Hell’s Headquarters

2385. HELL’S HEADQUARTERS (1932-usa). WITH Jack Mulhall, Barbara Weeks, FRANK MAYO. Directed by ANDREW L. STONE. This is a story of ivory hunting in the Congo. “Every tusk, piece and scrap in the possession of an Arab trader, has been steeped and dyed in ‘ blood. Every pound weight has cost the life of a man, woman or child. For every five pounds a hut has been burned, for every two tusks a whole village has been destroyed, every twenty tusks have been obtained at the price of a district with all it’s people, villages, and plantations.” Jack Mulhall, screen veteran of literally hundreds of productions, stars as Ross King, “a real man,” who leads an expedition through darkest Africa to “the part of the country known as ‘Forbidden Territory,’ the Hell Hole, a plague of man-eating lions.” Along the way our hero will not only find romance with the lovely Dianne Cameron (Barbara Weeks), but also greed, racial bigotry, treachery, and death. Desiring both Dianne and the precious tusks is Phil Talbot, a villain in the classic tradition played by Frank Mayo. Director Stone, best known for his many musicals and comedies, proved he was also more than well equipped to tackle both sharp edged drama and high thrills adventure. There are more plot twists and ‘action sequences in this brief epic than there are in most five part mini- series. 57 minutes. Jungle Adventure