Story: An expedition into the wilds has some explorers having some unusual experiences and hearing about local lore, some of which captures their imagination. The tale of a woman who fled society to join the gorillas is especially of interest to the expedition, since one of its leaders is facing a similar situation. His beloved has a wild streak and would love to live in bare nature, so perhaps he can learn how to avoid that fate, if he learns more about this jungle girl. But will meetings with locals and learning about local culture be enough to reel his love back in, or is the call of the wild too strong to resist?

Entertainment Value: An oddball mixture of footage from the short film The Black Panther and newly filmed material from director Ron Ormond, Untamed Mistress is not going to dazzle most viewers, but I found it to be fun and interesting as a b movie curio of sorts. The narrative is thin, but does what it needs to do, which is set up the safari footage and provide a reason for all the hilarious gorilla suits on showcase. The travelogue footage feels kind of like a mini mondo movie, showing some cultural elements of the locals, including making sure to feature some nudity for education’s sake. There is also some actual wildlife sequences at times, but when Ormond’s footage takes hold, Untamed Mistress is a much sillier experience. I love the gorilla suits and they add such a b movie vibe, not to mention the offbeat dialogue and general cheapness of Ormond’s new material here. I had a good time with Untamed Mistress and if you can appreciate hokey b movies, recycled footage, and of course, gorilla suit hijinks, give it a shot.

The wacky gorilla suits are the real stars of this show, as they look quite cool and radiate old school monster movie vibes, which I love. As for the human cast, this ensemble isn’t going to light up any award shows, but there are some humorous performances here. Jacqueline Fontaine was the standout for me, as she at least brought some energy to her role as Velda. When she’s on screen, Untamed Mistress jumps a few notches in entertainment, but sadly the film never lets her get some momentum going. Even when she really commands the screen in a few scenes, the film reels things back in and refocuses on the less interesting cast members. The cast also includes Allan Nixon, Nelson Leigh, Byron Keith, and Carol Varga.

The Disc: Indicator Series released Untamed Mistress as part of the incredible From Hollywood to Heaven box set, which collects the work of the Ormond Collective, as well as a host of supplemental material. The transfer on Untamed Mistress is limited by the source material involved, but Indicator hunted down the best possible elements to work with. The result is standard definition, but the movie looks good here and certainly a step above the older editions on the market. The image is clean and shows solid detail, though of course, you can’t expect pristine or ultra detailed images here. In addition to the movies, Indicator’s box set has all kind of rarities and extras that cinephiles will be delighted with. This is a fantastic, must own release.

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