The Naked Jungle Reviews

• Get you antenna off me you damn, dirty ants!

  
  By A25ZVI6RH1KA5L on 2004-11-15
  I once had an unpleasant experience with some fire ants in Florida many years ago, involving my ill-fated decision to take a rest under the shade of a palm tree, only to discover I had sat squarely on a bunch of the red devils, and they seemed none to happy about that (I guess I can't really blame them, as I would probably be upset being squashed by a comparatively giant bottom myself). The lesson learned there was watch where you sit. Watching producer George Pal's The Naked Jungle (1954) brought back memories of my less than enjoyable experience, as soon I begin rubbing at welts long since gone. Wonderfully directed by Byron Haskin (Treasure Island, The War of the Worlds), The Naked Jungle stars an excellent Charlton Heston (Ben Hur, Touch of Evil), Eleanor Parker (Scaramouche), William (TV's Frank Canon, P.I.) Conrad and a whole lotta ants (imagine a column of voracious ants two miles long and twenty miles wide...we're gonna need the industrial size Raid)...or, Marabunta, as they're often referred to within the movie.
  
  The film, which takes place deep in the South American jungle, begins with a rather refined looking lady completely out of place on a funky river barge traveling deep in the heart of the jungle. The woman's name is Joanna Leiningen (Parker), and she's on her way to meet her husband, Christopher Leiningen (Heston), at his expansive cocoa plantation. They've never met before, as Christopher, who's spent the last fifteen years or so building his plantation so deep in the jungle has not had time to find a wife, so he arranged for his brother, who was stateside, to find an appropriate woman to which he could marry by proxy and then she would eventually travel to the plantation and set up residence. The newlyweds finally meet, and things don't go very well as Christopher, who's lived in the jungle for awhile (perhaps too long) has misgivings about his new wife, as certain details about her past are revealed. Joanna, a strong-willed woman, chaffs against Christopher's somewhat chauvinistic expectations, but does try to find her place, as she believes the choice to enter into this arrangement was right, but now seems for naught as Christopher decides she should return to the states, that is until it's learned that the Marabunta (normally content to dwell within their mounds, but every once in awhile, like 20 years or so, they organize and ravage the surrounding countryside) are cutting a swath through the jungle, with Christopher's plantation directly in their path, restricting any travel whatsoever, and problems of martial incompatibility become small potatoes against the approaching horde devouring everything they come upon, vegetation, animals, humans (death by hundreds of thousands of tiny, little bites? Seems a particularly nasty way to go...), etc.
  
  I really enjoyed this film. The characters were well written, and are presented in an intelligent, engaging manner. The level of development of the characters of Christopher and Joanna was interesting and fills out pretty much the first half of the film. The second half is mostly comprised of the arrival of the ants, and the feeble efforts to stop this seemingly unstoppable force, first protecting the plantation, but soon for their own survival. Heston is excellent as Christopher, a man dedicated to realizing his dream, wrenching it (respectfully) from the living jungle, and the unquestioned master of his world, forced to contend with someone who isn't meant to be controlled (Joanna) and a menace that can't be controlled (the ants). He's basically a good man, but given his inexperience with women, his isolation from the outside world, and his accustomed complete authority over most all things within his domain, he's completely unprepared for a woman the likes of Joanna, even though it may be the thing he needs most. I thought Eleanor Parker did extremely well (and she certainly ain't bad to look at). Before this film, I was unfamiliar with her work, but she presented a wonderful character in Joanna, a stubborn woman with a past who believes she's found her purpose, even if it means living isolated from everything she knew, working to change the seemingly simplistic and maybe even unrealistic attitudes of her new husband (apparently he was looking for a trophy wife, but got a whole lot more than he bargained for with Joanna). It was really wonderful to see these two clash within character, and I really can't imagine anyone else in their roles after seeing the film. The threat of the ants was done very well, and appeared very realistic, especially through the use of matte paintings depicting the destruction caused as they scoured the landscape. It's hard to visualize something as small as an ant causing so much damage, but when you see billions of them swarming over everything and anything, it certainly seems possible. Haskin's direction really kept my interest throughout the film, and he was certainly helped by having highly professional and experienced actors involved in the project. All in all, an excellent feature with a climatic and satisfying conclusion.
  
  The film on this DVD is presented in the full screen format, which, I believe is as it was originally released, and then later changed to wide screen (the wide screen format became more popular as the 50's wore on, as theaters transitioned to accommodate it). The picture is clear and sharp and the audio is very good, but there are absolutely no special features included in this release, not even the usual theatrical trailer. Perhaps we'll see a special edition released at a later date, as it seems more and more (much to my annoyance) studios release a barebones version first, and then later release a `special edition', allowing them to increase their profits, that is if those of us who bought the original see fit to purchase the product again with the enticements of more features, essentially making us believe the `upgrade' is worth buying. Oh well...
  
