“Kongo” (1932) starring Walter Huston, Lupe Velez, Conrad Nagel & Virginia Bruce / Z-View

Kongo (1932)

Director: William J. Cowen

Screenplay: Leon Gordon based on the play Kongo by Chester De Vonde, Kilbourn Gordon

Stars: Walter Huston, Lupe Velez, Conrad Nagel, Virginia Bruce, C. Henry Gordon, Everett Brown and Forrester Harvey.

Tagline: A MADMAN WREAKS HIS VENGEANCE on a woman’s soul!

The Plot…

Deep in the Kongo jungle, a crippled white man called “Deadlegs” Flint (Huston) rules.  Using stage magic to frighten the masses and a few natives (paying them in sugar cubes and booze) to keep the rest in line, Flint is seen as a god.

Flint wasn’t always in a wheelchair.  That happened because the man his wife was cheating with crushed his spine in a fight.  Now Flint hates the world and lives for the day when he will have the ultimate revenge.

Soon, Flint’s vengeance, years in the making, will come to pass.  Only a twist that no one sees coming will change everything.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Kongo is a remake of West of Zanzibar (1928) directed by Tod (Dracula) Browning and starring Lon (The Phantom of the Opera) Chaney.  Some exterior footage from West of Zanzibar was re-used in Kongo.

The film’s revenge storyline and the twist are made thanks to Kongo being a pre-code film.

Kongo (1932) rates 3 of 5 stars.