Joshua Shelley, born in 1920, is best known for directing The Perils of Pauline (1967), a vibrant reimagining of the classic serial. After being blacklisted in the 1950s due to the HUAC investigation, he spent years honing his craft on stage, becoming a member of The Actors Studio. Shelley's return to film marked a significant moment in his career, allowing him to explore the playful yet daring spirit of the 1960s. His work in The Perils of Pauline reflects a unique blend of humor and adventure, resonating with the cult cinema ethos.
The Perils of Pauline
This version of the Perils of Pauline (recognizable from the others by it's song "Where are you my pretty Pauline...I love you my pretty Pauline) follows the story of Pauline from her being found on the doorstep of the orphanage to being a tutor to a crazy 12 year old prince in India who wants to make her the start of his harem, on to being frozen in a block of ice, traveling through the jungle where both a gorilla and a big game hunter fall in love with her, almost getting married, various other hijinks, and finally at the end in a boat with the love of her life. Throughout it all she is constantly in peril from one thing or another, crocodiles, hippos, car accidents, drowning, you name it. Even at the very end the crazed big game hunter is in a scuba suit sneaking up under the boat and drilling a hole in its hull.
