King of the Jungle #30

KOTJ-29, originally uploaded by bucklesw1. Later, with peace restored, Buster and Frances return Buster’s lions to Africa and release them back into the wild. (Even though this ending left the door open for future sequels, none were forthcoming.) “King of the Jungle” premiered on March 10, 1933, a month before “King Kong” and two months before “The Big Cage.” Buster Crabbe would later tell interviewers that it was the only “A” picture he ever made. Some of the circus fire footage was later reused in a Paramount “B” picture titled “Caged Fury,” which also starred Buster Crabbe, playing a villainous clown who is part of a wild animal act. “King of the Jungle” sometimes turns up on Turner Classic Movies. Since it is an “A” picture, its production values are quite elaborate and it is still an entertaining film to watch. It will be of particular interest to fans of Mabel Stark (even though her scenes are all too brief), and to those who are interested in seeing some of the equipment that was used by Al G. Barnes Circus in the 1930s.