Ten Movies I Want to See: Kongo (1932)

In the golden age of Hollywood, MGM couldn't do comedies very well, but they were pretty good at horror movies and adventure films. Kongo is a bit of both.

A remake of Lon Chaney's West of Zanzibar (which is a pretty good thriller itself), Kongo is about as gritty as movie as anyone would see for decades. as one reviewer puts it, "It’s a quaint tale of adultery, alcoholism, forced drug dependency and prostitution, voodoo, human sacrifice, sadism, rape, madness, murder and revenge."

The film stars Walter Huston, who also starred in the 1926 Broadway version (BTW, "Broadway" once meant mainstream entertainment, not expensive musicals and weird dramas), which means this version may be even more authentic than its silent predecessor.

Adding to the coolness factor: the film co-stars Lupe Valez (Hollywood Party), AKA Mrs. Johnny Weismuller.