  Cookieman108
  
  
  

• An entertaining little known adventure film

  
  By A7RM685PHBK20 on 2000-04-23
  The Naked Jungle is a surprisingly likeable movie. From the title, one either believes it's an erotic film or a comedy, both of which it is neither. The film is actually a mixture of romance and adventure, along with some doses of action and suspense and the combination is well done.

  Eleanor Parker stars as Joanna Leinengen, a strong-willed, beautiful, and independent young woman who has been married via mail to Christopher Leinengen, played by Charlton Heston. He owns and lives in his plantation in South America so she travels by boat from the United States to meet him for the very first time. When she arrives, they don't get off to a very good start and Christopher ignores quite a bit and treats her without respect. However, as the time goes by romantic feelings begin to develop between them. But a problem is beginning to grow in the jungle. A 20 mile long, 2 mile wide line of soldier ants is headed for Christopher's plantation and is devouring everything in its path. Now, Christopher and Joanna must think quickly and defend their home from the tiny predators.

  I honestly had no idea what this movie was about when I popped it into the VCR. It's truly a pleasant surprise as the romance in the film is well done with a lot of chemistry between Parker and Heston. Each deliver superb performances.

  There's a switch in tone nearly 2/3's the way through this movie (it's 96 minutes long without end credits), from romance/drama to action/adventure and suspense when the ants begin to invade. The developing tension is taut and fast paced. One might get the feeling that a movie with this kind of plot might be rather cheesy but that's not the case with The Naked Jungle. Every moment is well-executed with competent direction and a good script to boot. For jungle adventure and romance, The Naked Jungle is a fine choice.
  
  

• MARABUNTA

  
  By A10MR5DEPRCX98 on 2004-10-16
  The 50's were the great time for Technicolor, exotic adventures and intense stories. This film has all of this ...and more.
  
  A wealthy,dark, handsome plantation-owner, Chistopher Leiningen welcome his mail-order bride. She is sophisticated, elegant and to his great concern extremely beautiful. Sparks fly since the begining and after memorable dialogues, about pianos and perfumes , and second hand roses, our heros must face the ultimate danger: Marabunta.
  
  This is not maybe a very famous film, and probably will never be considered one of the masterworks of the Seventh Art, but is one of those you always watch in delight.
  
  The cast just suits perfectly. Charlton Heston is...well he is Charlton. He is good opening the waters of the Red Sea or fighting against a lot of Chinese in Pekin. As usual he exploits his natural masculinity to create this man who has created an oasis in the middle of the jungle, but about women is a virginal man.
  
  Eleanor Parker is probably one of the most elegant actress of her generation. Only she is able to pass though the jungle with a white gown and look perfectly well. She matches Heston with a woman who has little to lose but only will accept her terms of "surrender".
  
  And William Conrand is excellent. Showing the temperance a good commisioner requires and acting as the amused witness in the developement of the situation.
  
  This one of those films you always enjoy and that proves that a good story and good dialogues are basic to create a film.
  
  

• South American "Heel With A Heart" vs. The Ants Plus Eleanor

  
  By A1EEUBGERTT3VL on 2002-08-12
  Lydia Heston, Charlton Heston's wife, once identified many of his most successful roles as being "heel with a heart" characterizations. "The Naked Jungle" is an excellent example of this theory . . . and also a damn fine movie, adapted from the classic short story, "Leningen vs. the Ants." Christopher Leningen is a determined and very lonely young man who has carved out a plantation (product: cocoa beans) and now is looking for a wife. Through his brother (who we do not see), he finds a wife and marries her by proxy, then has her brought to the plantation. As played by Eleanor Parker (the fine actress of "Caged," known by "Sound of Music" fans as Elsa the arch-villainess), Joanna is just as strong-willed as Christopher . . . resulting in a considerable psychological war-of-the-sexes. The excellent script, superb direction, and wonderful production values all add to make this a terrific viewing experience . . . and don't look now, but there's William Conrad, the classic radio actor and television star! "Elephant Walk," with an also excellent cast of Peter Finch, Elizabeth Taylor and Dana Andrews, was coincidentally released the same year and has a similar theme, but "The Naked Jungle" remains the better movie, not just for the reasons mentioned, but also because the physical enemy is far more unlikely. (Hint: You'll get the urge to itch before the end of "Naked Jungle"!) Don't be mislead by the title; this is not a cheesy, exploitational film, although some nice metaphoric language in the script, plus the tremendous physicality of Heston and Parker, create some obvious erotic tension. Not exactly the ultimate movie about South America, as one reviewer claimed, and not the imperialist fantasy that another reviewer stated, but a great adventure yarn featuring two strong people going up against the elements . . . and themselves.
  
