 "Lure
of the Tropix"
by Bill Feret
Proteus Books, 1984
"Lure of the Tropix,"
as the front cover professes, is a "Pictorial History of the Tropic Temptress
in Film Serials and Comics." It traces the history of jungle safari, south
sea adventure, and desert journey films in popular history focusing on
those femme fatales who made those flicks all worth while. It all started
in the silent era with the likes of Tarzan and Nyoka and continues in the
modern day (albeit modified) with Indiana Jones. There are two main reasons
that movies of the tropic have been popular for so long. First, there's
the feeling of being carried out of your drab life into a lush and adventurous
locale. (It works along the same reasoning on why exotica music is still
popular.) And second--it gives movie producers an excuse to dress up there
female leads in skimpy loin-cloths and/or harem veils. During the censorship
heyday of the Golden Age of Hollywood, the only place it seemed you could
see women in sexy, exotic outfits were in these "jungle jane" serials.
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