BABES IN ARMS

BABES IN ARMS (1939). Director: Busby Berkeley.

When some old vaudevillians leave town to go on tour, their children decide to put on their own show.  That's the plot of this okay Mickey Rooney-Judy Garland "let's put on a show" musical. This is based on a Rodgers and Hart stage musical, but the only songs by the team that are left are the title tune and "Where or When?," which I believe was from another show. ("The Lady is a Tramp" from Pal Joey plays in the background of one scene.) As usual, some of the "kids" in this are a bit too old, such as Douglas McPhail and real-life wife Betty Jaynes, both of whom have beautiful semi-operatic voices (they do "Where or When?"). Mickey and Judy are in splendid form, of course, and we see footage of Rooney when he was a small boy performing in vaudeville. Of the older cast, which includes Guy Kibbee,  Margaret Hamilton, Henry Hull and Ann Shoemaker, Charles Winninger [Three Smart Girls] is a stand-out as Mickey's father, Joe Moran. Johnny Sheffield of Bomba fame also has a small role. Judy sings "I Cried for You," Mickey does an excellent impression of Gable, and there's a memorable finale in "God's Country." McPhail had hoped to have a career along the lines of Nelson Eddy, but when it didn't materialize and he and Jaynes got divorced, the poor guy took his own life at age thirty.

Verdict: Not the best Mickey-Judy musical but fun enough. **1/2.

TARZAN AND THE HUNTRESS

Cheetah's pals

TARZAN AND THE HUNTRESS (1947). Director: Kurt Neumann.

"We really have to do something about Cheetah -- she's getting as vain as a peacock." -- Jane

Animal trainer Tanya Rawlins (Patricia Morison of The Fallen Sparrow) comes to Africa with boyfriend Carl Marley (Jack Warburton), and hooks up with gruff Paul Weir (Barton MacLane of Cry of the Werewolf) for help. Tanya importunes King Farrod (Charles Trowbridge of The Fatal Hour) to allow them to take many animals out of the jungle, but the king says they can only take a pair of each species. A bigger problem for the king is that his evil nephew, Ozira (Ted Hecht), is plotting against him. A bigger problem for Tanya is that Tarzan (Johnny Weissmuller) is mightily opposed to anyone caging his animals and takes decided action with the help of Boy (Johnny Sheffield) and Jane (Brenda Joyce). Desirous of a compact owned by Tanya, Cheetah, unfortunately, winds up playing into the hunters' hands, for shame. Boy also does the wrong thing by taking two bear cubs from their mother in exchange for a flashlight he covets. Tarzan and the Huntress is the penultimate Tarzan/Weissmuller film, and it's one of the better of the latter "B" movie entries, with plenty of, at times, bloodthirsty action and a very fast pace. Cheetah gets a large share of the screen time, and has a funny encounter with bees -- the finale with the chimp parachuting out of an airplane is priceless. As usual, we've got a lot of elephants going on the rampage. Maurice Tauzin plays Prince Suli, the son of the king. Paul Sawtell's musical score is a decided asset. This was Sheffield's last appearance as Boy.

Verdict: Exciting and amusing Tarzan adventure. ***.

TARZAN'S NEW YORK ADVENTURE

The amazing Cheetah

TARZAN'S NEW YORK ADVENTURE (1942). Director: Richard Thorpe.

