Green Hell (1940)

A group of adventurers led by a guide (Douglas Fairbanks Jr.) head out into the jungles of Peru where they hope to discover ancient Peruvian temples as well as gold treasures. For months, the men live alone in peace but when a beautiful woman (Joan Bennett) appears on the scene, the tension rises among the male population. Directed by James Whale (BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN), this was an expensive and huge undertaking by both Whale and Universal Pictures. A massive indoor jungle set was built including a towering Incan temple. The film was a box office flop and a critical failure and Whale would direct only one more movie after this. I knew of its poor reputation (most of the cast consider it one of the worst movies of their career) before seeing the movie so I was surprised at how entertaining it was. Granted, it's still a potboiler but as jungle adventures go, it's not half bad at all and the special effects are excellent. The film doesn't exhibit any of Whale's flair but I've seen far worse movies. With George Sanders, Vincent Price, John Howard, George Bancroft, Alan Hale and Lupita Tovar.