Johnny Weissmuller as Jungle Jim in "Pygmy Island" (1950) - feat. Ann Savage & Steven Geray

Jungle Jim (Johnny Weissmuller) is navigating a twisting jungle river when he comes across a tiny drowned man tangled in driftwood. Among the pygmy’s scant possessions are a dog tag and a strange braided rope that refuses to burn, no matter how fiercely Jim tries. Suspicious of its peculiar properties, Jim pockets the rope just as a U.S. Army expedition arrives, searching for a missing WAC, Captain Ann R. Kingsley (Ann Savage).

Jim brings the dog tag and the indestructible rope to Major Bolton (David Bruce), who quickly suspects that foreign agents are after the unusual fiber for some secret military purpose. Their suspicions are soon confirmed when Leon Marko (Steven Geray), a slick and calculating international businessman, appears, backed by his ruthless enforcers Kruger (William Tannen) and Novak (Tristram Coffin), all determined to acquire the rope by any means necessary.

Venturing deeper into the jungle, Jungle Jim encounters a tribe of diminutive but fiercely intelligent pygmies led by Makuba (Billy Curtis), who cautiously monitors the intruders. Jim learns that the missing Captain Kingsley has inadvertently fallen under the tribe’s influence and superstitions, complicating her rescue. Makuba, wise and observant, guides Jim through hidden paths and secret rituals, offering insight that proves invaluable as Jim navigates the dangers set by both the jungle and the villains. Captain Kingsley herself demonstrates resourcefulness, combining bravery with strategic thinking, challenging any notion that she is a passive victim.

The narrative escalates as staged gorilla attacks, ambushes, and treacherous jungle obstacles put Jim and the soldiers to the test, while Marko’s agents manage to seize a sample of the rope in a daring theft attempt. Jim, aided by Makuba and the loyal pygmies, orchestrates a counterstrike, culminating in a tense confrontation where he battles Kruger hand-to-hand and the soldiers intercept Novak’s escape. Marko’s plan collapses when it becomes clear that the rope’s secret cannot be exploited without the tribe’s cooperation. In the aftermath, Captain Kingsley is safely rescued, the foreign agents are thwarted, and the pygmy tribe restores control over their island.

Jim returns the braided rope to its rightful guardians, sharing a moment of quiet respect with Major Bolton, and Captain Kingsley walking confidently beside Jim, signaling the close of another thrilling Jungle Jim adventure while underscoring both courage and loyalty.

A 1950 American Black & White adventure film directed by William Berke, produced by Sam Katzman, written by Carroll Young, based upon the newspaper feature JUNGLE JIM owned by King Features Syndicate and which appears regularly in The Comic Weekly, cinematography by Ira H. Morgan, starring Johnny Weissmuller, Ann Savage, David Bruce, Steven Geray, William Tannen, Tristram Coffin, Billy Curtis, and Tamba the chimp. Released by Columbia Pictures.

Billy Barty appears as Kimba (uncredited).

Steven Geray (1904-1973), born István Gyergyai in Ungvár, Austria‑Hungary (now Uzhhorod, Ukraine) was a Hungarian-born American film actor who appeared in over 100 films and dozens of television programs during a long career that bridged empires. Geray's early roots were in the Hungarian National Theatre, and by the late 1920s he was already appearing in Hungarian films. In 1934 he ventured to London, adopted the stage name Steven Geray, and soon after began winning roles in English‑language films. By 1941 he had relocated to Hollywood, where he would carve out a niche for decades. Geray’s face and voice became familiar to audiences in over a hundred films and dozens of television appearances. Although he appeared — often unheralded but memorable — in major studio A‑pictures such as Alfred Hitchcock’s "Spellbound" (1945), "To Catch a Thief" (1955), Joseph L. Mankiewicz’s "All About Eve" (1950), and Howard Hawks’s "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" (1953), it was in the smoky underworld of film noir that he truly found his calling. He became a dependable presence in the genre. As Hollywood changed, Geray adapted, easing into a steady rhythm of television guest roles and small screen cameos, yet he remained working steadily into the 1960s. Though never a marquee star, his enduring legacy lies in the subtle reliability of his performances — the sort of actor whose presence quietly strengthens a story, and whose career traces a remarkable arc from Central European theatre to the heart of mid‑century Hollywood.

This is the fifth entry in the the Columbia Picture Jungle Jim series, based on a long-running newspaper comic strip by Alex Raymond and Don Moore, the creators of the Flash Gordon strip.

Jungle antics are on display in this B-Movie, as Jungle Jim wrestles a crocodile, survives an elephant stampede, and manages to escape a fierce gorilla. not a great film, but taken for what it is, this formula adventure tale can be nostalgic fun. A fantastic romp aimed at the child in us.