Hunter Buck Rand (Charles Bickford of Anna Christie) and his associates Jimmie (Paul Kelly of Zeigfeld Girl) and Manchester (Chill Wills) are in the Congo trying to capture lions for a circus. Naturally Tarzan (Johnny Weissmuller) objects to this, but Boy (Johnny Sheffield) is fascinated by their plane. Buck is fascinated himself when he observes how Boy can make a pack of elephants do whatever he wishes. After it appears that Tarzan and Jane (Maureen O'Sullivan) have been killed in a fire, Buck takes Boy back to New York with him. But when Tarzan finds out his son is gone ... Tarzan's New York Adventure is a very entertaining Tarzan film even though it goes far, far afield from Edgar Rice Burroughs' original conception. In this film Tarzan is so stupid that he takes a shower before taking off his one good suit (which dries off in miraculous time). In the novels, Tarzan had his savage side when it was called for, but he wasn't a monosyllabic and unsophisticated dummy. The stupidest moment in this movie occurs when Tarzan gives out with his famous yell and Jane says" Good heavens -- what's that?" even though she's heard it hundreds of times. Burroughs gave Tarzan and Jane a biological son who was named Jack, and later became known as "Korak" -- the boy in this movie is an orphan. Despite all this, the movie is a lot of fun. Cheetah has so much to do in the movie that it could almost be re-titled Cheetah's New York Adventure; you certainly hear her cackle that fabricated hyena laugh often enough. The chimp's special moments include her encounter with a water cooler, and her putting a trio of elephants through their paces as if she were an orchestra leader. The pachyderms are also amazing as Boy has them put on a show for the trio from New York. The actors in this are all good, with an uncredited Mantan Moreland having a couple of good moments reacting to Cheetah on the other end of the telephone. Virginia Grey is also fine as a nightclub singer who helps Tarzan and his mate find Boy. Cy Kendall, fatter than ever, plays the head of the circus. Sidney Wagner's photography, especially those striking shots of New York, is outstanding. This was O'Sullivan's last appearance as Jane, but Weissmuller and Sheffield had a few more pictures to go. Followed by Tarzan Triumphs.

Verdict: Highly improbable but also highly enjoyable Tarzan movie. ***.

LORD OF THE JUNGLE

Bomba (Johnny Sheffield) relaxes in his tree

LORD OF THE JUNGLE (1955). Written, produced and directed by Ford Beebe.

"You're stubborn and spoiled but I like you anyway." -- Bomba to Mona

"For heaven's sake, Bomba, kiss the girl good-night so the rest of us can get some sleep." -- Andy to Bomba

Commissioner Andy Barnes (Leonard Mudie) receives a visit from his spoiled niece, Mona (Nancy Hale), just as a group of  elephants are going on the rampage and tearing through one village after another. Hunter Jeff Wood (Wayne Morris) wants to kill off all of the elephants, while Bomba (Johnny Sheffield) argues that all they need do is destroy the rogue elephant who is influencing the rest of the pack. This difference in opinion not only brings Bomba into conflict with Wood and other hunters, Paul (Paul Picerni of Mara Maru) and Kenny (William Phipps of The Boss), but also with Barnes. Lord of the Jungle is the final Bomba film, and it's one of the best of the series, with 24-year-old Sheffield continuing to charm as the jungle "boy." It is revealed that Bomba, whose last name is actually Hastings, inherited much of the land "from the Mogli river down to the Mangu" from his father. Bomba gets to kiss a woman in this film, but the gal is betrothed to another. Nancy Hale later joined the cast of Whirlybirds on TV. Others in the cast include Joel Fluellen as Molu and Juanita Moore as his wife, and Harry Lauter as the pilot who flies Mona into the African interior.  There's a nice score by Marlin Skiles. This was the last film Sheffield [Tarzan Finds a Son!] was to appear in.

Verdict: Farewell Bomba! **1/2.

TARZAN AND HIS PALS

Cheetah and girlfriend -- or is it the other way around? 

TARZAN AND HIS PALS.

This week we look at some more movies featuring not just Tarzan, but other jungle adventurers such as Bomba and Jungle Jim. We've got several Johnny Weissmuller Tarzan films, as well as some with Lex Barker, Gordon Scott, and Mike Henry playing the role. When Johnny Weissmuller andd Johnny Sheffield, who played Boy, got too old for their roles, they each got their own series, Jungle Jim (with Weissmuller) for Columbia and Bomba, the Jungle Boy (with Sheffield) for Monogram. These comparatively cheap series ran concurrently with the Lex Barker and Jock Mahoney Tarzan's, and there were quite a few entries in each series.

Weissmuller's interpretation of the role did not especially match the character as originally described in Edgar Rice Burroughs Tarzan of the Apes. Gradually, the character began to display the intelligence and sophistication that went along with Tarzan's undeniable savagery. After awhile, the more savage aspects of the character were pretty much dropped altogether.

As for the Tarzan series, which had a great many installments, it wasn't long before Cheetah (or Cheeta or Cheta), whose sex kept changing, became the true star of the series, especially in the later Weissmuller features.

NOTE: As I've done a double-load of posts this week, Great Old Movies may take a vacation along with me next week.

TARZAN FINDS A SON!

John Sheffield and Johnny Weissmuller

TARZAN FINDS A SON! (1939). Director: Richard Thorpe.

