Jungle Depths of Borneo

This film was a silent lecture film that preceded the release of the Johnsons' commercial sound version of the picture Borneo. Martin Johnson died in an airplane crash on January 13, 1937, and Jungle Depths of Borneo marked his final screen effort. According to a biography of the Johnsons, the airplane tragedy occurred while the couple were en route to California to give their second lecture screening of the film. Osa survived the crash and continued, along with sound engineer Joseph Tilton, to tour with the film. The New York Times article referred to the film as The Jungles of Borneo. Contemporary news items note that the orangutan shown captured in the film was shipped to the United States and housed at the Bronx Zoo, where it died a week before Martin died. For more information on the Johnsons and their films, see catalog entry above for Congorilla.