Beyond Mombasa (1956)

Upon arriving in East Africa to join his brother in a uranium mining operation, a drifter (Cornel Wilde) discovers his brother has been murdered by a native cult called the leopard men. But Wilde believes there's more behind his brother's death than that and when he, along with several others, go deep into the jungle to locate the uranium mine, it's clear someone doesn't want them to discover it. Based on the novel MARK OF THE LEOPARD by James Eastwood and directed by George Marshall (DESTRY RIDES AGAIN). Exotic African adventures were all the rage in the 1950s and BEYOND MOMBASA is a rather indifferent entry. Though his motive may be unknown, the film's villain is blatantly obvious and when the revelation comes, it's no surprise. A mixture of location footage in Kenya handsomely shot by Freddie Young (LAWRENCE OF ARABIA) and an obvious sound stage jungle, it's the kind of pleasant time waster that you can pay only half attention to and still get what's going on. With Donna Reed (her husband was one of the producers) who as the romantic interest wears brightly colored frocks around the safari campfire, Leo Genn (whose acting is unexpectedly poor), Christopher Lee and Ron Randell.