HEAD HUNTERS OF PAPUA, CAPTAIN FRANK HURLEY'S GREAT EPIC OF WILD NEW GUINEA

This film is held by the BFI (ID: 13911).

Synopsis

INTEREST. Material apparently shot for PEARLS AND SAVAGES and the JUNGLE WOMAN (?) re-edited and provided with a first person narration to form a story line: a team of explorers search for their lost companions in the New Guinea jungle and escape the pursuit of a tribe of head hunters.

RL. 1 Credits (17). A diver dons his diving-suit and is lowered from the side of a boat (42). Underwater shots of tropical fish (76). The diver emerges (85). Shots of coral (173). A giant clam is teased with a pole and snaps its shells together (198). Many days later (210). Papuan natives seated on the ground, some wearing nose bones (258) [tinted]. Sky at dusk (270). Natives dancing on a beach, wearing ceremonial feathers. A native carrying a spear joins in (358). Boat on a river (397). A sea-plane in the air: members of the party are searching for missing colleagues claims commentary. Aerial shots of sea (422). Map of Papua and New Guinea showing the location of Lake Murray, the objective of the expedition (440). Aerial view of jungle and river (468). The sea-plane lands on a river in the jungle and taxies along (508). Natives paddling canoes (585). A village (593 ft).

RL. 2 View of village from the river (37). Shrunken heads on poles (50). A white man examining skulls (65). A line of native porters (82). The explorers and their native porters forcing their way through thick vegetation (113). In a clearing, a ceremonial dance is taking place: the dancers are accompanied by natives beating tree trunks with sticks (158). Dancers enter wearing masks, CU masks. Commentary describes this as the 'head-hunters' dance of death (207). Natives beating drums with their hands (222). Dancers enter wearing huge masks (266). Dancers and drummers (303). The explorers set off again through the jungle, accompanied by their native helpers, who carry guns. They enter a large hut in the village: the interior of the hut is lined with spears, shields, animal and human skulls (408). The commentary states that the party makes their escape from the cannibals thanks to a sudden tropical storm: montage sequence of clouds, native dancers, lightning, heavy rain, dancers dispersing? (491). The party of white men making their way across marshy ground (510). The sea-plane on the river (515). The party in the marsh (528). Natives pushing their canoes through a swamp (556). Natives paddling their canoes at speed along the river, viewed from the taxi-ing plane (568). Ground shot of the plane taking off. Aerial shots of jungle. The plane landing on the river (590). Sunset. The End (629 ft). (1222 ft).

 

Titles

  • HEAD HUNTERS OF PAPUA, CAPTAIN FRANK HURLEY'S GREAT EPIC OF WILD NEW GUINEA
 

Technical Data

Year:
1936
Running Time:
14 minutes
Film Gauge (Format):
35mm Film
Colour:
Black/White
Sound:
Sound
Footage:
1222 ft
 

Production Credits

Producer
REUBENSON, Reginald
Director of Photography
HURLEY, Frank