BY LEE PFEIFFER
By 1954, Charlton Heston had already been a popular young leading man for a few years, but Paramount still felt that Eleanor Parker had more boxoffice clout (!), thus she received top billing in the adventure tale "The Naked Jungle", available now from the Warner Archive on DVD. Nevertheless, the movie is fondly remembered by Heston fans as a pivotal entry in his career simply because it is so offbeat. A plot description might lead one to believe it is a science fiction or horror story: a South American plantation is menaced by Marabunta, an unstoppable army of billions of ants that devour any living thing in their path. However, the story is based on scientific fact, as these occurrences do take place in deep jungle, though fortunately, the real life ants are not known to eat people or animals- a fact that is predictably dispensed with by the screenwriters. Heston plays Christopher Leiningen, a self-made, wealthy owner of a vast plantation in the South American jungle (no actually country is cited as the location.) He has arranged for a mail order bride to be married to him by proxy and he would seem to have struck pay dirt. She turns out to be Joanna (Eleanor Parker), a vivacious beauty from New Orleans who has been drawn to the marriage partly by the sheer riskiness of the scenario and a deep desire to live in South America. The greeting she receives from her new husband is less-than-gracious. He may be tall, handsome and built like a rock, but he's also rude, arrogant and chauvinistic. He takes a deep dislike to Joanna because of her independent nature and inability to be completely subservient to him. He explains that his only motivation for importing a wife and treating her like a commodity is simply to produce an heir to his empire. Within days, it becomes apparent that the marriage is a disaster. The two never consummate their relationship and sleep in separate bedrooms. Christopher refers to his wife as "Madam". He explains that part of his resentment of her is based upon learning that she is a widow. He won't accept the "leavings" of another man and insists that he will only accept a virgin bride. When pressed on this issue, he hints that, because he has been isolated in the jungle since his teenage years, he is a virgin himself...and doesn't want a woman with more sexual experience than him. (Apparently, the dating scene in the Heart of Darkness leaves a lot to be desired.) This leads to some witty dialogue in which Joanna uses a piano as a sexual metaphor. They agree she should return immediately to New Orleans, but en route to the vessel that will take her, Christopher and the local commissioner (William Conrad) must divert the party to investigate rumors by panicky natives that a horrendous occurrence is taking place in the jungle. They observe miles-wide columns of killer ants heading in the direction of the plantation and devouring everything in its path, from bark on trees to plants and animals. Against the advice of the commissioner, Christopher announces he will take a stand in the unlikely scenario that he can preserve his prized plantation in the face of what seems to be certain death. Impressed by his courage, Joanna decides to stay with him...and act of courage that finally bonds the couple as husband and wife.
The first hour of the film is the stuff of pure soap opera...but it is never less than engrossing partly because of the excellent dialogue which was co-written by blacklisted Ben Maddow (who was "fronted" by Philip Yordan) and partly due to the fact that it's rather shocking to see Heston playing a character this arrogant and unsympathetic. There is real chemistry between him and Parker, who is perfectly cast as a woman with modern sensibilities trapped in a world of repression. Things really get cooking when the preparations take place for the inevitable arrival of the ants. Director Byron Haskin milks some genuine suspense out of the scenario, using scientific close-up footage of actual ant swarms to heighten suspense. This is aided immeasurably by the addition of some menacing sound effects that accompany the invading army. By the time the invaders have arrived at his doorstep, Christopher is locked into a battle of wits with a seemingly unstoppable army that is capable of forming strategies to avert the obstacles he has placed in their path. The finale brims with suspense as Christopher must venture out among the ants in order to attempt one last, desperate attempt to save everyone from a horrendous death.
The Naked Jungle was filmed in Florida and on a Hollywood sound stage, but despite the obvious studio settings, the few outdoor shots pass convincingly for a South American locale. The special effects by the legendary George Pal are quite impressive and, in addition to a fine performances by Heston and Parker, William Conrad adds to the enjoyment of the film with his wry interpretation of the only man who is not intimidated by Christopher and is willing to stand up to him for his own good. (Conrad played the lead role in a previous radio play of this story titled Leiningen Vs. the Ants. Heston would star in a later radio adaptation.)
Paramount had released this title on DVD previously but it has been out of print for a number of hears. The Warners DVD boasts an excellent transfer with colors that jump off the screen, though, sadly, there are no bonus extras. For Heston fans, this is a "must".
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