Konga, Sir King Kong

As Tokyo began to flourish after being annihilated during World War 2, post war Europe began an economic malaise as The Marshall Plan seemed to sputter.  In desperate need of a jolt to their economy, Britain decided to emulate Tokyo's strategy.  Create a big monster to wipe out the city! Tokyo had Godzilla, and now...with 1961's "Konga," Britain too had a monster.  More ferocious than King Kong, Konga would ultimately squash Londoners as he headed for Big Ben (...instead of The Empire State Building).  Michael Gough, who we first met on this blog with my review of "Black Zoo" last June 23rd, is our mad scientist today, who will stop at nothing for the interest of science.

After being missing in Uganda for a year, mad scientist, Charles Decker (Gough), is rescued.  He returns to London with carnivorous plant samples and a cute chimpanzee.  His fawning assistant, Margaret (Margo Johns) is delighted to see him...but let's face it, she is 40.  After spending a year with a witch doctor, Decker believes that he has discovered the evolutionary link between plant and animal (which, of course, qualifies him for a trophy wife).  By injecting the fluids of these plants into his chimp, Konga, the animal grows.  Margaret is impressed, but she is 40, and the most brilliant scientist in the world needs a female specimen who who is nubile and explodes out of her blouses.  Decker begins to talk about his breakthroughs, but has instant critics, like the Dean of Essex College (Austin Trevor), where he lectures and drools over the buxom coed, Sandra (Claire Gordon).  No matter, Konga is now seven feet tall and obedient.  In a test of that obedience, Decker orders Konga to kill the dean, which he does. (See below picture)  

As Decker perfects his experiments, he develops more critics, and even a competitor.  No problem, Konga is dispatched to take care of these inconveniences.  When Margaret (who is past her prime) suggests that Decker refrain from homicide, Decker ups his fantasies about the youthful Sandra.  Now "Konga" devolves into a tale of inappropriate love, and a woman scorned.  As the cantankerous and middle-aged Decker lures the busty Sandra to his laboratory, the soon to be frumpy Margaret witnesses something unimaginable. Decker tells the precocious Sandra that she will be his love toy....I mean administrative assistant, and witness his greatness, as he puts the aging Margaret out to pasture. When the naive and perky Sandra balks at this offer, Decker does the only thing a brilliant scientist knows how to do,.....he tries to rape her.  Horrified, the almost decrepit Margaret injects Konga with more serum, instantly sending him to over 100 feet tall.  As the periled, blonde Sandra tries to stave off the now nymphomaniac scientist, and some hungry carnivorous fauna, the now colossal Konga bursts out of the laboratory to take a stroll through London.

Will London survive?  Will the pure and pert Sandra emerge with her virtue intact?  How about the ever-aging Margaret and her brilliant beau, the mad-scientist Decker?  Will counseling or therapy be able to save their relationship?  The special effects are cheesy (..in a fun sort of way), but Gough's portrayal of a mad-scientist is classic.  Available on Netflix, for some laughs and good creature scenes, see "Konga."