JUNGLE JIM: MAN KILLER {SERIES PREMIERE} (TV)
Summary
The first in this action-adventure series about "Jungle" Jim Bradley, an explorer and guide living in Africa. In this episode, Jim travels on a riverboat towards his home and is angered when a fellow passenger, Richard Manderville, shoots at a lion on the bank, apparently unaware that an injured lion will attack humans when it can no longer catch animal prey. Jim's son Skipper and his manservant Kaseem eagerly await his return, though when Skipper paddles out to meet his father, he is nearly attacked by a crocodile and Jim quickly wrestles the predator into submission. Manderville then recognizes the famous Jim and requests his help in acquiring a number of animal trophies for his collection, but Jim sternly explains that he does not believe in killing animals for sport. He soon decides to track down the wounded lion before it can hurt anyone, but Manderville is outraged at the idea of treating and releasing the beast and vows to get there first.
Jim and Kaseem track the lion through the jungle as Skipper tries to thwart Manderville's attempts to kill it, and the lion soon chases Skipper and Manderville up a tree. Skipper dispatches his chimp friend Tamba to find Jim as Manderville attempts to use fire to scare the lion away, though he ends up setting the jungle ablaze, and Jim hurries to the scene and rescues his son and the frightened hunter. The animals flee from the fast-growing fire, and Jim ends up defeating the lion by hand as Manderville watches in shock. Later, Manderville prepares to depart and contritely states that he has learned his lesson about treating animals like trophies, a message reinforced by the mischievous Tamba. Commercials deleted.
Details
- NETWORK: Syndicated
- DATE: November 30, 1954 7:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 0:25:50
- COLOR/B&W: B&W
- CATALOG ID: B:11395
- GENRE: Drama, action/adventure
- SUBJECT HEADING: Drama, action/adventure; Legends
- SERIES RUN: Syndication - TV series, 1955-1956
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Harold Greene … Producer
- Earl Bellamy … Director
- Dwight Babcock … Writer
- Johnny Weissmuller … Cast, Jungle Jim
- Martin Huston … Cast, Skipper
- Norman Fredric … Cast, Kaseem
- Dick Rich … Cast, Richard Manderville
- Don Blackman … Cast, Molu