  

• fire ants and fiery hearts

  
  By AQ8DU6XVA3USJ on 2004-07-08
  Set in 1901 in the Amazon jungle, this fabulous "Insect Feature" has excellent special effects and atmosphere, with Charlton Heston as a mucho macho man who is at war with the dreaded marabunta, the killer red ants who threaten to take over his plantation. He is also at war with his heart, as he tries to stay aloof to his mail order bride from New Orleans, the beautiful Eleanor Parker. Parker is cool as a mint julep in her Edith Head gowns, and tough enough to stand by her man; the chemistry between them sizzles, and they look so very fine together.
  William Conrad is also good as the Commissioner, as he warns them to escape the billions of approaching ants which are "forty square miles of agonizing death !".

  One of the best things about this film is the soundtrack by Daniele Amfitheatrof, which owes a lot to Stravinsky and Darius Milhaud, and is perfect in the way it underscores the dialogue, and accentuates the action. It's really worth just listening to this film once, to fully appreciate the music and the sound effects.
  Ernest Lazlo's Techicolor cinematography is marvelous, and the Byron Haskin direction fast paced, with Heston doing most of his own stunts, which included having those nasty ants crawling on him.
  Some of this film is quite exciting, some of it hilarious, and it's always extremely entertaining, and is the absolute best of the bug genre films.
  As the ants bare the jungle, Eleanor tries to bare Chuck's soul...will she succeed ? watch this superb jungle romance and find out !
  Total running time is 95 minutes.
  
  

• Beware of the soldier ants
  By A2TOU0N8XE68W4 on 2002-11-22
  "The Naked Jungle' has always been a favourite of mine since the days when it used to pop up every six months or so on our local television late at night. Surprisingly it is still not a well known film and is largely forgotten as an early Charlton Heston vechicle. It has many similiarities in theme to Paramount's "Elephant Walk" starring Elizabeth Taylor and Peter Finch and even has a cross over of cast in the talented Abraham Sofaer who appears as an Indian manservant in both films. While the other film had elephants as its main point of interest the little creatures in this film are far more deadly and make for a much scarier scenerio whereby the dreaded South American soldier ants literally eat anything that moves, thus having a lot more potential for an exciting climax to the story.

  Indeed exciting and well made are two terms best used to describe this film. It tells the story of an isolated and fairly anti social self made young man Christopher Leiningen who has carved out an empire for himself on a coffee plantation far up the Amazon river in South America. To continue his empire he seeks a wife and advertises for a bride. His brother in New Orleans finds him the perfect woman in the form of Eleanor Parker who is refined, well educated and spunky with a mind of her own. The first part of the film shows their clash of wills and their eventual growing respect for each other prior to the last part of the story where their whole existence is threatened by a moving mountain of deadly soldier ants that threaten to wipe out everything in their path. This makes for the really exciting finale to the film which I wont reveal for those of you who have not seen the film yet.

  Charlton Heston and Eleanor Parker make a great couple in this film and their screen chemistry is really electric here. Parker, still best known as the Baroness in "The Sound Of Music" brings to her role the rare combination of refinement and gutsiness which contrasts beautifully with Heston's no nonsense man of few words. During the more leisurely first half of the film the two alternately clash, in particular after Christopher learns that Joanna has been previously married and is thus in his mind soiled goods, and then develop feelings for each other while learning more about themselvesin the process.

  The tone of the film changes dramatically in the second half and what we witness then are the really superb special effects and production values after the killer ants begin their march on the plantation. This part of the film contains some quite horrifying and disturbing scenes that even today are not for the squeamish. It is all done in a highly believable and vivid manner and the climax that sees the flooding of the plantation has rarely been equalled in terms of special effects.

  "The Naked Jungle" benefits greatly from the beautiful on location photography employed and the vivid colour which really brings the South American locale alive. The film can be enjoyed on a number of levels, firstly as a well acted drama that for once shows a strong ,intelligent and self assured female lead bouncing off the lead male and secondly as a rivetting adventure tale filled with exciting and eye popping special effects that create quite a frightening vision. It has it all, action, romance, terror , and excitement which is often hard to find in current films. Enjoy "The Naked Jungle" and I can assure you you will never think of ants in the same way again!
  
  

• Another Fine DVD Prospect!
  By A3EL9EX9BP73VM on 2002-12-12
  I still remember when I saw this movie as a teenager this absolutely otherworldly vision of a luxurious jungle mountain turning crimson red through a spectacular red ants invasion that was truly creepier than "Them". And of the ever-machismo Charlton Heston defying their multitudinous hordes all by himself (I'll let you guess who won)! I wonder why this fine jungle adventure is not on DVD yet! I, for one, look forward to it (in WideScreen please!).
  
  
• It's not "dated" - its an artifact
  By on 1999-08-23
  Brushing this film off as "dated" is rather unimaginative. For example, silent films are "dated," but that doesn't destory either their significance or standing within film history. So, a low budget sci-fi/horror film like "The Naked Jungle" is an interesting artifact of the 1950's. All in all, not a "great" film, not a work of "art," but still a damn fine film by any open-minded person's standards.
  
