''Booloo'' is a 1938 American

adventure film An adventure film is a form of adventure fiction, and is a genre of film. Subgenres of adventure films include swashbuckler films, pirate films, and survival films. Adventure films may also be combined with other film genres such as action, a ...

directed by Clyde E. Elliott. It stars Colin Tapley as a British soldier who attempts to prove the existence of a legendary tiger.

Premise

Captain Robert Rogers, a British Army officer, publishes a book about his father's exploits. After it is ridiculed as a hoax, Rogers leaves for the

Malay Peninsula The Malay Peninsula ( Malay: ''Semenanjung Tanah Melayu'') is a peninsula in Mainland Southeast Asia. The landmass runs approximately north–south, and at its terminus, it is the southernmost point of the Asian continental mainland. The are ...

to prove the existence of Booloo, the legendary tiger that killed his father.

Cast

* Colin Tapley as Captain Robert Rogers * Jayne Regan as Kate Jaye * Michio Itō as Sakai chief * Herbert DeSouza as Rod DeSouza * Fred Pullen as Nah Laku *

Mamo Clark Mamo or woowoo is a common name for two species of extinct birds. Together with the extant ʻIʻiwi they make up the genus '' Drepanis''. These nectarivorous finches were endemic to Hawaii but are now extinct. The Hawaiian name may be ...

as native girl * Claude King as Major Fenton

Production

Paramount wanted another jungle adventure film after '' The Jungle Princess'' proved popular, and they recruited Clyde E. Elliott to shoot a film in Singapore. Elliott's two previous Malayan films, '' Bring 'Em Back Alive'' and ''Devil Tiger'', had been criticized for lacking authenticity. ''Booloo'' addressed these concerns by using Asian actors when available. However, Paramount cut much of the footage starring these actors and reshot scenes in Hollywood. For example, the role of a native girl, originally played by Ratna Asmara, was recast to a Hawaiian actress, Mamo Clark.

Release

Paramount released ''Booloo'' in the US on July 29, 1938.

Reception

''Booloo'' received negative reviews, which criticized the story and editing. Frank Nugent of ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' called it "an exciting and quite entertaining blend of the real and the make-believe".

References

External links

* 1938 films 1938 adventure films American adventure films Films set in Singapore Films shot in Singapore American black-and-white films 1930s English-language films 1930s American films {{adventure-film-stub