Duel In The Jungle (1954)

When a man (David Farrar) with a two million dollar life insurance policy is washed overboard in a sea storm, an insurance investigator (Dana Andrews) has his suspicions since the body was never recovered. On a hunch, he follows the man's fiancee (Jeanne Crain) to Africa where she journeys deep into the jungle. In the 1950s, exotic African adventures (MOGAMBO, SAFARI, ODONGO etc.) were all the rage and were regular fodder for cinemas. This British entry (despite its American leads) is more of a mystery rather than jungle adventure, at least until the film's last 20 minutes or so. Though exteriors were filmed in Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) and South Africa, much of the film is compromised by the utilization of a sound stage jungle, rear projection and stock footage. It's a rather lackluster affair (though Crain looks stunning in Technicolor). Andrews was getting too old for these physical roles and the slender Andrews fighting with the robust Farrar and winning stretches credibility. Still, if you're a fan of the genre as I am, it's not an unpleasant way to while away 90 minutes. Directed by the veteran George Marshall (DESTRY RIDES AGAIN) and the lively score is by Mischa Spoliansky. With Wilfrid Hyde White, George Coulouris and Charles Goldner.