Jungle Virgin (DVD)

On the island of Ceylon, the natives prepare for an invasion of vampire bats that decimated their population hundreds of years ago. Strapping young tribesman Teeto leads his people into the jungle, hoping they will be safe there. But there is no shelter when the bats arrive, and now Teeto must protect the tribe's virgin princess, Minta, from the bloodsucking monsters...

A truly gruesome pseudo-documentary from low-budget studio Jay-Dee-Kay Productions, Jungle Virgin (a.k.a. Jaws of the Jungle) combines actual footage of Ceylonese natives with staged scenes of bat attacks. A voiceover provided by Cliff Howell holds the "story" together, however loosely. Howell was the creator of the CBS radio drama Rocky Jordan, starring George Raft (1948-1951). Jungle Virgin was the only directing credit for Eddie Granemann, who was primarily a screenwriter of serials, including The Lost City (1935) and The Clutching Hand (1936). After the film was submitted to the Hays Office for approval, the following was recommended to be cut from the print: "shots of bare-breasted women and children's genitalia; a bat sucking blood from and killing a peacock; a leopard gnawing at a calf's throat; a native man forcing his attentions upon a native girl in a tree; a tiger devouring a man; narration describing how a snake enjoyed feasting upon the native; a snake approaching a baby." However, producer J.D. Kendis argued that Jungle Virgin was of an "educational" nature, and all of the above remained in the final film.

BONUS: Native Africa (1941): See a tribesman escaping a vicious cheetah, a father lion training his cub, and topless native girls fishing in the rapids in this thrilling installment of Castle Films' "The Adventure Parade."

• documentary