Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		3.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		3.0

Captive Wild Woman Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf June 10, 2020

Animal trailer Fred (Milburn Stone) has returned from safari with a collection of exotic animals to use in his circus, with one, a gorilla named Cheela, showing remarkable communication abilities. Fred’s girlfriend is Beth (Evelyn Ankers), who’s concerned about the declining health of her sister, Dorothy (Martha MacVicar). Bringing Dorothy to Dr. Walters (John Carradine), Beth hopes for a miracle, but what the medical professional has in mind is fiendish experimentation. Toying with glandular development, Dr. Walters manages to use Dorothy’s essence to help transform Cheela into a human, named Paula (Acquanetta).

If one is a fan of science, 1943’s “Captive Wild Woman” is not a film that aims to wow with its exploration of the human and animal world. It’s a B- movie without restraint, playing an elaborate game of make-em-ups to bring to life a tale that involves the evolution of a gorilla into a circus showgirl. Bizarre isn’t a complete description of the feature, but director Edward Dmytryk tries to make things as strange as possible without playing the whole things as a goof. The helmer’s sincerity is interesting, dealing with the nonsense world of glandular transplants and a mighty morphing gorilla lady. More earthbound are the animal sequences (recycled from 1933’s “The Big Cage”), which are surprisingly long, giving the endeavor plenty of filler as we watch Fred battle beasts in his circus cage over and over again. For animal lovers, this is not a picture for you, as sequences are filled with fighting lions and tigers, along with assorting whip-and-chair control movements.

Captive Wild Woman Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.35:1 aspect ratio) presentation offers a relatively clean viewing experience, though older footage involving animal activity shows significant wear and tear, making the divide between the movie and stunt scenes from 1933 quite noticeable. Detail emerges with appealing textures on costuming, surveying circus gear and glittery costumes for Acquanetta. Sets are open for examination as well. Delineation is satisfactory. Grain looks a tad processed.

Captive Wild Woman Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix handles with authority, and while hiss is present, dialogue exchanges are direct, capturing dramatic intent without distortive highs. Scoring also rumbles along, supporting suspense needs with passable instrumentation. Sound effects aren't pristine, but tiger roars and rattled metal cages are discernible.

Captive Wild Woman Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary features film historian Tom Weaver.

• Image Gallery (1:56) collects film stills, publicity shots, poster art, and newspaper ads.

• And a Theatrical Trailer (1:07, HD) is included.

Captive Wild Woman Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Once Paula enters "Captive Wild Woman," the feature improves, securing more direct thrills with the enigmatic character, who struggles to maintain her human form. The producers certainly enjoy Acquanetta, keeping her in surprisingly tiny outfits to help with sexploitation needs. "Captive Wild Woman" has dramatic finality, but it's actually the starter pistol on a "Cheela, the Ape Woman" series, with Universal soon returning to the character in 1944's "Jungle Woman," trying to cash in on Acquanetta's screen appeal.