  
• The stars are for the movie itself...
  By ASD4YBL5C9CV8 on 2004-10-15
  ...not for the studio releasing this DVD. And for "Reviewer: B. Graham "Mercmoon" who should get real info. Although I've seen this one at the time it was released in theaters, and have been waiting for it since the beginning of DVDs, I was almost sure it was widesceen (as is IMDB). Now I'm 100% sure since it's going to be released in France in the original screen ratio of 1.77. FULLSCREEN AS AN OPTION IS UNDERSTANDABLE, AS THE DEFAULT IT IS IS UNACCEPTABLE!!!! And when they add "This film has been formatted to fit your screen", it's only adding insult to injury, since the result does not 'fit' my screen, it's disgracing it!!! If FBI, Interpol, etc, would fine those studios for their contempt of intellectual & artistic property (botching the format being worse than common piracy), they could be regarded as really enforcing copyrights, and not as the helpers enforcing crookery!!!!
  
  
• Don't worry about no WIDESCREEN, it was shot FULL FRAME
  By A5NUP6RERXT6J on 2004-11-12
  Picture looks great, and audio is quite adequate. But my real point in this 'review' space is to let you know that this film was not shot in a wide screen format. It was shot full frame and then later matted for wide screen in some theatres as wide screen was not all over the place yet in late 1953 and early 1954, when this film came out. Paramount would do well to mention on their boxes this information as I'm sure it has kept people away from buying it. But please, understand that all but a very very small number of films before 1954 even SHOULD be in wide screen (or letterbox if you prefer), as it was not used in the photography of the films, and theatres generally weren't even equipped to show films in wide screen until mid-fifties.
  
  
• The Red Ants...very cool
  By A12X2J7AVZ04IQ on 2005-04-03
  I remember my brothers taking me to this movie as a little kid. All that mattered was that people got eaten by red ants. I've never been fond of red ants since. In the 50's, this stuff was fodder for idiot kids like me. ("Them" and "Tarantula" were really cool.)I since discovered that the real title was "The Naked Jungle", after seeing it again on TCM or AMC, whatever."The Naked Jungle" is soap opera from beginning to end, with the "marabunta" as a catalyst. The stars are interesting. I was never a fan of Charlton Heston (as an actor), but Eleanor Parker was quite lovely, being gorgeous & tough at the same time, not unlike her magnificent performance in "Caged". The "marabunta" is, apparently, a force to be reckoned with, and makes the Amazon all that more intriguing. The beliefs of Amazonian natives is somewhat brought out, so much more brought out in Hector Babenco's "At Play in the Fields of the Lord". It's hard to make comparisons, since the sensibilities of the 50's and the 90's have been broadened. "The Naked Jungle" is really one of the first disaster films. All of the most famous disaster films were soap opera (Towering Inferno, Airport, Poseidon Adventure, etc.). In some ways, this is a trend-setter. I enjoyed it.
  
  
• A Film You AND Your Husband Can Love
  By A31C7OGHEQLK29 on 2005-01-12
  Here's a movie for couples who fight over which video to watch. For the adventurers, you have Charlton Heston as the solitary, brooding male hero who has cut a magnificent swath through the jungle using his bare hands and the help of only several hundred unworthy underlings to whom he is a patriarchal god. The encroaching marabunta provide the exciting challenge to his domain. For the romantics, you have the encroaching mail-order bride, wonderfully played by a breathless, bosomy, brainy Eleanor Parker, who, after a few stumbles along the way, cuts a magnificent swath through Heston.
  The movie has several memorable features: the wonderful banter between the protagonists, especially the bits about the piano--hilarious; the virginal Heston, who came to the jungle as a youngster and never went near the village women, shaking in his riding boots at the prospect of an experienced bride and blustering to shore up his defenses against her; and a wily female lead who plays it oh so smart. Oh yeah, the adventure stuff is good too (can you tell I'm a romantic)?
  Whether you see the marabunta as a metaphor for the relationship or vice-versa, the film is a monument to Hollywoodized sexual repression. So, you'll love it when the floodgates finally open!!! (Sigh).
  
  
• A Surprise At The Theater
  By A7L4V00P29J2 on 2003-10-13
  In junior high school, in an English book, I read a true story titled "Leinengen Versus the Ants", a good and interesting story for a school book.

  Years later, when I saw this movie, I realized that it is the same story. Surprise! Having read it in a school reader gave it authenticity to my mind. Charlton Heston and Eleanor Parker gave it color and flavor. Very enjoyable movie.
  
  

• Strong Characters, Strong Acting, Weak Movie
  By AQBRMBQ99ESI7 on 2005-07-11
  Charlton Heston plays a strong willed rancher in South America who carved out an empire through shear force of will. Eleanor Parker plays a mail order bride ordered by Heston to share his life with him. Things do not turn out as either expect. He is disappointed that she has been married previously. He cannot stand the idea of following someone else. Even so, he is an honorable person by his own standards. He wishes her no ill but, being socially inept, comes across as an ogre. He has his problems but is not as bad as he seems.
  
