This one makes Bela’s upcoming years with Ed Wood look like a step up. The “comedy” team of Duke Mitchell and Sammy Petrillo do a horrible imitation of Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis. You be the judge but I still say imitation is the sincerest form of forgery and this sure looks like a pale imitation. Petrillo’s low rent Jerry Lewis is so bad it’s actually offensive. Lewis even went to the studio and threatened a lawsuit.
Duke and Sammy fall out of a plane. They were headed for Guam to do a show and are now on a tropical island called Kola Kola. The chief’s daughter Nona (Charlita) saves them from having their heads removed. She and Duke hit it off and Sammy gets jealous. Nona says she has a sister. Out comes the obese Saloma. It’s supposed to be funny as she chases the skinny Sammy around.
Nona says she studied in America because she is due to be queen of the island one day. Duke says they have to get to Guam so Nona takes them to meet her boss Dr.Zabor (Bela Lugosi). He’s a scientist working on evolution with a chimp named Ramona. He has an assistant named Chula. Zabor is jealous of Nona and Duke’s relationship.
Duke and Sammy stay with Zabor. The island lawman Pepe has a wireless and will see if he can get them a boat out of there. Nona’s getting upset about Duke leaving and Ramona is attached to Sammy. The chief has everyone over for dinner. Zabor doesn’t like the way Duke and Nona can’t keep their hands off each other.
Duke and Nona head for some privacy in the jungle. Zabor signals Chula to follow. He reports back that he heard Duke ask Nona to marry him. She gives her necklace since that’s the island custom. Back at the lab Zabor injects a formula into Ramona and she turns into a spider monkey. That convinces him he can turn a man into a gorilla.
Duke is on his way to Pepe’s when Chula hits him over the head and brings him back. Sammy and Nona are searching for him when they comes across the necklace hanging on a bush. If you think this movie has been over the top stupid already….just wait. It ends exactly like you’d think it would.
This was supposed to be the first in several movies starring Mitchell and Petrillo but it was the first and only one.
Duke Mitchell & Sammy Petrillo
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