The Impact of Films

Captain Africa - the Mightly Jungle Avenger

Do you remember all of those movies you saw as a child? I assume like me the answer is no. However there are some that we do remember. Did you ever see Captain Africa? A bit like the Phantom, the ghost who walks in the night. He was also a cartoon character of my childhood.

The Phantom

Captain Africa was a weekly movie shown at the local theatre and every week he would die in those final seconds. You know the scenes .. he has saved the poor defenceless female, definitely a movie full of stereotypes, and is off fighting a new bad guy but just before the curtain falls he does something heroic which of course results in imminent death. Like he is in a car which is hurtling over a cliff. You see the car plunge over the edge and the camera pans away to show you rapids at the bottom of the distant canyon floor...

Life was so hectic and fast paced in those days that my friends and I would discuss through the week the adventure of the previous weekend and wonder what would next week be replacing Captain Africa as he had died AGAIN...bit like the afternoon soaps.

Next week we returned to be shown those last few minutes again and oh we hadn't seen it before but Captain Africa had jumped clear of the car just before it plummeted over the edge..and so this week's adventure could continue.

And yes we did believe it every time. That a rather overweight male with a too big stomach wearing long lights, a skivvy and mask could be the 'Mighty Jungle Avenger' ..definitely naive.

C12 No Roses for Michael

Another movie which I remember, and with about as much clarity, was called 'No Roses for Michael'. I have no idea where the title came from nor do I remember much apart from the final scene where Michael is lying in a grotty alley dying from a drug overdose. This movie was one of the first in drug education. Very frightening to a naive country girl. I prefer the modern way of educating people as to why they should avoid drugs rather than simply trying to scare them. Education has changed a lot...mind you 'No Roses for Michael' was frightening enough for me that I avoided drugs..but didn't work as well with several peole I knew.

Carol decided that Michael should have some roses and what a delightful block it is.