  She, on the other hand, really wants the relationship to succeed. She is willing to put up with a lot but she does have her limits and her own conception of honor as well as right and wrong. Finally, when she thinks she can stand him no more, he decides to send her back. He is attracted to her but can't get over her past.
  
  The relationship begins to change when they head upriver to investigate some strange happenings. Heston takes her along because he figures he can arrange return passage for her. It never happens. They find the source of the strange reports and it turns out that an army of ants is on the march. Parker's courage in the face of the natural disaster brings to two of them together. His stalwart defense doesn't hurt either.
  
  The story is a credible if overblown dramatization of the fury of certain insects in South America. It does not rely on any "science fiction" gimmicks. The characterizations are creditable as well. That being the case, its hard to identify why this film is not better than it is. I suppose that this was one of Heston's earlier films. His intensity is almost overbearing. Still, it is worth seeing. There are better films out there but there are also many much worse.
  
  
  
• "Forty square miles of agonising death!"
  By A220FJEQNGMSRN on 2006-02-27
  The Naked Jungle's reputation rests on its last couple of reels, when plantation owner Charlton Heston battles the Marabunta, the twenty-mile long, two-mile wide army of billions of soldier ants ("forty square miles of agonizing death!") heading straight for the empire he carved out of the jungle with his bare hands. Well, his and the local natives bare hands. Of course, you have to get through an hour of soap opera first as the arrogant and virginal Chuck ("They have a word for men who go to the native villages at night. No one ever used that word about me") is more than a tad miffed to discover that after shipping new furniture and a new piano out to the jungle that he's been sent a second-hand mail-order bride in Eleanor Parker, despite her admonitions that "If you knew anything about music, you'd know that a good piano always sounds better if it's been played!" But then you have to expect that sort of thing when you marry by proxy (we learn that William Conrad, who played the Heston role in the earlier radio version of the original story, stood in for Parker!). Still, at least Ranald Macdougal and blacklisted Ben Maddow have fun with the script with exchanges like "I've been trying not to irritate you." "I noticed that. I find it irritating." It would have been good to have less of the matrimonials and more of the Marabunta, but the picture is great fun for both the right and wrong reasons and I can't say I felt short-changed revisiting it.
  
  Sadly, no extras.
  
  
• That is the best movie ever!!!
  By on 1999-07-20
  I've seen this movie 10 years ago, when I was twelve and I love it. Its areal classic with a perfect mix of romance, adventure and drama!! We don't see movies like this today!! It's a fantastic trip to the Hollywood golden years
  
  
• "20 miles long ,2 miles wide......Marabuta!"
  By A5LJR6VZQS9SV on 2004-03-25
  Another film on the "It should have been on dvd already" list. This
  is again fine vintage entertainment that still holds up thru repeat
  viewings.

  Based on the novel "Lanlogen and the ants" Charlton Heston stars as
  the main character a plantation owner whose roots go further in the
  ground than any of trees in the amazon, who has cut all ties to the
  civilized world outside his. That is until "made to order" bride to
  be Eleanor Parker shows up on his step. Prim,Proper and intelligent
  & a mind of her own, she is not at all what he expected his brother
  to send to him form New Orleans. To say more would spoil the show

  I will tell if your screamish about ants (That's Marabuta in this
  neck of the woods) then prepare yourself for millions of them as
  they threaten to destroy everything in thier path leaving nothing
  but "The naked jungle"

  A great film with just the right amount of romance and adventure
  Heston has never been brutal and Parker never more beautiful and
  William Conrad in a good supporting role. Paramount's VHS tape is
  the only to watch this gem for the moment,It has a fairly decent
  picture and sound quality but (excuse the pun) I'm itching to get
  my hands on the dvd when it finally comes out.
  
  

• Survivor--50s Style.
  By A27M15DFUPV1CK on 2004-11-29
  What was that line from the old serials ? " Jungle no place for woman " ? ! Released in 1954, "The Naked Jungle " seems like two movies in one. The first half is a rather tedious soap-opera--the second half a genuinely exciting thriller that may have you itching and scratching by the time it's over !
  
  Charlton Heston plays Christopher Leiningen, owner of a South American cocoa plantation in 1901, who has decided that it's time to take a wife, and start producing heirs for the estate.
  His "mail-order bride" arrives, and it's gorgeous Eleanor Parker, dressed to kill and ready for life in the jungle with Mr. Heston. Unfortunately he knows nothing about women, and proceeds to treat her abominably. Maybe he needs glasses ? anger management courses ? A voluptuous, stunning redhead wants to settle down with him, and his attitude is rude and insulting.
  Why Ms. Parker doesn't take the next boat home will puzzle more than a few viewers !
  
