A Vingança dos Elefantes

Elephant Stampede (1951)

** (out of 4)

While Bomba (Johnny Sheffield) is in the jungle having a pretty teacher's aid (Donna Martell) teach him to reach, a couple poachers are killing elephants for their ivory. Soon the two men find out about Bomba and must kill him so that they can get back to their business. The sixth film in the series actually turns out to be one of the most entertaining but than again this is a cheap Bomba movie from Monogram so one shouldn't be expecting an actual good movie. I think there are some pretty funny and campy moments throughout and not the ones we're used to seeing like the stock footage o rear projection stuff. There's an entire side-story dealing with this young, beautiful school assistant wanting to have fun with Bomba but he keeps pushing her away instead preferring to learn his ABCs. This leads to her wanting to make him jealous and take off with the two poachers who are constantly sexually harassing her. I'm not sure how many children in the audience knew this or cared about it but I'm sure the majority of the adults watching, then and now, couldn't help but laugh at Bomba for rejecting such a beauty. The film is actually quite dark for children because there's quite a bit of violence against elephants and especially Bomba. Poor jungle boy takes quite a beating here including being pistol whipped and knocked out a couple times. This action does help keep the film moving and I'd say that at times Bomba comes off as such a jerk you really don't mind it. Sheffield is certainly very comfortable in the part by now and he turns in a fine performance. Martell clearly steals the film as the teacher's aid. The support is pretty good as well, which is rare for this series. All in all, fans of the series should be some entertainment out of this but just don't expect something great.

The least that can be said about "Elephant Stampede" (1951) is that it offers equal-opportunity eye-candy to both genders of viewers: Bomba (Johnny Sheffield) looks jacked and hunky, and his female friend in this episode, Donna Martell, has an especially nice back. Other than that, the plot of this film could not be more standard (ivory hunters....again), though at least it does deliver on the title promise by the end, even if only on a small scale. There is also one particular shot, of the bad guys shooting a vine that Bomba is swinging on, that I think I've seen reused in every Bomba film so far! ** out of 4.

Elephants are strolling around as muscular Bomba (Johnny Sheffield) rides one through the African jingle. Bomba must swing into action when a snake threatens his bird. After this, Bomba visits attractive Donna Martell (as Lola). This shapely brunette is helping "old maid" schoolteacher Edith Evanson (as Miss Banks) teach the natives to read. Bored with her job, Ms. Martell is much more excited to be tutoring Bomba on the side. The jungle boy is a quick study, in academic areas...

Bomba learns to spell "L.I.O.N", but Ms. Martell is more interested in "L.O.V.E." A good jungle boy, Bomba is not interested in finding a mate. Frustrated, Martell decides to make Bomba jealous by seeming to be sexually available for trigger-happy John Kellogg (as Bob Warren) and amorous Myron Healey (as Joe Collins). On safari, this dastardly duo is out to shoot elephants and steal local ivory. Lola's idea is dumb and dangerous. You could say: Whatever Lola wants, Lola doesn't get.

**** Bomba: Elephant Stampede (10/28/51) Ford Beebe ~ Johnny Sheffield, Donna Martell, John Kellogg, Myron Healey

I was lucky to get hold of a copy of this movie as it is quite hard to get hold of, as are all of the Bomba movies.

In this one, some illegal poachers arrive in the jungle and kill an elephant. After killing their leader, they try and kill more elephants but Bomba tries to stop them and eventually succeeds by getting a heard of elephants to trample them to death.

Johnny Sheffield plays Bomba once again and takes a good part. A lot of the scenes involving the elephants running is stock footage I think. Bomba also has a young lady who fancies him in this movie. She is learning him to read.

I enjoyed watching this movie. Watch it if you are lucky enough to get the chance.

Rating: 3 and a half stars out of 5.

This segment of the Bomba the Jungle Boy series finds Bomba trying to better himself by learning to read. Teaching him is the lovely Donna Martell, teaching assistant to Edith Evanson at the local native village. She'd like to further Bomba's education in other ways, but Bomba has his mind on book learning.

All that comes to an end when ivory poachers arrive in the territory in the persons of John Kellogg and Myron Healey. They murder their professional hunting guide and assume his identity. And Healey starts moving in on Martell which bothers everyone.

Elephant Stampede marked the appearance of Leonard Mudie as Commissioner Andy Barnes. The character appeared in the first Bomba film with another actor, but was then dropped. Mudie played Barnes throughout the rest of the series and was the only other regular besides Johnny Sheffield as Bomba.

If you know the Tarzan series and know his relationship with the elephant community and how they mutually aid each other you know something about how this turns out. And Bomba does need the aid of his pachyderm friends.

One of the better in the Bomba series.