The Lion Man (1936)

There's something of the Rudolph Valentino about Jon Hall in this quite enjoyable, very low budget, desert adventure about a young man who finds himself in a position to take revenge on the ruthless sheikh who murdered his father and condemned him, as a young boy, to a life of poverty. You can easily tell it's an Edgar Rice Burroughs story - Hall ("Ed Lion") has a decency and integrity, as well as an affinity with the land and the animals (hence his moniker) and when he falls in love with "Eulilah" (Kathleen Burke) it certainly has shades of "Tarzan" and "Jane" about it. The production isn't great - every expense was seemingly spared and that really detracts from the playfulness of the story. The light, though, is stunning and Hall just about holds it all together for just over an hour. Not great, but not rubbish either...