  Luckily for all of us--except Mr. Heston--there is big trouble brewing in the jungle--a vast army of soldier ants, 20 miles long and 2 miles wide. Guess who owns the plantation right in their path ? Will Charlton cut and run ? Will a strong-willed woman abandon her man, even after he has treated her like dirt ?
  I think you know both answers ! Special effects are a bit primitive, but there are enough close-ups of the marauding ants to give you some idea of this extraordinary enemy. The final showdown between the ants and Mr. Heston is "worth the price of admission"--and many thought that his "disaster film period" was in the 70s ! By the way, ants were popular "villains" in 1954--"Them" came out the same year !
  
  I have to say that I had a problem with the sudden change in our hero's personality--at a certain point in the film, his attitude to Ms. Parker switches so suddenly and completely that it strains credulity--but don't blame Mr. Heston--he had a script to follow and , unlike many of his films, less than two hours to tell the story. I thought that Ms. Parker was excellent, although her character takes that "stand by your man" philosophy to a whole new level ! William Conrad--much slimmer than in his later "Cannon" role on television--gives able support as the local Commissioner, wondering why Charlton doesn't immediately thank his lucky stars for this goddess who wants to be with him.
  
  The full-screen, colour picture is vivid and beautiful--the sound--mono--the extras--zero.
  
  Again--an interesting, colourful relic from the 50s--but you have to be patient before the big-payoff.
  
  A very sad footnote, dated 6 April, 2008--Mr. Charlton Heston has passed away--he had been ill for some time. While he played many types of roles during a long career in movies, he will likely be best remembered for the spectacles like "Ben Hur" and "El Cid", where even a "cast of thousands" could not detract from Mr. Heston's formidable presence.
  
  
• ADVENTURE, ROMANCE, & THOSE PESTY KILLER ANTS!
  By A8V74RZY8TIRJ on 2006-01-24
  A furious sound of jungle drums roars as the map of South America sweeps onto the screen. This is how "The Naked Jungle" begins, it's South America 1901. Christopher Laninger (Charlton Heston) has sent for a mail order bride (the exquisite Eleanor Parker) who is making her way to his vast jungle plantation by boat. A young, but very recognizable, William Conrad (t.v.'s detective "Cannon") plays a South American lawman who visits the plantation from time to time. Abraham Sofaer plays the plantation head overseer (as he also does in the 1953 jungle-plantation classic "Elephant Walk." I knew I recognized that nose!) The introduction of Eleanor Parker to her new husband is filled with drama, friction, and intrigue. Heston wants everything he owns to be "new" and "un-handled." When Eleanor reveals that she's previously been married, but then became a widow, Heston abrutly informs her she's "another man's leavings" and wants her to leave. Heston's character longs for her and as the story progresses, falls secretly in love with her. When the jungle is swept with a plague of killer ants, they are brought together by Eleanor's strong determination to stay and win Heston over. The dvd's transfer is perfect with beautiful color and superb sound. I highly recommend this dvd, as well as sister jungle plantation romantic drama, "Elephant Walk," starring the beautiful Elizabeth Taylor, with at-the-time- husband Peter Finch, and Dana Andrews. "The Naked Jungle" is a treat when you want to escape to someplace colorful and tropic.
  
  
• The Naked Jungle: To Tame Nature is Risky
  By A3O2RCKAMSE9X7 on 2002-07-25
  One of Hollywood's favorite themes is the hero's attempt to remake nature in his own image. Sometimes the arena is Wall Street, sometimes a Wild West town, and sometimes a Brazilian jungle. In THE NAKED JUNGLE, director Byron Haskin has created a vastly underappreciated film that combines action/adventure with romance. Usually, for this kind of hybrid movie to resonate with the audience, there must be present a thematic 'hook' with which viewers can connect viscerally either to the hero or the plot. In this case, Charlton Heston, who plays Christopher Leiningen, provides this hook as he presents himself as a man on a self-appointed mission to tame a wilderness that beckons to him. Years before the movie begins, he entered the Amazon with little more than his unswerving determination to twist nature into his own divine plan. He hews out of the jungle an empire in which the natives serve him as a medieval lord. And as a lord, he has a moat and castle filled with the rudiments of civilization that remind him daily that to rule without a queen is hardly to rule at all. He chooses not to avail himself of the company of native women, any one of whom presumably would jump at the chance to be his consort. His mania for quality possessions carries over to his idealized vision of a Virgin Queen. He sends to the United States for a mail order bride in much the same way that he sends for the objects that fill his castle. He insists on numbers and quantifiable components to his many dreams. Just as he once ordered 800 pounds of classic books to fill his library, he now orders a virgin bride (Eleanor Parker), who is gorgeous, blond, articulate. Unfortunately, she was previously married and his perception of her as 'used goods' sets up the tension for the first half of the film. The focus in the second half shifts to another form of nature that also resists his control. The natives call it 'marabunta,' a 20 mile wide by 2 mile long army of voracious ants, consuming all in its path.
  There are several outstanding scenes that make this film work. Heston's interpretation of the monomaniacal medieval ruler begins to soften as he realizes that there are some aspects of nature that resist taming. He can carve out a jungle empire with his bare hands. He can even confront a marauding ant army with those same hands, but when he faces a woman who has her own ideas about her place in his Amazon landscape, then he is forced to acknowledge that to get, he must first give. His ruined forest is a small price to pay to learn this eternal truism.
  
