Bride of the Gorilla

In the South American jungle, envious plantation manager Barney Chavez advises former dancer Dina that she needs to free herself from her husband, the aging plantation owner Klaas Van Gelder. Over dinner that evening, Klaas insinuates that Barney has amorous intentions toward his wife, fires him, then leaves the table. Dina begs Barney not to leave her, and Barney understands that Dina shares his feelings. Meanwhile Dina's maid Larina is distraught that Barney's love is no longer hers and cries in the arms of Al Long, Klaas's devoted servant and a local witch doctor, who promises that Barney will not hurt Larina again. Genteel governmental doctor Viet then advises Klaas to attend to his ailing health and take Dina away from the isolated jungle. Later, Barney confronts Klaas in the yard, knocking him into the path of a poisonous snake, which bites and kills Klaas instantly. Barney then goes to Dina's room and asks her to leave with him the next day, promising her happiness. Meanwhile Long, who has secretly witnessed the murder, uses the leaves of the poisonous plant pe de guine to place a curse on Barney. At the police inquisition the next morning, Viet's official autopsy report states that Klaas's death was an accident. When questioned, Barney claims to have been in Dina's room, which Dina corroborates. The inquest is then closed, but the police commissioner remains suspicious. Subsequently, Barney and Dina are married by Taro, a local official, and during the celebration at the plantation, Long gives Barney a poisoned drink. As Barney signs the last of the official marriage papers he notices his hands changing and flees the room, only to discover that his skin is temporarily like that of a gorilla's. After everyone leaves, Barney explains to Dina that his senses are heightened, claiming that the screams of the jungle sound like music to him, and he suddenly leaves the manor. The next morning, Dina finds Barney in the garden, deliriously mumbling about his hands, and she calls Viet. The doctor gives Barney a sedative and comments to Dina that the death of her first husband was conveniently timed. She agrees, but professes her love for Barney. Later, at the his office, the commissioner tells Viet about reports that a wild beast, a symbolic creature called Sukara, is viciously killing the villagers' livestock. He claims that his native instincts tell him Barney killed Klaas and predicts that Barney will be brought to justice by Sukara. Later that night a storm builds, and Dina, sensing that Barney is nearby in the jungle, grabs her rifle and frantically shoots into the garden. The commissioner and Viet arrive shortly thereafter and find out from Dina that Barney is driven by an uncontrollable desire to take to the jungle, and that each morning Dina finds him back at the manor, exhausted and tormented from the previous evening's rampages. The commissioner suggests she follow Barney next time, and that afternoon, armed with her rifle, Dina enters the jungle. She finds Barney caught in a trap set by the villagers to catch Sukara, frees him and helps him back to the manor. Barney confesses to Dina that he wants to leave the plantation with her, and they vow to leave the next day. The following morning, while Taro attempts to finish the paperwork to buy the plantation, Viet takes Dina aside and tells her that Barney's symptoms point to poisoning. When they return to the main room, Barney has disappeared into the jungle. Two days later Barney finally returns, disheveled and insisting that he will not leave the property, even though Dina tries to tell him that he has been poisoned and that his urges are a figment of his imagination. Soon the workers, fearing the rage of beast, come to collect their pay and quit. Later, Dina reports to Viet that Barney claims to be able to kill and Viet finally tells Dina that he and the commissioner believe Barney killed Klaas. Dina knows that Viet loves her, and thinks he is only jealous. She returns home and begs Barney to stay, threatening him with a gun, but he leaves for the jungle and she follows with her weapon. Viet and the commissioner arrive shortly thereafter, discover the pe de guine and deduct that Long has taken the law into her own hands. They realize that Dina must be looking for Barney and run into the jungle after them. As Dina searches for him, Barney, now a gorilla, follows closely behind. She senses him and fires a shot into the air, alerting Viet and the commissioner to their location, but the gorilla has taken Dina into a tree. They shoot into the tree, knocking both the beast and Dina onto the ground. Viet takes Dina into his arms, but she and Barney are dead. As the commissioner had predicted, "the jungle had risen to punish Barney Chavez for his crime."