Wow! Such a good movie.

Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.

The joyful confection is coated in a sparkly gloss, bright enough to gleam from the darkest, most cynical corners.

The best films of this genre always show a path and provide a takeaway for being a better person.

Released in 1935 and loosely based on H. Rider Haggard's novel, "She" stars Randolph Scott and Nigel Bruce as explorers leading an expedition to the Arctic to find a lost civilization. Helen Mack hooks up with them at some point. The journey leads to a quasi-immortal queen of some sort with Julius Adler playing her high priest. The hulking Noble Johnson is on hand as the Amahaggar chief. I saw the original B&W version, but there's also a colorized version, which I'd rather see since I find B&W to be a flat presentation for cinema and a lavish adventure pic like this deserves color. With the exception of the directors, the production team is the same as 1933's "King Kong" with Merian C. Cooper producing, Ruth Rose scripting (along with Dudley Nichols' added dialogue) and scored by Max Steiner. Speaking of the latter, the music is outstanding, particularly for such an old flick. You can tell that the adventurous adult tone, the sets and the music were a big influence on Gene Roddenberry's original Star Trek. In regards to "King Kong," this is sort of the feminine flip side to that hallmark adventure fantasy. The architectural sets were influenced by cubism, expressionism, and art deco. The tribal dance sequence in the third act is a highlight, combined with the excellent score for an entrancing experience, as potent as anything by Igor Stravinsky.An aged yet youthful-appearing queen thinks that she has found her Shangri La, but something unexpected is in store. The flame of life can only last so long before it dies out due to ill-character of the power mad, vain, jealous and possessive queen. She's living in a fool's paradise and is as tragic as she is blessed. Her arrogance, acquired over hundreds of years of unchallenged rule, makes her view others' lives as paltry and transient. Vanity gets a real spanking with some remarkable F/X for the era. In the book, Ayesha was more stunningly imperious and not just a pasty control freak. She, by the way, is played by Helen Gahagan, a stage actress and opera singer who only made this single film before going into politics and championing migrant workers in California as a Democrat before the party became the Demoncraps. She had a not-so-secret affair with Lyndon B. Johnson on Capitol Hill and coined Nixon's nickname "Tricky Dick." While she's actually rather plain-looking, she has an impressive mane and a powerful presence; She could be the prototype for the wicked queen in "Snow White" or the evil Maleficent.The African setting of the book was obviously changed to the arctic so as not to compete with the popular Weissmuller Tarzan series that just released the hit "Tarzan and His Mate" the year before. There was also a great fascination with the arctic at the time dating back to the early 19th Century. They certainly did a good job with the studio-bound sets, giving the illusion of the arctic, except that you can't see the characters' breath.If you have a taste for 1930's adventure epics like King Kong, Gunga Din (1939), and King Solomon's Mines (1937), you will probably appreciate "She." The Hammer version from 1965 isn't as lavish or compelling, despite the quality cast with Ursula Andress in the titular role; it's also straddled with a lousy score. The film runs 101 minutes (original) and 95 minutes (reissue) and was shot entirely at Prudential Studios, Los Angeles, California. DIRECTORS: Lansing C. Holden & Irving Pichel.GRADE: B

An aging queen thinks that she has found her Shangri LA, but she has a major surprise on store. The flame of life can only last so long before it is dimmed. Power hungry, vain, jealous and possessive of everything she touches, she is living in a fool's paradise. She is Helen Gahagan, a stage actress who only made one film and ended up in politics. A beauty of powerful presence, she could be the model for the wicked queen in "Snow White" or the evil Maleficent. She is every role that Gale Sondergaard would play in the early stages of her career, and she has never been forgotten.The legend goes back centuries, and on his death bed, handsome Randolph Scott's father begs him to make this quest to find the fountain of youth that he once knew in his youth. It's way over the rainbow, but skies are not blue. Accompanying him are his lady love, Helen Mack, and his father at old friend, Nigel Bruce. Others who to meet fateful endings, not paying attention to the warnings which nature gives.Gahagan shows up after Scott and his party have been attacked by natives who live underneath the volcano that became active again after an avalanche caused by some of the explorers who didn't listen to Scott's warnings. Gahagan cruelly sentences them to death, tossed into the abyss. Gahagan makes it clear to Mack that she will never let Scott go but bit by bit, her evil ways are exposed. A fascinating chase out of the complex reminded me of the scene of Dorothy running all over the witches castle in "The Wizard of Oz" and to a conclusion that is shocking yet beautiful, fantastic yet profound.Vanity gets a real spiritual spanking here, leading to some truly memorable special effects. Make-up changes in a shocking manner. Two ceremonial dance numbers add a bit of camp value. As well deserved as the conclusion is, you can't help but feel sad, and have found myself shaking in shock and horror for the destiny that awaits the villain. This has been remade several times. But none of then will touch this version.

