Bomba und der schwarze Panther

A black panther, thought to be a jungle spirit by the locals, is causing problems for entrepreneur Robert Maitland, who is trying to clear the vegetation for farming. Bomba (Johnny Sheffield) tries to track down the panther, but finds himself distracted by Robert's pretty sister Judy (Allene Roberts) and sultry maid Losana (Lita Baron), who the superstitious natives believe to be evil.

Having played 'cute kid' in seven Johnny Weismuller Tarzan movies, Johnny Sheffield was promoted to star of his own series of African adventures, playing jungle boy Bomba. This is his second film as the vine-swinging teen, but the first that I have seen, and if it is anything to go by, it might be my last for some time: the plot is uninspired, the pace is sluggish, and the 'action' is padded out with stock footage. I imagine that it was all downhill from here.

Sheffield is fine as the athletic adolescent - he's had enough practise at this kind of thing, after all - but the film lacks the energy and excitement of the Tarzan movies, partly due to its low budget (evident in the limited, unconvincing jungle studio sets), but mostly because of the dull script that focuses more on Bomba's attraction to the two women and less on the killer panther.

The film only comes to life in the final act, when Robert attempts to clear the jungle by lighting a fire (that quickly gets out of control), and Bomba wrestles with the panther (a stiff-legged stuffed animal) -- but it's too little, too late.

N.B. I assume that the Bomba movies were aimed at a young 'Saturday matinee' audience, but the opening scene, in which Bomba's pet capuchin is savaged to death by the panther, is the sort of thing to have kids in tears (even I choked up at the sight of the little monkey's limp body).

Fairly weak follow-up to 1949's "Bomba, the Jungle Boy" has a better production (with much-improved nature footage from stock), but a terribly nonsensical script to contend with. Johnny Sheffield returns as Bomba, a teenage Tarzan complete with loincloth and stunted English, here tracking a killer black panther through the jungle; meanwhile, an American architect and his kid-sister (in matching pith helmets!) try persuading the jungle natives to chop down the trees to make room for their experimental farm, but the workers are scared off by the marauding beast who represents an ancient taboo. Also frightening the men is Lita Baron, a glinty-eyed French maid who may be possessed by the soul of a cat (paging Simone Simon!). Bomba certainly isn't afraid of the bewitching lass, taking momentary delight in her frisky caresses and excitable hands! Sheffield, with his thickly-sculpted physique and junior high school grin, is still a charmer...but what good can be said about a jungle adventure in which most of the action comes courtesy of the second-unit add-ons? (a buffalo fighting an alligator, for example). Monogram Pictures did keep the series going after this, but were already running low on fresh ideas. *1/2 from ****

Bomba On Panther Island is the one I remember best from watching the series in my childhood. Mainly because with the presence of Lita Baron in the cast the story came close to being adult.

Johnny Sheffield is on a jungle island where brother and sister Harry Lewis and Allene Roberts hope to build a plantation. But on that same island is a black panther with a taste for killing humans. When the panther kills one of Bomba's little monkey friends he goes on a mission.

There are two women admiring Bomba's physique in this one, Allene who is a good girl and Lita who is one sexy dish. In fact the closest sex ever came to this series was when Lita gives Bomba the come hither glance while at a jungle stream. If this had been an adult picture you better believe Bomba would have been putty in her hands. In the entire Bomba series there was never anyone else like Lita Baron in it.

I think more than the kids will like Bomba On Panther Island.

Bomba the Jungle Boy loses his monkey companion to a black panther. He sets off for revenge. Robert Maitland is struggling to build a plantation from the forest. Commissioner Barnes has trouble recruiting men for Rob. Most fear the jungle and the man-eating panther. Rob recklessly suggests burning down the forest. Bomba saves a worker after a panther attack. He is taken with Rob's sister Judy.

I don't want Bomba to kill the panther. I definitely don't want Rob to chop down the forest. Losana's seduction of Bomba is bad romance. It speaks to a general racial tone in this franchise. This is a lot of I don't want happening. Bomba has always been discount Trazan. In this one, he's the worst aspects of that. In a way, it's not unexpected.

Bomba on Panther Island (1949)

** (out of 4)

The second film in Monogram's series finds Bomba (Johnny Sheffield) trying to track down a killer black panther who is causing all sorts of trouble in the jungle. He must also help a young woman (Allene Roberts) and her brother (Harry Lewis) who are doing special experiments in the jungle but their mysterious helper (Lita Baron) has the natives thinking she might be evil. After a decent start, this second entry quickly loses steam and in the end it's just another cheap, low-budget jungle movie that is nothing more than a rip-off of the Tarzan series. Of course, the biggest difference is that Sheffield played 'Boy' in those MGM films so it was natural that he'd be offered his own series. Sadly, the end results are rather weak but then again this is actually one of the best I've seen from the series so take that as you will. I think the opening scene where a monkey friend of Bomba is killed was rather effective but as soon as this is over the cheapness quickly kicks in. The majority of the panther attacks features stock footage of a panther "stalking" and then we cut away to the results and this is just a human (or animal) on the ground dead. At first I laughed at how cheap this effect was but by the end of the movie I understood because when the "fake" leopard does attack Bomba the results is so laughable that you can understand why the producers didn't want to use it too much. At one point it seems as if Bomba is fighting a cloth toy! Sheffield looks the part of a jungle boy and he's actually not too bad in the part. Roberts makes for a good love interest and Baron certainly has the looks and sexuality for her part. At 76-minutes the film is way too sluggish for its own good but the performances and a few scenes of the wildlife at least give it a little life.