East of Borneo

The best thing about East Of Borneo is the very clever way Universal was able to blend in real jungle footage into the plot of this movie. I'd love to know where Carl Laemmle got it. I can't believe he spent the money to actually go to the Dutch East Indies and shoot it for the studio. Universal was on its uppers at the time.

Saying that we have an interesting jungle melodrama. Rose Hobart has come looking for her estranged husband Charles Bickford who has truly gone native. When he's not shacking up with all the native women, he's court physician to the local maharajah Georges Renevent. When he makes it clear he's scorning Hobart, Renevent starts checking her out. She is the only white woman he's seen in some time.

The film has a really nicely filmed volcano sequence at the end. This might have been the inspiration for Crosby and Hope burlesquing such climax at the end of Road To Bali. Plot if you could call it that had some of the elements of East Of Borneo.

Seen today East Of Borneo is quite archaic and I doubt we'll see a remake. It holds up well in spots and worth a look.