A young couple (Laraine Day; Morton Lowry) are killed in a plane crash in Africa but their infant son survives, and is in essence adopted by Tarzan (Johnny Weissmuller) and Jane (Maureen O'Sullivan), who simply call him "Boy" (John/Johnny Sheffield). Greedy relatives August Lancing (Ian Hunter of The Sisters) and his wife (Freida Inescort), along with their Uncle Thomas (Henry Stephenson of Red-Headed Woman), and guide Sande (Henry Wilcoxon of Cleopatra), come to the Dark Continent to see if they can find any trace of the family, with the Lancings, of course, hoping they don't, for reasons to do with inheritances. Meeting Boy, Thomas suspects the truth, and Jane and Tarzan argue about whether or not to let Boy go back to claim his heritage. But August Lancing's duplicitous and evil mind, as well as a deadly native tribe called the Zembeles, may make it all moot. Tarzan Finds a Son! is a very entertaining Tarzan adventure, with very good performances from all, including a charming Sheffield, and many exciting scenes. There are more wild life shots than usual, as well as some excellent underwater sequences, especially one in which Tarzan and Boy go swimming with a baby elephant. Tarzan has a struggle with a kind of boar-hippo creature that nearly tramples Boy at one point. The Zembeles, who figure in the climax, don't just shrink heads, but entire bodies, in a process that isn't clearly delineated but seems rather frightful. Jane refers to Tarzan as her husband for, I believe, the first time. The movie has hardly any music, which would have added to its already considerable appeal.

Verdict: One of the better Tarzan adventures. ***.

TARZAN'S SECRET TREASURE

Weissmuller and O'Sullivan

TARZAN'S SECRET TREASURE (1941). Director: Richard Thorpe.

Tarzan (Johnny Weissmuller), Jane (Maureen O'Sullivan), and Boy (Johnny Sheffield) are leading an idyllic life above their escarpment in Africa, when along comes Professor Elliott (Reginald Owen of The Letter) and party. Elliott is a scientist looking for the Van-Usi tribe, and he is accompanied by photographer O'Doul (Barry Fitzgerald of And Then There Were None), and the guides Medford (Tom Conway) and Vandemeer (Philip Dorn of Underground). Unfortunately, the latter two prove up to no good as Boy shows them a piece of gold and tells the others that Tarzan knows where there is a rich vein of it. After some melodramatic moments, everyone comes afoul of some natives intent on murder. Tarzan's Secret Treasure is a kind of schizoid movie, beginning with the silly if charming antics of Cheeta and her "friend," Buli, the elephant, as well as the childish if cute scamperings of Boy, but it veers off into something much darker in the second half. The scene when a native is torn in half in Tarzan Escapes is repeated -- one way of getting around the censors as well as of saving money -- and when a second native is similarly killed in new footage, we aren't shown the trunks heading in separate directions, possibly another sop to the censors. There are several shots of natives being chewed on by crocodiles, and the sequence wherein Tarzan battles a giant croc underwater is repeated for a second time. There isn't much that is original in the picture, aside from a little native boy named Tumbo (Cordell Hickman) who has lost his mother and becomes friends with Boy in the film's most charming sequence. Jane was to have been killed off at the end of Tarzan Finds a Son! because she was tiring of the series -- we do see her being speared in the back at the end of that film -- but the public outcry necessitated her return. Although O'Sullivan was never a great beauty per se, she has never looked more attractive than she does in this movie. She gives a very good performance, as do the others in the cast, including little Hickman.

Verdict: Still some life left in the series. **1/2.

ELEPHANT STAMPEDE

Johnny Sheffield as Bomba and Donna Martell as Lola

ELEPHANT STAMPEDE (1951). Writer/director: Ford Beebe.

"If I was thinking of myself, I wouldn't have come to Africa." -- Miss Banks

Some evil men have come to Africa to, naturally, get some ivory, and, also naturally, don't care who gets hurt as they take after some tusks. Bob Warren (John Kellogg) and Joe Collins (Myron Healey of Varan the Unbelievable) murder Deputy Commissioner Mark Phillips (Guy Kingsford), with Warren pretending to be the dead man so he can ingratiate himself with some villagers and their white teacher, Miss Banks (Edith Evanson of Life with Henry). The villagers know of a secret cache of ivory that can pay for their continued schooling, but the bad guys have other plans. Enter the almost mythical Bomba (Johnny Sheffield), who routs the villains, saves the ivory, and breaks the heart of pretty little native girl, Lola (Donna Martell of Abbott and Costello Meet the Killer, Boris Karloff), who teachers Bomba how to read but gets swimming lessons in return instead of kisses. Dumb Bomba! Leonard Mudie is back as the official, Andy Barnes, and Martin Wilkins plays Chief Nagala. The elephants create a minor ruckus at the end of the film,. but it can't really be called a "stampede" -- the budget for this Monogram cheapie was too low. The film has a kind of bittersweet coda involving the non-lovers.

