Zambo, il dominatore della foresta

This belated (and low-brow) jungle adventure, featuring ex-peplum lead Brad Harris, is one I had never heard of before its late-night Italian TV broadcast not too long ago; as for director Albertini, he was yet another journeyman whose career ran the "Euro-Cult" gamut from caper to superhero flicks, Spaghetti Westerns and various forms of Sexploitation! Anyway, while the film started off on a relatively serious note – with two disparate convicts escaping detention and facing the hardships of the wilderness – it soon veered towards, and got irredeemably stuck, into strictly formulaic (and, worse, camp) territory!; the clearest example of the latter are the handful of flashes to the hero's past (Harris, looking distinctly uneasy in a suit, striving to emote in court over his innocence of a murder charge and a duplicitous girlfriend, as well as an old archaeologist trapped by his equally villainous guide inside a tomb and being driven temporarily insane by the strategic deployment of the Sun's rays which uncovers a buried treasure, to say nothing of a sudden attack by a very fake-looking gorilla!). Harris eventually becomes a legendary Tarzan-like figure, defending the various tribes and forest creatures against the white man's greed; however, his ruggedness and stoicism draws the romantic attentions of the archeologist's young blonde niece – while his exploits garner the adulation of a native who, needless to say, ultimately sacrifices himself to save his hero. The only IMDb review of this one not only is exceedingly forgiving of the film's inherent flaws but gushes at its 'visual splendor' and 'entertainment value' (both of which are actually as modest as the money it cost to make!); to sum things up, then, while certainly harmless in itself, ZAMBO is at the same time riddled with clichés that are rather too blatant to ignore (at least for this viewer).

Aptly described by other IMDb reviews as a "Spaghetti Tarzan", this might also be considered "Dances with Lions". Stiff and studly Brad Harris stars as George Ryon, falsely convicted of murder, who seizes his chance for escape while being transported by train. Handcuffed to a fellow prisoner, he travels into the heart of the African jungle. Eventually, he's discovered by natives, and comes to be regarded as a mythical white figure known as Zambo. Three years later, an expedition is launched to find a lost city, and Zambo becomes involved.

Largely predictable but hard to dislike, "Zambo" is reasonably fun. It benefits from location shooting in Tanzania and Uganda, and the atmosphere is undeniable. There's much footage of the local flora and fauna, and Zambo interacts with a few of the animals. The lions are calm around him, although at one point he does battle briefly with a very unconvincing gorilla. Romance also occurs as Grace Woodworth (the lovely Gisela Hahn), niece of the eminent Professor Woodworth (Attilio Dottesio), falls for the hunky jungle man. Villainy is supplied by the robust Raf Baldassarre as sleazy guide Juanez; slightly less of a problem is the character Perkins (Daniele Vargas), who gets rather greedy himself when he discovers a cache of jewels. The kid playing Zambos' loyal friend is very endearing.

It might be that some fans of Italian exploitation won't be completely satisfied because this film actually isn't all that trashy. But it certainly has its heart in the right place and is pleasant enough to watch for 91 minutes.

Seven out of 10.

A Tarzan-like movie with Brad Harris playing a man who's on the lam from the law and ends up being a buff hero living in the jungle, worshipped by local tribesmen. The story is non-existent. It's just another Brad's neverending attempts to continue to do what he does best: hitting people, action scenes and showing off his body. The camera often focuses on his buff (but aging) physique. In one shot, his right pec, popping out of his skimpy costume, is centered directly in the frame. If you enjoy Brad's physique, you'll enjoy this as its got nothing else going for it. The movie also has former PEPLUM stars like Daniele Vargas and Raf Baldassarre in it. There were several Tarzan-like movies made during the late 1960s, early 1970s, with former PEPLUM stars stranded and left to do such forgettable productions. I like Brad's PEPLUM movies but the movies he made after the genre died are mostly dreary and this one is no exception.

As Hollywood robs us of sights like location photography and "real" animals, movies like these vintage titles become much more valuable. Filmed on location in the jungles of Tanzania and Uganda, the many sights of the exotic Wildlife alone are worth the price of admission. Seeing REAL giraffes and elephants on the screen in 2023 is almost a surreal experience. The story involves an escaped prisoner, Brad Harris, hiding from the authorities in the Tanzania jungle, where he comes upon a Tribe of "Savages..." in a rare turn of events, this Tribe actually doesn't want to eat him..this is no sleazy cannibal movie, in fact it;s all quite innocent. The Natives, dazzled by his odd White complexion and blue eyes, make him their king, and he responds by becoming a hunter and protector of the Tribe, especially the children. As time passes the Legend of the :"White King" of the Jungle reaches the mainland, and a new search for the missing fugitive is began. The crew, including the beautiful Gisele Hahn, locate Harris, but quickly become distracted by the treasure trove of rare jewels they find in a Native Temple..Featuring a gorgeous, rousing score, this forgotten film is sadly only available in a washed out and cropped print. I can imagine how absolutely stunning this would look in it's original scope picture ratio. Hopefully one of the "boutique' label blu-ray distributors will pick this one one up for restoration; it definitely deserves it. Directed by Bitto Albertini, the man responsible for some of the "Emanuelle" films, other movies known for their beautiful travelogue style photography. Fans of Jungle movies should be very pleased with this lost gem...

Italian Tarzan adventure with Brad Harris and Gisela Hahn

This Italian film from 1972, also known as "Zambo, il dominatore della foresta" and "Zambo, King of the Jungle", was only released on VHS in West Germany on July 2nd, 1983. It was directed by Bitto Albertini, who had already filmed "Die Milliarden Supermasche" (1967) with Brad Harris. The producer was Gino Mordini, who also brought "The Mafia Boss" with GOLDEN GLOBE nominee Antonio Sabato and ACADEMY AWARD nominee Telly Savalas to cinemas in the same year in 1972.

Brad Harris plays prisoner George Ryon, wrongly convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison in the heart of Africa. During a prisoner transport he accidentally manages to escape with a fellow prisoner. They both flee into the neighboring jungle, but only the fit George survives the hardships. After a few twists and turns, the extremely strong giant finds acceptance in a native tribe who from now on call him Zambo and worship him like a god. In the following years, Zambo becomes more and more the protector of his tribe against the evil world outside the jungle. The situation comes to a head when an expedition led by Professor Woodward (Attilio Dionisi), which also includes shady men (Daniele Vargas, Raf Baldassare), becomes aware of the now legendary Zambo and his tribe. To make matters worse, Grace (Gisela Hahn), the professor's beautiful daughter, is also there.

"Sie nannten ihn Zambo" isn't a particularly convincing film. Too many ingredients do not create a harmonious product. Tarzan, Mondo and adventure elements are mixed together and result in an action-packed film that at least doesn't get boring. There are also echoes of the novel and film "Papillon," which was very popular at the time. Brad Harris once again did the stunt choreography himself, which is definitely one of his strengths. The German actress Gisela Hahn is magical as always and had already worked with Brad Harris in German EuroSpy flick "Kommissar X jagt die roten Tiger" (1971). Nevertheless, the love story between the two doesn't really work.

For fans of Brad Harris (1933-2017) and Gisela Hahn, this film has nostalgic value. For everyone else it's certainly an upscale trash gem to laugh at. Has to be too.