Thursday, March 12, 2015

AFRICAN TREASURE

AFRICAN TREASURE (1952). Writer/director: Ford Beebe.

Johnny Sheffield and Ford Beebe are back with another Bomba adventure, this time with the Jungle Boy and associates coming afoul of diamond smugglers and a convict named Gilroy (the ever-dull Lyle Talbot). Lita Sebastian (Laurette Luez of Prehistoric Women) is on a search for her father, and Andy Barnes (Leonard Mudie of The Scarlet Clue) tries to help round up the bad guys, including Greg (Arthur Space of Panther Girl of the Kongo). Manly and maturing, Sheffield could easily have played Tarzan now that he'd outgrown "Boy," but it was not to be, and when the Bomba series wrapped up his movie career was over. There are cliffs and tunnels, an underwater battle, and it all adds up to an acceptable action flick if you're not too demanding. Although Bomba seems to keep referring to his pet chimp as "Akimba," he was played not by Cheeta, but by a rival named Kimbbo.

Verdict: Not enough action between Lita and Bomba. **1/2.

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