Bomba, der Erbe Tarzans

I expected far worse when I decided to watch a BOMBA episode, I mean a movie episode, because BOMBA, unlike JUNGLE JIM, was never adapted for the small screen. This story and acting are not as lousy as you could expect. I don't know exactly why, but there is something better, more serious, less lousy than usual in this poor man's TARZAN, in the line of JUNGLE JIM. The plot is closer to the first TARZAN films, in the thirties, than to the other jungle features of this period. Of course, it will remain a B picture, ambitionless, except entertain young audiences. I won't necessarily recommend it to you, but it's not a so bad film.

Beautiful blonde movie star Beverly Garland (as Linda Winters) is in Africa, looking for her handsome wayward husband, Donald Murphy (as Fred Winters). After embezzling some money, he wants to pilfer an African diamond mine. Her marriage may be "on the rocks," and Ms. Garland wonders whether or not she is still "in love." Bomba (Johnny Sheffield) meets Garland and becomes her guide during the search. A nasty black, cross-eyed "Killer Leopard" wanders around, causing extra danger for the cast. This penultimate episode of "Bomba the Jungle Boy" certainly reveals the series to be long in the saber-tooth (unless, like most, you knew that already). Mr. Sheffield appears more miscast than ever, reciting boyish dialogue to Garland after they take a swim. Garland wears a modest one-piece and she is the film's highlight.

** Killer Leopard (1954-08-22) Ford Beebe ~ Johnny Sheffield, Beverly Garland, Donald Murphy, Barry Bernard

The penultimate Bomba movie starring Johnny Sheffield has our hero helping a movie star (Beverly Garland) trying to find her embezzler husband. But look out, Bomba, there's a killer leopard on the loose! At this point in the series it's becoming increasingly hard to care what Bomba is up to and why. Sheffield tries but it's all just so talky and dull, battle with the leopard notwithstanding. Pretty Beverly Garland is nice in this early role. Her in a bathing suit is one of the movie's only highlights. She would go on to much bigger things than most who guest-starred in this series. Regulars Smoki Whitfield and Leonard Mudie offer decent support. There's an unintentionally funny bit from actor Bill Walker as a native who, when we first meet him, is lying on the ground screaming "Bomba help!" in the most unconvincing manner possible. Picture the little old lady from the commercials shouting "I've fallen and I can't get up" and you'll get the idea.

Despite being jungle adventure films aimed mostly at kids, the Bomba series was more often than not pretty unexciting stuff. This is especially true of the later movies. This one drags even thought it's just 70 minutes long. The only real excitement comes from stock footage of animals and a fight scene between Bomba and a leopard that looks suspiciously like one from a previous Bomba movie. Fans will perhaps be amused by Bomba becoming involved with the marital problems between the movie star and her crook husband. Everybody else might want to find another to kill an hour.

There's a lot of "King Solomon's Mines" to this "Bomba" adventure, only this time it's Hollywood legend "Linda" (Beverly Garland) who has turned up looking for her husband "Fred" (Donald Murphy). She's sort of panic-stricken which encourages the commissioner "Barnes" (Leonard Mudie) to ask our hero (Johnny Sheffield) to help her go up-river to find him. This is all whilst the titular beast is marauding the countryside terrifying all it meats/meets/eats. When he does manage to track down the man, it appears that he's quite lukewarm about any sort of rapprochement with his wife - and for good reason. Indeed, it's such a good reason that he's prepared to kill or be killed - perilous for the fair-minded "Bomba" with just his spear and rather revealing loin-cloth for protection. I have enjoyed many of these series of films. Sure, they are pretty straightforward "Tarzan" rip-offs, but Sheffield has a bit of charisma and there's always something (predictably) decent about the plot, the rationale and the cheery - virtuous even, denouement. This one, though, really does demonstrate that the cow has now been well and truly milked. The acting and dialogue are almost as tired as the sets and the stock footage of the leopard is just devoid of any sense of menace. Sheffield looks too old for the part now, and perhaps it's time to find his own "Jane" and settle down?

This entry in the Bomba The Jungle Boy series has Johnny Sheffield with two problems. Movie star Beverly Garland has come to Africa trailing her worthless husband who has embezzled all kinds of money and the cops also want him. But Garland wants to make it right. But while she's out hunting him, there's a Killer Leopard on the lose and he's on the prowl for any and all concerned.

The husband is Donald Murphy and he's hired guide Barry Bernard to go into the interior to get some diamonds out for a little illegal smuggling. He really isn't interested in being Mr. Movie Star's husband any longer. Still Garland has a mission and she's got Bomba along for help.

Watching Garland and Murphy I was thinking of two show business marriages that of Fanny Brice and Nicky Arnstein and that of Doris Day and Marty Melcher. The writers could have been inspired by either or both of those.

Killer Leopard is an above average Bomba picture even though Sheffield is clearly getting too old to be a convincing jungle boy.