Verdict: Sheffield and Martell make an appealing almost-couple. **1/2.

KILLER LEOPARD

Donald Murphy, Johnny Sheffield, Beverly Garland

KILLER LEOPARD (1954). Written, produced, and directed by Ford Beebe.

Fred Winters (Donald Murphy) makes a deal with Charlie Pulham (Barry Bernard of Charlie Chan in the Secret Service) to guide him to a certain diamond mine overseen by Superintendent Saunders (Harry Cording). Fred is unaware that his wife, movie star Linda Winters (Beverly Garland), is on his trail and hoping to catch up with him before he gets in serious trouble due to events back in the states. Rather than enjoying the fact that his wife is famous and wealthy, he is bitter that he's only a $100 a week bookmaker. Bomba (Johnny Sheffield) agrees to help Linda track down Fred, even as a lithe black leopard, that has already killed people, is running loose in the background where it periodically comes forward to attack. Killer Leopard has a more interesting story and cast than the usual Bomba movie, and the presence of talented Garland [The Steel Jungle], although her material is limiting, dresses up the picture. Donald Murphy [Frankenstein's Daughter] is typically nasty and effective. Sheffield can by no stretch of the imagination be called a boy any longer, and he had only one more Bomba movie to go. "You'd be something of a sensation in Hollywood yourself," Linda says to Bomba, rather ironically, as Sheffield's next picture was his last.

Verdict: One of the better Bomba programmers even without a Venusian carrot monster. **1/2.

SAFARI DRUMS

SAFARI DRUMS (1953). Writer/producer/director: Ford Beebe.

A movie company has invaded Bomba's (Johnny Sheffield) turf and hope to get him to help them get some real animal action for the cameras. The director, Larry Conrad (Emory Parnell), wants some real "dramatic footage" from his cameraman, Steve (Paul Marion of The Lost Tribe). Peg (Barbara Bestar) is the secretary for the company, and they've hired a guide named Brad (Douglas Kennedy of The Amazing Transparent Man). When a geologist in the area is robbed of a map that may lead to diamonds, and murdered, Bomba realizes that one of those three men must have been the killer -- but which one? At least this is one jungle movie that admits there are no wild tigers in Africa, so Conrad brings a tiger with him so he can film an exciting scene pitting tiger against lion. Leonard Mudie and Smoki Whitfield appear, respectively, as Andy and Eli.

Verdict: This is an acceptable Bomba adventure, mostly for fans. **1/2.

BOMBA AND THE JUNGLE GIRL

BOMBA AND THE JUNGLE GIRL (1952). Writer/director: Ford Beebe.

"Every animal in the jungle has a mother and father but me. I don't even know who I am."

Bomba (Johnny Sheffield) begins to wonder who "his people" are when he realizes that he has no true identity. He was raised by an older man who died, and has been living on his own ever since. Now he gets a clue from Linda Ward (Karen Sharpe) and from a tribe who remember the native nurse, Linasi (Amanda Randolph), who took care of him years before. Chief Gamboso (Martin Wilkins) and his wicked daughter, Princess Baru (Suzette Harbin), tell Bomba that Linasi is dead, but a young man named Kokoli (Morris Buchanan) tells Bomba otherwise. Bomba discovers the evil plot engineered by Gamboso and the fate of his parents, the Hastings. With a better story than usual, Bomba and the Jungle Girl emerges as one of the more interesting Bomba movies. The picture features two strong female characters in Linda, who is an intrepid, brave and fairly tough heroine, and the princess, who is equally tough if completely amoral. The climax features a jungle fire, a cat fight in a cave, and has a nice score by Raoul Kraushaar. The acting is generally good, with the best performance provided by Suzette Harbin. Andy (Leonard Mudie) and Kimbbo the chimp also appear. There are more black actors with roles and dialogue than usual.

