Untamed Africa (Warner Bros.) (1933)

ROUTINE STORY (This story contains all the important facts about “Untamed Africa.” Release it several days before the coming of the picture.) The lure of mysterious Africa has carried many a fascinated scientist, traveler and educator through manifold Anes adventures which ofttimes culminate in weird and horrible deaths. The latest adventurer to brave the primitive continent is Wynant D. Hubbard, who, in company with his cameraman, W. Earle Frank, succeeded in recording on motion picture film many of the strange sights which abound in Africa. Under the title of “Untamed Africa,” this thrilling feature will be presented by Vitagraph, Inc., at the .... Theatre commencing .... Lhe picture recounts the daring journey of these intrepid educators through the death-infested veldt. Everything shown in the film is vital and packed with interest, for Wynant D. Hubbard, under whose guidance the cameraman worked, knew where and how to find the most thrilling adventures. Hubbard is a Fellow of the American Geographical Society and is considered one of the greatest living authorities on African wild life. Both Hubbard and W. Earle Frank moved constantly under the shadow of death. The sun beat down relentlessly upon them. They were beset on all sides and menaced by poisonous insects and reptiles, tormenting plagues, consuming fevers and contaminated waters. In this strange land where the primeval struggle for existence and the survival of the fittest goes on just as it did before man came to earth, Hubbard and Frank were involved in a battle of wits against the cunning of reptiles and beasts. Head-Hunters on the War-Path On one occasion, concealed in a pit, they watched a lion make its kill. About to eat the young deer which was its prey, the lion’s right to its meal was contested by a hungry hyena. All this took place just a few feet from where Hubbard and Frank had their camera pitched, and the event is recorded for those who may sit comfortably in a theatre and watch the oldest story in the world. ‘This scene almost ended in the death of the adventurers, for the animals soon became aware of the presence of man. What followed is an experience which few men live to tell. But all was not danger and annoyance. The film contains many incidents of humor and amusement. The animals unwittingly contributed to some of this. The natives with their weird customs, black magic and queer ornaments proved to be superb actors— although they did not know they were acting. Throughout the entire film, Wynant D. Hubbard has pictured for posterity a complete graphical thesis on the modes, manners and customs of African native life. “Untamed Africa’ is the most vivid and complete picture of life on the Dark Continent ever presented in motion picture form. Dialogue, based on the copious notes made by Wynant D. Hubbard during the course of his travels, has been written by De Leon Anthony and synchronized throughout the film. Every detail of action is carefully explained, thus giving the film one hundred per cent entertainment value. Life in the African jungle, its many thrills and hazards, are shown in “Untamed Africa,” new authentic film of darkest Africa, now playing at the Strand Theatre. Cut No. 11 New Jungle Picture Offers Big Thrills Manager .... of the.... Theatre announces that he has booked “Untamed Africa,” Vitagraph’s new jungle film, which will be shown at the ees oe Lheatre next. <ac« This amazing collection of thrillpacked scenes of native customs and wild animal life was made under the direction of Wynant D. Hubbard, Fellow of the American Geographical Society, and an authority on the mysteries of the Dark Continent. His staff of photographers was headed by W. Earle Frank, who also acted as technical adviser. Two years were spent in the heart of the jungle filming 103,000 feet of film. Final editing has brought this tremendous footage down to 5,000 feet, thus insuring a smooth, closely knit continuity. Three thousand miles of railroad was the first “jump” of the party, which also included Mr. Hubbard’s wife and two small children. This landed them in Choma on the edge of Cut 80¢e your 27 story Mat 10c¢ the wilderness where the caravan was prepared for the long trek into the interior. Of the one hundred and sixty oxen that set out with the expedition, but thirty-seven returned, an index to the many dangerous adventures encountered. The whites of the party, however, all survived the journey. Thrills are many in “Untamed Africa,” a fight between a lion and a hyena and a battle between massed oxen and two hungry lions being just a few of the photographic evidence of life in the African jungle. The camera is so close to these scenes that the spectator cannot help but marvel at the photographer’s daring. Other sequences include encounters with reptiles, head hunters, wild animals and even poison flowers. Though concentrating on thrills, Hubbard has not neglected the humorous side of life in the wilderness and has inserted a number of scenes sure to please both young and old. Many jungle