A blonde movie star is strangled outside a seedy dive bar. Lawrence Tierney is a drunk off-duty detective who is found shit-faced at the scene. Problems arise when witnesses remember seeing him with a blonde who just may have been the victim. Since he blacked out during the time of the murder, he can’t refute their claims. It’s then up to Tierney to nose his way into the investigation and find the real killer, or at least keep his name off the suspect list.
Female Jungle was the first film directed by rotund character actor Bruno (Attack of the Giant Leeches) VeSota. He has a stark, no-nonsense style that is perfectly suited to film noir. Although some of the budgetary restrictions are evident (the ADR is terrible), there is plenty of atmosphere to go around.
Tierney makes for a compelling lead, but it’s the supporting performances that makes it stand out. The great John Carradine shines as a rich gossip columnist who acted as a mentor to the victim. Burt Kaiser (who also co-wrote and co-produced) does some fine, sweaty overacting as an alcoholic caricaturist. Kathleen Crowley is also quite good as Kaiser’s long-suffering wife, and the next potential victim.
The real reason to see it is for Jayne Mansfield. This was either Mansfield’s first filmed performance or her first film that was released, depending on what you read. She makes an immediate impression playing (what else?) a sex-crazed seductress. She’s fun to watch as she juggles men, guzzles booze, and breathlessly recites lines like, “You’re trouble… you always will be! Now I’ve come along to give you a taste of your own medicine!”
Despite the stylish touches, fun performances, and the sight of a young Mansfield chewing the scenery, the plot really takes a nosedive in the second half. It’s here when the film becomes populated with too many characters and winds up spinning itself in narrative circles. The chase finale is anticlimactic, and the final wrap-up runs on way too long. Still, just for Tierney’s growling and Mansfield’s sultriness, it’s worth watching.
VeSota’s next film as a director was The Brain Eaters.
AKA: The Hangover.
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