The Jungle Princess: A Weird, Wild Trip

Should you watch The Jungle Princess today? If you are a fan of 1930s oddities, maybe. If you want a grounded survival story, stay far away. This is pure, unadulterated studio fantasy where the 'jungle' looks like a very dusty soundstage in California.

Dorothy Lamour is clearly the main event here. She carries this thing with a sort of breezy confidence that makes the ridiculous sarong-and-tiger routine almost believable. Or, at least, it makes you stop questioning why she is hanging out with a giant cat in a cave.

There is a moment early on where the tiger—clearly a stuffed animal in some shots, and a very confused real one in others—just sits there while the action happens around it. It’s hilarious. You can practically see the trainer just off-screen holding a piece of meat.

Ray Milland is fine as the guy who gets lost, though his character is basically just a prop for the plot to move forward. He falls in love, he gets confused, he moves on. The real tension is between Ulah and the fiancée back at camp, which feels like a weird collision of two different movies.

The dialogue is stilted as all get out. Characters talk like they are reading from a telegram. Still, it has a weird charm that The Great Impersonation lacks. It’s not trying to be high art, which helps.

Small Notes:

• The fake foliage looks like it was bought at a department store clearance sale.
• The tiger’s tail is twitching in a way that suggests it wants to be literally anywhere else.
• I spent way too long looking at the background shadows to see if I could spot the lighting rigs.

It’s not a movie you analyze for deep meaning. You just watch it for the weird vibe. It reminds me a bit of the offbeat energy in The Sin Sister, where everything feels just a little bit tilted. Honestly, the movie gets much better once Ulah enters the 'civilized' camp and starts wreaking havoc on their manners.

Is it great? No. But it is certainly memorable. 🐯