films of the past have been admittedly a combination of the real and the staged. The sponsorship of Hubbard, internationally famous adventurer, however, insures the authenticity of “Untamed Africa.” YOUR ADVANCE STORIES It’s a tough job shooting tigers—but nA much tougher when you don’t shoot them! How African natives bag tigers alive is one of the numerous thrills in “Untamed Africa,” new Strand film opening tonight. Cut No. 10 Cut 30c Mat 10c your 4 story | your Ahn story | Africa Dominated by | Africa Is Severe Test Many Witch Doctors| of Cameraman's Skill The witch doctor and his voodoo To the lay photographer’s mind it rites is as much a part of Africa as is] would appear that Atrica, with its the lion, the zebra and the giraffe. bright sunlight, its cloudless skies, The blacks of the interior are still} would be a paotographer’s paradise. subject to his spells and his commands| That is far trom the case, however, in spite of all that the white invader| according to Wynant D. Hubbard, has attempted to do for the natives] whose thrilling picture, “Untamed with their missionaries, their doctors, | Africa,” being released by Vitagraph, sanitary arrangements and civilization. It will take centuries to eradicate the witch doctor—and probably even then his hold over the superstitious bushmen ane olsra nn the errat ve’ : in the jungles will be bat™halt broken. Inc., has been booked into the.... Theatre by Manager . . e e ee pee Mr. Hubbard, his photogra 505 Earle Frank, and the pde mann goo* tion spent two ; 7 NOrthwestvim ROUGCSia aw aS eee East Africa, taking pictures of the wild The amazing hold witch doctors] animal lite in that little explored sec have on the natives of Africa is re tion of the mysterious Dark Continent. vealed in “Untamed Africa” by an in| They obtained many sensational Secident in which. Wynant D. Hubbard, | quences of big game, hunting, fighting who photographed “Untamed Africa,” | and being hunted. a Vitagraph picture, which comes to the .... Theatre ... .,* played. a “The difficulties that beset the cameraman in Africa are many and di large part. During his travel through] verse,” says Mr. Hubbard, “It is imthe jungles, he came upon a village] possible to get good pictures around in which the natives were starving be the middle of the day. The glare of cause the witch doctors had forbidden] the scorching sun is too bright. The them to eat any food that they had to} best hours for taking pictures are be kili. Hubbard solved the problem by capturing a large herd of Leche antelopes, an animal that dies of fright when captured. He used nets and was thus able to supply the starving natives with food without violating the witch doctor’s edict. Aside from the thrilling and sensa tween nine and eleven o’clock in the morning and between three and fourthirty in the afternoon. Even then the air is only too apt to be filled with dust so that the film when developed proves to be dull and fiat. “At noon there is entirely too much light for good photographic results, but the camera hunter of big game must ‘shoot’ while he has a chance, when the tional character of many of the se-}| game is there to be photographed, and quences, “Untamed Africa” is an authentic and highly educational as risk the film being rendered valueless by too much light. It is often neces well as entertaining motion picture rec| sary to wait for weeks at a time to get ord of wild life in Africa, filmed by a] any kind of a shot at some of the man who is an authority on African] bigger game. wild life, a capturer and tamer of animals, an author and traveler. “The light is not the only problem that confronts the cameraman in Africa. Mr. Hubbard spent two years at the} His films and developing preparations head of the photographing expedition} Must be kept in airtight metal coninto the heart of South Africa to ob-| tainers or the ants will get at them tain these pictures, Vitagraph has se and destroy them. The intense heat lected about 5,000 feet of film out of | ™Makes it necessary to develop the film the 103,000 “shot” by Mr. Hubbard] soon after exposure or time and work for inclusion in “Untamed Africa,” re go for nothing. But in spite of all taining all the highlights, the most un-| Our troubles we succeeded in getting usual and thrilling sequences. Leopards imperiled African Expedition “Lions give up fighting very soon after capture, but a leopard will fight until it is killed,’ stated Wynant D. Hubbard, noted traveler, author and lecturer, who recently returned to the States from a tour into the unexplored wilds of Africa, where he filmed “Untamed Africa.” One explanation of the leopards’ seeming bravery is that they are comparatively unintelligent animals, an explanation borne out by their excessive boldness and the ease with which they are captured. “Untamed Africa” is now showing at the .... Theatre. many unusual, clear and highly interesting shots of the natives and of the wild beasts of the veldt.” Wild Animals Savage Head-Hunters Man-Killing Jungle Birds Primitive Love WHAT A CHANCE FOR BALLYHOO! Page Five