The Big Dame Hunter - 7 Ladies of the Jungle
Edwina Booth was the sexy star of Trader Horn and so a quick search and here's a few more - and again not my list .
Since the 1930's, Hollywood has been cranking out productions featuring women of the jungle as an excuse to get pretty actresses in loincloths and leopard skins. The films and television programs themselves have been less than stellar, but audiences going to see a movies about jungle chicks don't want Citizen Kane - they wanted scantily clad jungle babes swingin' on vines!
7. Ann Corio in Jungle Siren (1942)
Does this look like someone raised in the jungle? After 20+ years deep in the heart of a jungle, I'd say she looks absolutely ravishing. Would it have killed the director to put a smidgen of dirt on her? Maybe a stain on her clothes, a hair out of place?
From the original movie poster: "SHE'S A ONE-GIRL LOVE-BLITZ! It took this American he-man to teach her the manual of ARMS...and what a pupil she made!" Actually, the movie is quite tame; those that bought into the tag line were surely disappointed.
From the original movie poster: "SHE'S A ONE-GIRL LOVE-BLITZ! It took this American he-man to teach her the manual of ARMS...and what a pupil she made!" Actually, the movie is quite tame; those that bought into the tag line were surely disappointed.Ann was also a model for YANK magazine, a periodical for servicemen during WWII that featured pin up girls in each issue. This is Ann from the September 3, 1943 issue on the left. I could make a joke about a military magazine featuring pinups called "YANK", but I'll refrain.
6. Deek Sills as Algona the Great White Goddess in Trader Hornee (1970)
Deborah worked as a hostess at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Atlanta and as a cashier at an adult movie theater. The film producer, David F. Friedman, discovered her and put her in the film. Oddly enough, after the premier, Deborah hooked up with a guy in the recording industry and never acted again!
5. Tanya Roberts as Sheena (1984)
4. Edwina Booth as Nina Trent the White Goddess in Trader Horn (1931)
Edwina Booth had incredible beauty but her career was shortened by her participation in this film. While on location in Africa, Booth contracted malaria. But hers wasn't the greatest misfortune to happen during the production of Trader Horn - a native crew member was eaten by crocodiles and a native boy was killed by a charging rhino - a scene which was actually included in the film!
Edwina sued MGM over not having adequate protection against this disease, since she was required to be scantily clothed, increasing her susceptibility to malaria. The case was settled out of court for an undisclosed amount. Edwina didn't die from the disease, but the long term effects kept her from working and essentially killed her acting career.
3. Marion Michael as Liane, Jungle Goddess (1956)
Marion spend the next decade or so in a deep depression, wallowing in alcohol and drugs. Then she moved from West to East Germany (an unusual decision) and lived in virtual anonymity as a television technician - none of her co-workers were aware of her glorious past on the silver screen!
But, despite her short career, her name has resurfaced as a popular film icon in Germany. There was even a TV musical about her life in 1996 - a testament to the impact of her first film.
Liane is notable in that Marion Michael appears topless for the first half of the movie. This was scandalous at the time, but it isn't really that different than Splash - Daryl Hannah is a topless mermaid, but her hair conveniently covers up the breasts. However, if you stare diligently enough at the screen without blinking (which I'm sure many kids in the 1950's did) you might catch a glimpse of nipple a few times. Thus, Marion has the distinction of becoming the second German to appear to nude in a film.
2. Evelyne Kraft as Samantha/Ah Wei in The Mighty Peking Man (1977)
Evidently she can speak with all the members of the animal kingdom except the cobra. In one scene, the snake bites her on the inner thigh and her Hong Kong lover must suck out the poison! At times, it feels like the director is so focused on her bikini that he forgets he's making a movie about a giant ape. A lot of the film is taken up watching Evelyne shimmying up trees, repeatedly bending over, and frolicking in slow motion through the jungle.<br style="color: rgb(6, 6, 6); font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.5599994659424px; background-color: rgb(255,
Trader Hornee was a sexploitation spoof of the 1931 film, Trader Horn (see the #4 entry). Despite the X rating on the movie still (image above), it's pretty tame by today's standards - more akin to Benny Hill than pornography. No sex, just naughty tongue-in-cheek fun. The jungle girl in this flick is Deek Sills, real name - Deborah Sills.
5. Tanya Roberts as Sheena (1984)
This entire movie is a complete bust (pardon the pun). Tanya's acting is excruciating to watch and the dialogue is among the most asinine I've ever heard. Add to this, a horrible plot and the dad from (ugh!) "Blossom". Literally, the only thing going for this movie is the physical beauty of Tanya Roberts..... but then, what other reasons were audiences watching this movie for?
Edwina Booth had incredible beauty but her career was shortened by her participation in this film. While on location in Africa, Booth contracted malaria. But hers wasn't the greatest misfortune to happen during the production of Trader Horn - a native crew member was eaten by crocodiles and a native boy was killed by a charging rhino - a scene which was actually included in the film!
Edwina sued MGM over not having adequate protection against this disease, since she was required to be scantily clothed, increasing her susceptibility to malaria. The case was settled out of court for an undisclosed amount. Edwina didn't die from the disease, but the long term effects kept her from working and essentially killed her acting career.
3. Marion Michael as Liane, Jungle Goddess (1956)
Marion Michael was an intensely beautiful German actress whose very first acting role (Liane, Jungle Goddess) instantly catapulted her to fame in Germany. Sadly, her career was very short-lived after a horrible car accident in 1960 which left her scarred and unable to get work. By the time her scars had healed, her time had passed and none of the films she attempted after Liane were profitable.
Marion spend the next decade or so in a deep depression, wallowing in alcohol and drugs. Then she moved from West to East Germany (an unusual decision) and lived in virtual anonymity as a television technician - none of her co-workers were aware of her glorious past on the silver screen!
But, despite her short career, her name has resurfaced as a popular film icon in Germany. There was even a TV musical about her life in 1996 - a testament to the impact of her first film.
Liane is notable in that Marion Michael appears topless for the first half of the movie. This was scandalous at the time, but it isn't really that different than Splash - Daryl Hannah is a topless mermaid, but her hair conveniently covers up the breasts. However, if you stare diligently enough at the screen without blinking (which I'm sure many kids in the 1950's did) you might catch a glimpse of nipple a few times. Thus, Marion has the distinction of becoming the second German to appear to nude in a film.
2. Evelyne Kraft as Samantha/Ah Wei in The Mighty Peking Man (1977)
The Mighty Peking Man is one of the most insane movies I've ever seen. It's a Hong Kong production intended to capitalize on the hype surrounding the Dino DeLaurentis remake of King Kong. However, the film features precious little ape and tons of Evelyne Kraft (a relatively unknown from Sweden) jiggling around in an animal-skin bikini.
Evidently she can speak with all the members of the animal kingdom except the cobra. In one scene, the snake bites her on the inner thigh and her Hong Kong lover must suck out the poison! At times, it feels like the director is so focused on her bikini that he forgets he's making a movie about a giant ape. A lot of the film is taken up watching Evelyne shimmying up trees, repeatedly bending over, and frolicking in slow motion through the jungle.<br style="color: rgb(6, 6, 6); font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.5599994659424px; background-color: rgb(255,
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