Bomba on Panther Island

BOMBA ON PANTHER ISLAND (Monogram, 1949), written and directed by Ford Beebe, based on the character created by Roy Rockwood, marks the second of twelve entries to the "Bomba" franchise starring Johnny Sheffield. Following his debut performance as BOMBA THE JUNGLE BOY (1949), Sheffield resumes his character with sameness appeal that of a lone jungle boy who comes around assisting those in need of his help. Along the way there's a killer beast Bomba needs to kill to save others from being killed and attacked along with his involvement with two young girls out for his attention.

As the story gets underway with view of the jungle and animal activities, Bomba's (Johnny Sheffield) pet monkey enters his home cave where the animal comes up with a 1939 diary belonging to a Cody Cassin where a page reveals what will happen to the boy he's raising after his death? With Bomba surviving the jungle environment over the years, this now teenage jungle boy starts off his day by going for a swim. His day of leisure is interrupted when he witnesses his pet monkey attacked and killed by a beastly panther at a distance. Bomba sets out after the killer beast later to discover this same panther has been responsible for other human attacks. Bomba soon assists Luke (Bill Walker), a native man attacked by the panther, over to the camp headed by Robert Maitland (Henry Lewis), a young architect assisted by his guides, Andy Barnes (Charles Irwin), and Eli (Smoki Whitfield), who happen to be Bomba's friends. Unable to get his native men to assist him with building a plantation, Maitland asks for Bomba's help. At first he declines, until Bomba meets up with Maitland's teenage sister, Judy (Allene Roberts), and her French speaking companion, Losona (Lita Baron), another girl her own age. While Bomba is more interested in Judy, Losona has her evil eye and affections on Bomba. As natives believe Bomba responsible for the superstitious curse regarding the killer panther, with intentions of killing him, Maitland also wants Bomba out of the way when he finds the jungle boy and Judy are spending too much time together. With Losona's chance in having Bomba all to herself. the killer panther continues to become a great danger to the surrounding area.

An average Bomba adventure with few high points during its slightly overlong 76 minutes. Allene Roberts, best known for her movie debut in THE RED HOUSE (1947) opposite Edward G,. Robinson, makes an attractive female companion for Bomba as Peggy Ann Garner did in the initial entry of BOMBA THE JUNGLE BOY. A pretty face that resembles a younger profile of actress Phyllis Thaxter, sadly Roberts, whose movie and television career were short-lived, never reached the top of the ranks as Teresa Wright or other sweet looking young actresses of the time. Aside from getting a dose of jungle life, Roberts has her swimming scenes with Bomba along with assisting him when danger lurks their way. Others in the supporting cast are far from top-marque names, but are satisfactory in their assigned roles. Other than being obviously filmed in a studio set, the movie features enough stock footage of African animals and their battle of survival for that African setting feel.

Other than its frequent television showings during the 1960s and 70s, BOMBA ON PANTHER ISLAND has become a welcome addition of jungle adventure added to Turner Classic Movies cable channel where this and others in the Bomba entries have been shown since 2011. Next installment: THE LOST VOLCANO (1950), hailed as one of the better entries in the series. (**)

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).

I am very satisfied with this BOMBA film, as I was with the previous one which I saw today. Not boring, despite the lame directing and stock footage that is a bit too much galore for my taste. But that's the rule in this kind of films, including the first TARZAN films and I don't even speak of JUNGLE JIM stuff too. So, yes, this little celluloid jungle adventure flick is fun, agreeable, but you need to be prepared to watch it. I mean don't be too hard in terms of judgment. It was destined to young audiences in saturday and sunday matinees. I even prefer this movie to most of JUNGLE JIM ones, starring Johnny Weissmuler. The fight between Bomba and the panther, in the end, is quite surprisingly good.

A brother and sister "Robert & Judy Maitland" are trying to turn some jungle acreage into a rubber plantation so hire a group of the natives to help out by "cutting down the trees so they can plant more trees". The couple - via the auspices of local commissioner Charles Irwin - try to convince our tousled hero "Bomba" (Johnny Sheffield) to help out; but he is determined to track down a man-eating panther that has been terrorising the locals. In order to speed things up, "Robert" tries to burn down part of the forest and chaos ensues... Add to the mix a seductive Lita Baron and it's not just the embers that start to smoulder. The story is quite weak, and the sets (and animal library footage) really do let the look of it down badly - but Johnny Sheffield does have something quite cute on screen and though it does take most of it's 70 minutes to get going, it's still quite a fun jungle caper.

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.