*Spoiler/plot- She, 1935. An ancient civilization in the snowy North has the answer for eternal life and youth by using a secret fire immersion bath. Two Medieval explorers found out the secret and their modern day scientist descendants wish to explore their family genealogy accounts to find the secret again. The modern descendants find the civilization and it's secret but a love triangle causes the drama for the main characters.*Special Stars- Helen Gahangan, Helen Mack, Randolph Scott, Nigel Bruce, Jim Thorpe, Ray Corrigan.*Theme- Better to live short with love, than live eternally without love.*Trivia/location/goofs- This film has been remade three times. It has spectacularly visual Art-Deco sets and an extensive dance routine in the Temple. Massive Art-Deco sets, great extravagant Aztec-like costuming, and Max Steiner music score. The film was a flop and ended the acting career of Ms. H. Gahagan(later to become the Democratic Congress person from California that unsuccessfully ran against Richard Nixon's first election). This film has Very similar look and theme as 'King Kong' because it was done by the same producer, Meriam C. Cooper. Goofs: Helen Mack(Tanya) keeps mispronouncing Mr. R. Scott's character name as "LEEE-oW". One 'sacred fire' acolytes with a globe fails to ignite his globe from the high priest during the extravagant dance routine. Watch for Olympic athletes winner Jim Thorpe and Ray Corrigan as top rank temple guards.*Emotion- A visually rich and extravagant film in it's staging, costumes, dance, and plot ideas. Hard to believe it came from RKO Studios, something of 'Poverty Row' production lot. The rich nature of this film in many levels makes this film definitely one to see(and I think to remake). Hard to believe it was a box office flop in it's release. I found this film entertaining, memorable, and a delight.

Well to write this review I must gather my mind and go back a long ago, almost a decade, when I was a child and my father gifted me this book "she" by rider haggard and ever since it was my favorite novel, I read it so many times and every time I felt I am reading it the first time. The imagination of the writer and how he created everything was marvelous. It's the height of man's creativity that he creates something out of nothing and you start believing in it. It was my all-time favorite novel.For a long time I had been searching if there had been any film made on this novel but I couldn't find it. I thought no one took this novel so serious to make movies, rather twilight, lord of the rings, harry potter wins this race, but just 2-3 days ago I was just searching some other films and by the way I searched for it and found this film. I was restless to get it.I saw the film, but let me tell you something, before watching it; I had high hopes from it. I expected it to be perfect in the black and white because I believe that the beauty of some things remain more enchanting in their originality. Therefore I started watching it, but I was quite disappointed to see it, as the director had skipped so much beautiful things which the write had explained in so much immense details. I wanted to see the old yellowish manuscripts of Vincy, the killing of goat/deer by a gun and showing it to bilali, on their way to Kor. The flame of life was also poorly shown and that there had been so much changes as the novel had, when finally "she", leo, and others were following to the flame of life, there were no one following them, as shown in the movie. I dare say that I was quite disappointed to see this film, as this novel was the first gift from my father and had a great value to me.I certainly keep in mind that in 1935, filming such thing would have been a challenge but there is a difference in skipping the details and altering the plot from original. When you alter the plot, then the director himself is throwing the film to black hole. I think probably that's why the film didn't gain much popularity and its rating is low. Well this was solely my view, in relation to my past memories and my expectations. Though it might be different for others who just see it just as a film. Overall it was a good attempt as many such novel remain in dark book shelves and never gain the hype as commercial novels does. I wish this novel and its filming be done again, making it a better one, though I am against, the efforts of introducing graphic touch to classics, as done in the film "clash of titans". There is a huge difference in its older version and the 2010 version, after all making "300" in that way was also a superb effort, but you know what, it was a perfect blend of classic filming with originality and graphic reproduction.I recommend everyone first to read the novel, "she" and "return of she" and then see this film.