  
• Those Damn Dirty Ants!
  By A37ZOGOK3GKF2P on 2004-11-14
  Charleton Heston plays a plantation owner who battles a horde of ants threating to destroy everything he has. Actually, his main battle is with his wife-by-proxy Elonore Parker. She's ravishing, red headed and strong willed. At first I thought this was a 'nature-run-amok' tale. It is, but unlike movies of the 50s, this is not campy. No giant bugs, just real ants. No science fiction, but based on true stories. But at the center of the story is a love story. An old fashioned love story with ants. A great way to pass a rainy day.
  
  
• Forget the ants, it's about Freud!
  By ABW4IW70EVIRS on 2004-11-29
  When I was a kid I freaked out about the ants eating up a guy that falled sleep... I haven't falled sleep on open country since. When I saw the movie again, more aged, the ant thing was secondary. The main thing was divorced Eleanor Parker going to the jungle to marry a guy that only wants NEW things... and can not return her until the next boat. So they stick together for a while. And then Eleanor Parker says best sounding pianos are those that have been played, and then you get me all sold out. This picture has drama in and out the ants. And here is where superdoper fx movies fall short today. It's a bit racist too, but hey! that's the storyline.
  
  
• "40 square miles of agonizing death!"
  By AJIH1NJ9N28D9 on 2005-06-28
  I thought about giving this film 3 stars due to the lack of ants for the first 40 minutes, then I read about how Charlton Heston improvised the perfume splashing during the argument scene with Eleanor Parker and I had to give it a extra star just for that!
  
  Heston is a plantation owner in South America who doesn't have time for romance, but still wants kids, so he has his brother pick out an American bride and has her shipped down. They fight and argue and bicker for half the movie until a gigantic herd of hungry ants start threatening the plantation. Suddenly Heston and Parker find love amongst dead natives and thrashing antennas.
  
  Great story idea and I enjoyed the performances by the two leads, but way way too much time goes by before the first ant even shows up. If you're looking for straight ant action then you'd be better off with PHASE IV or even the campy 1977 Suzanne Somers/Myrna Loy vehicle IT HAPPENED AT LAKEWOOD MANOR.
  
  Based on the 1948 radio play "Leiningen vs. the Ants"
  
  D: Bryon Hasking (WAR OF THE WORLDS, TREASURE ISLAND)
  
  Christopher Leiningen - Charlton Heston (EARTHQUAKE, TOUCH OF EVIL)
  Joanna Leiningen - Eleanor Parker (THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN ARM, THEY DIED WITH THEIR BOOTS ON)
  Commissioner -William Conrad (THE KILLERS, SORRY WRONG NUMBER)
  
  
  
• Man vs. Nature.
  By A3NIQK6ZLYEP1L on 2005-07-16
  Or is it The White Man vs. the Third World? Or Science vs. Nature? Whatever the theme, the movie, based on the short story Leiningen vs. The Ants by Carl Stephenson, takes 45 minutes before we even hear the word ant. Many people might see that as flaw but I see it as a sign of a good story - they spend half of the movie building up the characters before the ants come to bring them down. Charlton Heston plays the main character and the sexy Eleanor Parker plays his mail-order bride. Both are strong willed, with plans for the future and neither like to back down.
  When one adds a army of ants, 20 miles long and 2 miles wide, heading right for the plantation, you change the film from a pretty good one to a great one.
  
  
• Intrigue in the bush
  By A39AWL2FKWDFK6 on 2005-08-31
  The role of the arrogant and pompous plantation owner Christopher Leiningen was a perfect fit for Charlton Heston in the 1954 melodramatic adventure flick "The Naked Jungle". Leiningen carved out a massive cocoa plantation damming the local river in remote 1901 South America. The palatial estate he built was however missing the feminine touch. The lonely Heston commissioned his brother to find him a wife in New Orleans.
  
  Heston's mail order bride turned out to be the headstrong, refined and attractive redhead Eleanor Parker. Their personalities immediately clashed and Heston planned to send her back home when a calamitous event suddenly occurred. The plantation came under the attack of an enormous colony of army ants which threatened to destroy everything in its path. The courage shown by both actors during this crisis cemented their relationship as they commence a new life together amid the devastation.
  
