Liane, Jungle Goddess (German: Liane, das Mädchen aus dem Urwald) is a 1956 West German film directed by Eduard von Borsody. It was based on the 1956 novel Liane, das Mädchen aus dem Urwald by Anne Day-Helveg. It stars Marion Michael and Hardy Krüger.
When Liane, a lost girl worshiped by an African tribe, is returned to her native Hamburg, she becomes the center of a love quadrangle and a deadly tug-of-war over her grandfather's inheritance.
Not to be confused with the 1948 movie Jungle Goddess.
Tropes:
- Caught on Tape: When Jacqueline confesses her love for Thoren to Tibor, it is recorded on the tape Tibor is using to record the Jungle Drums. Later, Thoren plays the recording back through the loudspeakers to scare off the Botos, and hears Jacqueline's confession after the drums stop.
- Diamonds in the Buff: Liane forgoes the usual Fur Bikini of the Jungle Princess, and instead just wears a Loincloth and necklaces.
- Frame-Up: Viktor murders Amelongen and attempts to frame Tanga for it by using his knife and creating a Locked Room Mystery where Tanga would have been the only one who could have entered the room.
- God Guise: An expedition discovers blonde 16 year-old Liane being venerated by a native tribe in the African jungle.
- Godiva Hair: Lianne is introduced topless, with her long blonde hair flowing over her breasts. However, it often does a less-than-adequate job of concealing them.
- Great White Hunter: Thoren is the rugged, handsome leader of the expedition thhat discovers Liane, and whom Jacqueline correctly identifies has having a need to protect women.
- Inescapable Net: When Liane is spotted bathing by Thoren, she escapes into the jungle only to be later caught in a big game net by Kersten and Keller.
- Intimate Hair Brushing: Jacqueline gives rescued Jungle Princess Liane a wash in a camp shower, including washing her hair, before cutting her unruly hair to shoulder length; an act that builds trust between the two women.
- Jungle Drums: The Botos communicate using jungle drums. Thoren uses his knowledge of the drum language to communicate with Liane after she is captured.
- Jungle Princess: Researchers in the African jungle find a young white woman living with a tribe, that adores her as goddess. She is Liane, the long lost granddaughter of the rich shipowner Amelongen.
- Kindly Housekeeper: Amelongen's housekeeper Alma is a kindly woman who welcomes Liane into the house, ensures her comfort, and generally acts as a mother figure for her.
- Loincloth: Liane forgoes the usual Fur Bikini of the Jungle Princess, and instead just wears a loin cloth and necklaces.
- Man Bites Man: When Thoren loosens the Inescapable Net Liane is bound in to feed her a banana, she bites him.
- Misplaced Wildlife: When Thoren is photographing African wild life, he is seen making a video of a toco toucan. They only exist in South America.
- Orphan's Plot Trinket: The first clue to Liane's true identity is the silver good luck medallion she wears with an 'L' inscribed on the back.
- Outdoor Bath Peeping: Liane grabs onto a vine and swings over a lake before she lets go to drop into the lake and go swimming. Thoren spots her and starts filming. Lianne sees him and escapes into the jungle.
- Prefers Going Barefoot: Having grown up in the jungle, Jungle Princess Liane is not used to wearing shoes, and kicks off her high heeled shoes and leaves them in the middle of the street in Hamburg.
- Shower Scene: Jacqueline gives Liane a wash in a camp shower before cutting her unruly hair to shoulder length, and putting her in some new clothes.
- Skinny Dipping: The film ends with Liane and Thoren skinny dipping in a jungle pond.
- Stock Footage: Pads out its running time with interminable stock footage of native dancing and African wildlife at the beginning and end of the film.
- Vine Swing: Lianne grabs onto a vine and swings over a lake before she lets go to drop into the lake and go swimming.
