Gungala la pantera nuda (Ruggero Deodato, 1968)

Grab your pith helmet, machete and mosquito net and come with us into the deepest, darkest, fakest-looking jungle in search of the lost heiress Gungala. Yes, we're back with a brand new mini-season, taking a look at the brief burst of Jungle Films to come out of Italy in 1968-1969. Gungala la pantera nuda is significant for a number of reasons; the first is of course the presence of Kitty Swan in the lead role, and the second is that it was Ruggero Deodato's first jungle movie. Give him another few years and he would become infamous for what he caught on camera in the jungles of South America. Here however it's Africa, although it's mostly the De Paolis sound stages in Rome. You will struggle to tell the difference.


You can read all about Kitty Swan's terrible accident and miraculous recovery in THIS ARTICLE. Or if you just want to look at lots of photos of Kitty Swan THIS LINK has you covered.


We would love to hear from you if you have any favourite Jungle Girl films, or if you ever got lost in the jungle yourself and ended up befriending the animals or becoming a god to a local tribe. You can contact us on Twitter and Instagram or by email at wildwildpodcast@gmail.com. Please also remember to rate and review us on your podcast platform of choice!


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