The Mating Urge
Brief Synopsis
Cast & Crew
Art Gilmore
Howard C. Brown
M. Chatab
Lucien Kleinpeter
Richard F. Morean
Richard F. Morean
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
The courtship customs in Africa, the South Seas, Indonesia and Asia are examined in the film. Some of the traditions that are portrayed include the capture of the bride by force in Bali; the running of an obstacle course in the Solomon Islands; the Mae Engas natives' consideration of a woman's muscles that influence the purchase of a bride; New Guinea's secret to beguiling a mate with a grass skirt and the Vedda tribe's use of a marriage belt that includes a piece of liver to tie the knot. Other practices demonstrated are the preference for sniffing or rubbing noses as opposed to the often taboo practice of kissing, and various displays, such as tattoo rites and the Turkana dance of love. The influences of prayer, astrology, charms and body mutilations are also explored.
Cast
Art Gilmore
Crew
Howard C. Brown
M. Chatab
Lucien Kleinpeter
Richard F. Morean
Richard F. Morean
Ray Phoenix
Theodore Sebern
E. O. Stocker
A. C. Symons
Charles Trotter
M. P. S. Van Lier
Norman Wallis
Stanley Wilson
Film Details
Technical Specs
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
Information in the file on The Mating Urge in the MPAA/PCA collection at the AMPAS Library indicates that the film opens with the following written prologue: "The material in this film is factual and based on two years of research done by the producers. The cast is all native." Credits and the plot synopsis were taken from the MPAA/PCA file and reviews. Information from the PCA file indicates that the onscreen credits for the various cameramen May have read: "Expeditionary directors of photography" followed by the names and country of the location shooting. The PCA file lists the film's length as 7,069 feet. According to publicity materials, the film took over three years to film and used numerous camera crews, who stayed with various native tribes for lengthy periods in order to gain their confidence.