  Byron Haskin's flick was typical of the heroic and romantic style of adventure flicks in the 50's. Very notable were the costumes created by wardrobe wizard Edith Head. A svelte Robert Conrad playing the local government commissioner was good in a supporting role.
  
  
• The Naken Jungle needs to be released in Widescreen DVD
  By AATZ6TS67SBTC on 2005-11-04
  The poster (B. Graham etc.) who keeps asserting that this film was filmed in fullscreen ratio is all wet. I saw the original release and it was definitely widescreen. (Maybe not Cinemascope, but it impressed me by its size and color at the time.) And, no, it was not fullscreen cropped or matted to appear wide.
  
  Paramount is out of its mind to do this supercolorful film in full screen only. (As the studios are for only issuing Sharky's Machine, Fearless, The Great Santini in fullscreen. But doing it to The Naked Jungle is the worst because of the gorgeous cinematography.)
  
  
• The Naked Jungle (aka Lanigen's Ants)
  By A1EJGZHFZRK9L7 on 2006-03-23
  Charleton Heston and Eleanor Parker star in this movie about love and army ants. I believe it was originally released as "Lanigen's Ants". Heston plays a wealthy land owner with very definite ideas of love and marriage. Eleanor Parker is his mail order bride who enlightens him to what love and marriage should really be. The army ants are there to wreak havoc with his hard earned dynasty and to threaten their blossoming relationship. As a Charleton Heston fan, I really enjoyed this movie.
  
  
• Heston & Parker equals spontaneous combustion!
  By A3T3KPW2QE866W on 2007-02-03
  I like this film a lot - Charlton Heston plays a 34 yr old virgin owner named Christopher of a massive plantation who marries a woman by proxy without ever meeting her. Eleanor Parker plays the woman that he finds is his stunningly gorgeous wife "Joanna." What an incredibly beautiful woman - the hair, blue eyes and ivory skin! Parker looks like a porcelain doll - she's so stunning in this color film that it just takes your breath away. Her character is strong and deliciously feminine. Christopher is both awed and intimidated by his "luck" in such a terrific catch. He knows absolutely nothing about women and never bedded one. Boy, is his character sexually repressed. He freaks out when he discovers Joanna has been married before and widowed. Memorable line "Lady, the piano you are playing has never been played before" - subtle hint that Joanna is used goods in his mind. He cannot forgive her and wants her to go back to where she came from - New Orleans. As he is trying to get rid of her, the ants show up and she proves her strength & character to him. The sexual tension and chemistry between Heston and Parker is electric. And yes, Heston is so handsome in this film.
  
  
• Eleanor Parker in colour-soaked jungle adventure
  By ABH4G7TVI6G2T on 2008-02-01
  I watched this movie last night, and all I can say is....WOW! This is a top adventure starring one of my favourite actresses, Eleanor Parker, teamed with Charlton Heston (and based on a story by Carl Stephenson). If you love movies like "King Solomon's Mines", "Mogambo" and especially "Elephant Walk", you'll adore THE NAKED JUNGLE.
  
  The story follows mail-order bride Joanna (Eleanor Parker) as she travels deep into the jungle to meet prospective husband Christopher Leiningen (Charlton Heston), a successful plantation baron, grown embittered by too many years of solitude. Their marriage is stormy from the outset; headstrong Joanna constantly clashes with her belligerent spouse, but they soon have bigger problems on their hands. A terrifying army of soldier ants, on their twenty-year migration, are steadily approaching, leaving a trail of death and destruction in their wake.
  
  With more than a passing nod to the similarly-themed "Elephant Walk" (also produced by Paramount around the same period), THE NAKED JUNGLE is part costume drama, part adventure epic and all-entertainment. The supporting cast even includes Abraham Sofaer (who plays a role not too dissimilar from the one he fills in "Elephant Walk").
  
  Female co-stars who could successfully balance themselves opposite the imposing Charlton Heston were often very difficult to find, but Eleanor Parker is and was the perfect choice for Joanna. One of the rare actresses who was every bit as talented as she was stunningly-beautiful (as evidenced from her Academy Award-winning performance in "Caged!"), Ms Parker provides a performance with equal parts heart and humanity. Her scenes with Heston are a complete joy. Costume designer Edith Head dresses Parker in some lovely late-Victorian clothes.
  
  Filmed in glorious Technicolor, THE NAKED JUNGLE explodes off the screen with colour and high-adventure to spare. Sadly, the DVD offers no extras. (Single-sided, single-layer disc).
  
  
• Remember when
  By A22D2FQ3UERYRO on 2008-04-05
  If you remember when movie stars were actually people with talent, people who could actually act, people who could make a movie with romance and adventure without blatant sex, drugs, and excessive violence... then this is one for you. I remember seeing it many years ago and as a fan of Charlton Heston could not wait to see it again. Truly a movie classic of an era when men were men and women were women and you could tell the difference. More often than not these day, oldies are truly the best.
  
  

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