future brief star Jayne Mansfield has a small role. She has a credible death scene but otherwise her performance is undistinguished; leading lady Crowley is much, much better. Tierny and Carradine are solid, but the most impressive performance is given by Burt Kaiser, who also co-wrote the screenplay and produced. Despite his good looks and acting ability, Kaiser only made one film and had a very few TV credits. Connie Cezon, who plays another club employee, was receptionist Gertie on Perry Mason. Director Bruno VeSota gives himself a small role -- Cezon's husband -- but his direction is nothing to rave about and even in a clear print the film is criminally under-lit. Dull in spots, the picture goes on too long after the climax.
Verdict: Some good acting and a decent plot, but the execution is mediocre. **.
Mr. Carradine worked steadily, he is popping up a lot for me lately! I think his last picture was a cameo in the Francis Ford Coppola film Peggy Sue Got Married, and at Easter I saw him in a small role in Ten Commandments. Would be fun to spy Miss Mansfield in another early role, too, so will check this out.
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She doesn't appear for long so don't blink! I think Carradine proably made at least one hundred movies -- at least!
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