Fang and Claw (1935)
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Synopsis by Hal Erickson
Fang and Claw was one of several documentary features of the 1930s starring and narrated by Frank "Bring 'Em Back Alive" Buck. Using footage shot during his past African and Asian expeditions, Buck shows the various methods used to trap the exotic animals featured in his travelling circus. This time we witness the capture of a tiger, a baby hippo, an alligator, a Bird of Paradise, and a couple of nasty-looking pythons. A cheery and shameless self-promoter, Buck expounds upon his "humanitarian" methods even as he ridicules his native helpers for not having the good sense to be born Caucasian. Frank Buck's casual racism hurts the well-photographed Fang and Claw when seen today; even the 1935 audiences were growing tired of Buck, as indicated by the film's lukewarm box office performance.
Characteristics
Keywords
Africa, alligator, animal, Asia, birds, capture, carnival, circus, exotic, expedition, hippopotamus, humiliation, native, promoter, python, racism, tiger, trapped, trapper, wild [undomesticated], witness, zoo
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