| Perils of Nyoka | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | William Witney |
| Produced by | William J. O'Sullivan |
| Written by | Ronald Davidson Norman S. Hall William Liveley Joseph O'Donnell Joseph F. Poland Edgar Rice Burroughs (character) |
| Starring | Kay Aldridge Clayton Moore Lorna Gray Charles Middleton William Benedict Forbes Murray George Pembroke |
| Cinematography | Reggie Lanning |
| Distributed by | Republic Pictures |
| Release date(s) | 27 June 1942 (serial)[1] 2 April 1952 (re-release)[1] 1966 (TV)[1] |
| Running time | 15 chapters (261 minutes (serial)[1] 100 minutes (TV)[1] |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $169,296 (negative cost: $175,010)[1] |
Perils of Nyoka is a 1942 Republic Movie serial directed by William Witney. It starred Kay Aldridge as Nyoka the Jungle Girl, a character who first appeared in the Edgar Rice Burroughs-inspired serial "Jungle Girl."
Contents |
Nyoka, with Larry Grayson, attempt to discover the Golden Tablets of Hippocrates. This, along with the value of the gold and the treasure it was buried with, contains the medical knowledge of the Ancients. Also hunting for the tablets are Queen Vultura ("Ruler of the Arabs") and Cassib.
Perils of Nyoka was budgeted at $169,296 although the final negative cost was $175,010 (a $5,714, or 3.4%, overspend). It was the most expensive Republic serial of 1942.[1] It was filmed between 20 March and 2 May 1942[1], with the outdoor action sequences shot primarily at the Iverson Movie Ranch in Chatsworth, Calif. The serial's production number was 1197.[1] The success of the original serial Jungle Girl prompted the sequel, but the studio did not want to pay licensing fees to Burroughs again, so it avoided any repetition of the term "Jungle Girl," to which he had the rights. Instead, "Nyoka," the name of the main character in the first film, was placed in the title of the sequel, because that name was an original creation of Republic's writers, not of Burroughs.[5]
Perils of Nyoka's official release date is 27 June 1942, although this is actually the date the seventh chapter was made available to film exchanges.[1] The serial was re-released on 2 April 1952, under the new title Nyoka and the Tigermen, between the first runs of Radar Men from the Moon and Zombies of the Stratosphere.[1]
Perils of Nyoka was one of twenty-six Republic serials re-released as a film on television in 1966. The title of the film was changed to Nyoka and the Lost Secrets of Hippocrates. This version was cut down to 100-minutes in length.[1]
Jim Harmon and Donald F. Glut write that this is probably the best Jungle serial ever made and that it "lavished in increased production values."[5] Cline notes that Perils of Nyoka stands out in the memories of the original serial audiences despite the strong competition of 1942.[2]
| Preceded by Spy Smasher (1942) |
Republic Serial Perils of Nyoka(1942) |
Succeeded by King of the Mounties (1942) |