What a great studio Universal was in the old days,
especially during the war years. All at
the same time, they churned out unbelievably entertaining programmers ranging
from the Basil Rathbone Sherlock Holmes mysteries
and the Abbott & Costello comedies to the classic horror franchises –
(Dracula/ Frankenstein/Mummy/Wolf Man, etc.), and most gloriously,
the campy and lush Technicolor cycle of exotic adventures that always featured
some combination of Maria Montez, John Hall, Sabu and/or Turhan Bey, as well as
various other completely incongruous actors, like Lon Chaney Jr. and Andy
Devine. The major installments are Arabian Nights (1942), Ali Baba & the Forty Thieves (1943)
and Cobra Woman (1944). Among the less famous of the series is White Savage, which tells of a small
Polynesian island ruled by a glamorous princess (Montez, of course) and which
attracts the attention of villain Thomas Gomez, who wants the gold treasure
hidden in the palace, and noble shark hunter John Hall, who wants permission to
fish at the island. As always, Montez
and Hall fall in love while loveable Sabu is on hand as a rascally sidekick. There is a bit more melodrama than the
shameless silliness of Ali Baba and Cobra Woman, which makes it an
interesting entry in the series.
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