It is always sad to watch a good actor in a bad movie. It is painful to watch Zack Williams in the horror movie THE SON OF INGAGI (1940) Zack Williams gives the ape man monster of the film Karloff like pathos. This in spite of being dressed up in one of the worst monster costumes in film history. He is wearing a long black wig and dark make up.
The movie is a 'Race Film'. Race films were movies made before the 50's that featured all Black cast of actors. Black film fans would go to these movies to see black people playing non stereootype roles. Most of the Hollywood films of that era would if they had a black actor at all would feature the actor playing a demeaning stereootype.
The screenplay was by Spencer Williams. A year later Williams would write, direct and co star in the classic Race Film THE BLOOD OF JESUS (1941) Both these films can by the way be found at the archive.org.
The title is a rip off of an fake documentary called INGAGI (1930) this racist fake film claimed that women living in the jungles were mating with gorillas and giving birth to half human people. The highlight of the film was a scene shot in California of a topless native woman being carried off by a gorilla. The gorilla was played by Charles Gemora the famous gorilla suit actor.
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