Darkest Africa (1936) is a Republic movie serial. This was the first serial produced by Republic Pictures and was a loose sequel to a Mascot Pictures serial called The Lost Jungle, also starring Clyde Beatty. Mascot, and other companies, had been taken over in 1935 by Consolidated Film Laboratories and merged to become Republic. Producer Nat Levine was formerly the owner of Mascot Pictures.

Plot
While on Safari in East Africa, Clyde Beatty runs into a loincloth wearing boy, Baru, and his pet ape Bonga. Baru reveals that he has escaped from the lost city of Joba, King Solomon’s sacred city of the Golden Bat, but that his sister, Valerie, remains there. She was found by High Priest Dagna as a child and declared to be Joba’s goddess as part of his quest for power. Her escape could cause a revolt among the city’s citizens. Clyde agrees to help Baru rescue Valerie and they set out to Joba, through the Valley of Lost Souls.

Meanwhile, the unscrupulous Durkin and Craddock notice the green diamond Baru is wearing and follow them to plunder the city for similar jewels. Dagna receives word of the heroes approach from his Bat-men and makes plans to stop them.

Cast
Clyde Beatty as Himself, world-famous big game hunter and lion tamer. Beatty was billed as the “World’s Greatest Wild Animal Trainer”
Manuel King as Baru Tremaine, escapee from the Lost City of Joba. King was billed as the “World’s Youngest Wild Animal Trainer”
Elaine Shepard as Valerie Tremaine, Baru’s sister and captive “goddess” of Joba
Lucien Prival as Dagna, High priest and ruler of Joba
Ray “Crash” Corrigan (in ape suit) as Bonga, Baru’s pet ape
Wheeler Oakman as Durkin, “Shady trading-post entrepreneur”
Edward McWade as Gorn, keeper of the Books of Law in the Lost City of Joba
Edmund Cobb as Craddock, “Shady trading-post entrepreneur”
Ray Turner as Hambone, Clyde’s assistant
Donald Reed as Negus, a slave in the Lost City of Joba