“TOO HOT TO HANDLE”

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23812, 19 May 1939, Page 5

“TOO HOT TO HANDLE”

ADVENTURERS WITH NEWSREEL CAMERAMAN A motion picture expedition, .penetrated the jungles of northern South America to film one of the world’s strangest tribes. Headed by Clyde de Vinna, ace cameraman, and Richard Hosson, the cbrnpany assembled in Surinam, also known as Dutch Guiana, to film important sequences for the picture, “Too Hot to Handle," starring Clark Gable and - Myrna Loy;. which will be screened at the Empire Theatre to-day. Rosson-and a complete crew sailed for Surinam to make preliminary arrangements for filming important sequences with more than a thousand .full-blooded Djukas negroes in their tribal dances and customs. De Vinna and an assistant reached Surinam later'by plane. The Djukas were selected for the jungle sequences because. of their colourful background and tribal rituals Rosson succeeded in communicating v/ith the tribe, who live in the dense jungles of the hinterland, through the co-operation of the Dutch Government which is, on friendly terms with it. The history of the tribe dates back to the seventeenth century, when their ancestors were captured in Africa by the Dutch and transported ih slavery to Dutch Guiana. Shortly after their arrival, the tribesmen revolted, fled. Into the interior , jungles, and set up their Own tribal government as it had originally existed in Africa The .Djukas were first discovered by President Roosevelt op his famous expedition down the River of Doubt in 1908, apd they are believed to be among the purestblooded negroes in the world . to-day They have never intermingled with other natiopalities. and they retain the same rituals and rules of government their forebears observed in the seven teenth century.