 Further Details Though he may not look it, Andre Roosevelt (1879-1962) was a (distant) cousin to Teddy Roosevelt. His father Cornelius was related to the 26th President, a fact Andre liked to play up in his day-to-day activities as an international playboy. After winning the Gold Medal in rugby at the 1900 Summer Olympics, he traveled the world. His money dwindling rapidly, Andre became interested in converting the island of Bali into an international theme park for tourists. To help sell Americans on his scheme, he got into the movie business, producing Goona-Goona, An Authentic Melodrama of the Island of Bali (1932). Though Andre's plan to turn Bali into a giant water park for the rich and famous failed, Goona-Goona turned out to be hit. He then made another film, Man Hunters of the Caribbean (or Beyond the Caribbean) by combining footage from his safari and hunting expeditions with scenes shot in "Central America" (i.e., Hollywood.) It didn't prove as successful as Goona-Goona. Humbled, Andre got out of showbiz and into hotel management. He died in 1962. BONUS: Wild River Safari (1954): Topless, loincloth-clad jungle girls abound in this Castle Films "Adventure and Animal Movie". Aspect Ratio: Missing Information? |