KONGO / Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer - 1932

It's Conga Line Friday with Tabonga, here at The Dungeon!.. We gots the remake of the silent film WEST OF ZANZIBAR from 1928 that starred Lon Chaney and it tries to outdo Chaney's morbidity in the main role. From his wheelchair, the handicapped white man, Flint, rules an area of Africa as a living god, using superstition and stage magic to control the local natives. He lives only for the day when he can avenge himself from the man who stole his wife and crushed his spine...

Eegah!! sent over a soundclip from this wild flick for our earjoyment, sooooo, you can push the big red 'GO' button there by the jungle devil head, NOW, Rufus The Gnat! Here's a little smell of... KONGO!

Blogger The Gremlin is still up to no good, screwing up our b+w photos! We even wrote them about the problem, and, they just ignored us. I took out a few photos because they looked so horrible, after I took the time to make them look good. But, enjoy them as best you can...

Here's the great Walter Huston as the sadistic Flint, crippled and in a wheelchair. That's Lupe (The Mexican Spitfire) Valez as Tula in the background, one of his unwilling helpers. Although Lupe was very popular in the movies, she never recovered from her failed romance with Gary Cooper, who never planned on marrying her. She then married Johnny Weissmuller, but they divorced after five turbulent years. Drugs and alcohol destroyed her life and she was only 34 when she committed suicide. Sad.

To exact his revenge, he sends one of his men, dressed as a minister, to lure the daughter of his nemesis back to him!

Virginia Bruce plays Ann, Flint gets her addicted to drugs as part of his sadistic plan, seeing her in anguish keeps him happy!

Here's the drawing for one of his stage magic devices to keep the natives in line.

Tula tries to butter up Flint for a favor.

Portrait of Flint in all his glory, they used to use non-flexible collodion makeup for facial scars, something Eegah!! and I were familiar with, and, we'd buy at the local pharmacy to experiment with! One time, I drove down Main Street with my face all twisted up with the stuff and scared the crap out of a bunch of people!! Ahh, the good old days...

A lost and addicted (to a root found in the jungle) doctor shows up. He inspects Flint's paralyzed legs and tries to help Ann out with her addiction while fighting his own demons.

Flint shows the doctor one of his magic tricks.

Flint goes under the knife without anesthesia as the doctor tries to restore his ability to walk.

Okay, this is where the story gets really crazy, Flint finds out from the guy who stole his wife that Ann is HIS daughter!!!

Oh Lord, what have I done?!..

Flint lets Ann and the doctor get away, then, faces the natives for the final time where he sacrifices himself so that the two could make their escape.

Tune in tomorrow when Eegah!! will make your head spin!