ALL SCI-FI

Bud Brewster · Posted: Sun Dec 28, 2014 1:53 pm Post subject: The Drums of Jeopardy (1931)

________________________________

______________ The Drums of Jeopardy (1931)

__________

Raise your hand if you love a good mystery.

Okay, now raise your other hand if you love science fiction.

Ah, just what I thought. Everybody loves both. And now that everybody has both hands raised . . . This is a stick up! Give me your wallets! Cool

Just kidding. Wink

But Jimbo Berkey's website, Free Classic Movies was serious about finding forgotten cinematic gems, dusting them off, and making them so easy to watch that the only thing we have to do is make our own popcorn! Shocked

Here's a perfect example, a globe-hopping mystery called The Drums of Jeopardy, with a Mad Scientist played by Warner Oland, who is definitely NOT Charlie Chan in this one!

Sadly, Berkey's great website is gone now, but I've preserved his comments and his images below, plus the movie itself.

Enjoy! Very Happy

_____________________________________________

We begin our cursed adventure in Russia where a young blonde girl is dying in bed.

__

Her father, Dr. Boris Karlov . . . yup, that's what they call him . . . gets to her bedside in time to discover that she has the Drums of Jeopardy, a necklace stolen from the neck of a tribal leader's woman that now has a curse on it which is killing his young daughter.

__

Doctor Karlov tells us that the Petroff family owns the necklace, and he goes to their palace to find out which of the Petroff boys gave the necklace and the curse to his daughter. The two young sons, Prince Nicholas and Prince Gregor, escape the Doctor and flee to America . . . with the now-mad doctor Karlov, played by Warner Oland, in hot pursuit.

__

We have figured out that it is Prince Gregor who is responsible for the death of the doctor's daughter, and he will try to frame his brother when push comes to shove.

__

Meanwhile the good brother, Prince Nicholas, has met beautiful young Kitty and her outspoken old-maid aunt Abbie, who help Prince Nicholas hide out in a remote country home. Unfortunately the mad doctor finds them and creates a mad plan for Prince Nicholas and his American girl Kitty. Mad Doctor Karlov will burn a candle at both ends . . . Yeah, really, and it's a very cool sight . . . and when the candle goes out Prince Nicholas must kill the girl he loves, just as the mad doctor lost the daughter that he loved.

__

The candle is burning, Prince Nicholas and Kitty seem to be doomed . . . there is no way out . . . Death is very near for our heroes . . . if only whacky outspoken Aunt Abbie could come up with something outrageous to save the day!

Pop a big bowl of white kernel popcorn with plenty of warm melted butter on it and enjoy the show.

____Jimbo Berkey
_________________
____________
Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)

Bud Brewster · Posted: Wed Oct 30, 2024 12:58 pm Post subject:

Wow, I love this poster! Very Happy

IMDB has an interesting item about thiis movie.

Mad scientist Warner Oland's character's name, Dr. Boris Karlov, was decided upon before the general public became aware of the name of the actor who played Frankenstein Monster. Karloff went on to become the ultimate mad scientist in many subsequent films.
_________________
____________
Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)