This summer’s blockbuster that seemed to stand out was “Wonder Woman”. A lot has been written about needing a strong female “superhero” lead actress and how there hasn’t really been one. But in the 40’s there was another heroine that inspired quite a few little girls and young women. Kids of yesteryear remember her name well…Nyoka!
Nyoka, began life in the pages of the pulp magazine “The Blue Book”, in a serialized story written by Edgar Rice Burroughs called “The Land of Hidden Men”. It was later published as a book called “Jungle Girl”. The story was about an American explorer, Gordon King, and his adventures in a hidden jungle kingdom and his rescue of the beautiful Cambodian Princess, Fou-Tan. It was this story that B-picture specialist, Republic Pictures, wanted to develop into a 15 chapter movie serial. Burroughs’ original story was completely changed, so much so that he asked his name to be taken off. Fou-Tan’s name was changed to Nyoka and was the lead star of the serial. About the only thing that remained was Burroughs’ title, “Jungle Girl”.
Nyoka was made into two 15 chapter movie serials directed by the master of the cliffhanger, William Witney. The first serial was “Jungle Girl” (1941) starring Francis Gifford as Nyoka Meredith and the second one was “The Perils of Nyoka” (aka “Nyoka and The Tigermen” 1942) with the stunning Kay Aldrich as Nyoka Gordon. For this article we’ll focus on the latter, which I believe is the stronger picture.
“Nyoka and The Tigermen” tells the story of Nyoka Gordon (played by Kay Aldridge and in 1937 one of the top 10 most photographed women in the world) whose scientist father has gone missing while searching for The Golden Tablets of Hippocrates. These tablets may reveal a cure for cancer and are buried among other golden treasures. Queen Vultura (Lorna Gray) along with her pet gorilla Satan (Emil Van Horn who made a career out of playing gorillas) and her Arabic cohort Cassib (Charles Middleton) are trying to stop her from finding the tablets. Nyoka is helped along the way by Dr. Larry Grayson (future Lone Ranger Clayton Moore) and comic relief Red Davis (Bowery Boy, William Benedict).
I first heard of Nyoka and actress Kay Aldridge in the 1989 issue of the magazine Filmfax and immediately rented the Republic double VHS tape. Not only was I surprised by how well it was made but also the level of action. Clayton Moore started out as an acrobat doing a trapeze act in the circus and in Nyoka he’s seen leaping and jumping quickly without speeding up the shots. 
The stunt coordinator was the legendary Yakima Canutt and it shows. Director William Whitney keeps the action going at a crisp pace.
The main thing that surprised me was the fact that Nyoka didn’t need to be rescued by Dr. Grayson and that they worked together escaping from one trap to another with Nyoka sometimes rescuing Dr. Larry Grayson. Quite a few of these cliffhanging scenes would be copied by Spielberg and Lucas in “Indiana Jones and The Temple of Doom.”
In one scene Nyoka is being chased by Vultura’s henchmen. Nyoka rides her horse under a tree, grabs a branch and swings up onto the limb as a couple henchmen ride underneath. She leaps out of a tree and takes them both down and punches them out. She climbs up onto a large boulder and leaps off onto her horse! These types of stunts weren’t unique to westerns and serials but they sure were with a woman. Female jockey turned Republic Stuntwoman Babe Defreest, doubled for Kay.
I remember first watching this at home every morning before work in my late teens and drinking my coffee. Once day my mom sat down and asked what I was watching. Sarcastically I said just an old movie you wouldn’t know about. A few minutes later she says “Satan’s going to come in and get her!” I looked at her incredulously and sure enough Satan the gorilla came out. We sat and watched a couple of chapters before I had to go to work. She proceeded to tell me what was going to happen. I realized then as well as now what an impact Nyoka must have had on her. She was about 9 years old when she saw these films at the movies, the same age I was when I saw Star Wars. Watching a strong female adventurer punching out bad guys and riding horses must have meant a lot to the little girls of the forties who were used to seeing cowboys get all the glory.
If you have young children, especially daughters, and want them to watch someone that may be a positive role model I highly recommend checking out Kay Aldridge as Nyoka in “Nyoka and the Tigermen”.
