When Greg Jones (Bruce Edwards) fails to return from a safari when due, his fiancé Jean Preston (Patricia Morison) goes looking for him. She starts her search in Akbar, India. With her are Greg’s father Colonel Jones (John Milijan), and family friends Wayne Monroe (Keith Richards) and the Professor (Wilson Benge).
In Akbar Jean is approached by Tondra (Vida Aldana). Her husband Moya (Hassan Khayyam) had been on a previous safari with him that started from Africa. She agrees to bring her husband to Jean to hear what he knows about Greg. Before Moya can give Jean any information he is shot and killed. Due to heightened tensions in India the incident causes some rioting. Jean and her company make a hasty retreat from India.
Jean, et al, head for Greg’s last known destination in Africa. They put together a safari to take them into the jungle. To lead the safari they hire Gary Lambert (Robert Lowery). Lambert is not fond of women on safari so Jean impresses the man with her shooting expertise. Lambert hires comic relief Gabby (J. Edward Bromberg) as the safari cook.
The District Commissioner (Jack George) tells Lambert that Greg was on a mission to bust Ivory poachers. He wants Lambert to do continue Greg’s mission. Lambert readily agrees.
What Jean and the others don’t know is that Greg is very much alive and happy living in the jungle with his Amazon Queen Zita (Amira Moustafa). But there is more going on than just jungle fever. Someone in their group is trying to stop them from reaching their destination. That someone is more than willing to kill to keep them away from finding out what is really going on.
“Queen of the Amazons” was released in 1946 and was directed by Edward Finney. It was produced by Robert L. Lippert who is notorious for making low budget films. Roger Corman did not invent cut and paste movies. They have been around for quite some time. Case in point “Queen of the Amazons”.
If the film seems a little disjointed, rambling, or strangely edited, there is a reason for that. The film is a conglomerate of a weak storyline using sound footage inter-spliced with silent movie footage from several silent films. The narration by Colonel Jones is meant to try to tie in the random stock footage in with the new story. Easier said than done.
The acting is acceptable, the story is thin, the stock footage plentiful and it’s only an hour long. You get to see lions and tigers and a plague of locusts, hippos, monkeys and lots of jungle dancing. I’m afraid you’ll have to be a fan of either jungle movies or stock footage or camp to enjoy the movie.