Verdict: Good conflicts and story make this a more than decent Bomba adventure. ***.

TARZAN AND THE AMAZONS

TARZAN AND THE AMAZONS (1945). Director: Kurt Neumann.

Jane (now played by Brenda Joyce of Little Giant) returns to Tarzan (Johnny Weissmuller), Boy (Johnny Sheffield), Cheeta, and Africa in this entertaining installment of the highly popular series. Tarzan rescues a young lady, Athena (Shirley O'Hara), and takes her back to her people, a race of Amazons in a handsome city nestled in a valley. Jane importunes archaeologist Sir Guy Henderson (Henry Stephenson) to lead his group to this hidden city for the sake of science, but Ballister (Barton MacLane of The Mummy's Ghost) and his cohorts have no such noble motives, being primarily interested in looting the city's treasure. The Amazon queen (Maria Ouspenskaya of Dance, Girl, Dance) refuses to let the men leave, and even tries to sacrifice Boy, who foolishly leads the group to the city even after Tarzan has forbidden it. Tarzan and the Amazons is entertaining and well-done, its one flaw being a much too abrupt climax.

Verdict: Tarzan Always Knows Better! ***.

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.

TARZAN TRIUMPHS

TARZAN TRIUMPHS (1943). Director: William Thiele.

Jane is out of Africa looking after her sick mother when who should show up but the beauteous Zandra (Frances Gifford of Jungle Girl). She saves Boy's life but then finds herself in trouble when a pack of loathsome Nazis -- who first pretend to be friends -- descend on her tribe in the city of Pallandria and begin to enslave them. At first Tarzan (Johnny Weissmuller) stays out of the conflict, making him seem not very heroic, but he cries "Now Tarzan make war!" when Boy (Johnny Sheffield of Bomba the Jungle Boy) is kidnapped and he, Zandra, Boy -- and of course, the magnificent Cheeta -- roust the invasion of German soldiers. Tarzan seems pretty hot for Zandra in at least one sequence when they go swimming. The actors are all fine for this sort of thing, and Cheeta proves once again that he is the most wonderful and talented creature in all of Hollywood's animal kingdom. Cheeta dances to band music, steals grapes from monkeys (and then has to return them, chastened) and even talks on the radio to the Germans. The final shot of Cheeta about to talk to Hitler is priceless! Sig Ruman plays a Nazi sergeant.

A note of sheer disillusionment: Apparently Cheeta was actually played by a wide variety of chimpanzees. The Cheeta feted here died in 2011 and may not have appeared in any movies. Well, whichever Cheeta played what, these chimps were cute and talented and the highlight of every movie they were in.

Verdict: They should have given Cheeta -- whoever he was -- his own picture! **1/2.

THE LION HUNTERS

THE LION HUNTERS (1951). Writer/director: Ford Beebe.

Yes, Bomba (Johnny Sheffield) is back in his fourth adventure, discovering that a lion has been injured and left to die in agony. At first Bomba blames the Masai tribe, but then learns that certain hunters are capturing the noble beasts presumably to put in zoos and circuses. Bomba doesn't feel that any animal should lose his freedom, and a young lady named Jean (Ann Todd) comes to agree with him. Jean is the daughter of the kind-hearted Tom Forbes (Morris Ankrum of Rocketship X-M), but his business partner and fellow trapper Marty (Douglas Kennedy of Flaxy Martin) isn't quite so benevolent. Meanwhile Bomba sneaks through Forbes' encampment and frees all of the lions. In another development the Masai chief's son goes out to kill a lion as a rite of passage but panics, with Bomba trying to prevent further bloodshed. An all-out lion attack caps the action. This is not a bad Bomba adventure, and the stock footage is very cleverly integrated into the new action. Ann Todd, aka Ann E. Todd, is not to be confused with the British actress of the same name. She was a nice actress and had many film credits but this was her last film. She then became a regular for many episodes of The Stu Erwin Show. Sheffield, now twenty-one, makes a very appealing hero exhibiting both a strong and sensitive nature.

Verdict: The lions are beautiful. **1/2.

BOMBA ON PANTHER ISLAND

BOMBA ON PANTHER ISLAND (1949). Writer/director: Ford Beebe.

Rob Maitland (Harry Lewis) has traveled to Africa with his sister Judy (Allene Roberts) and is consulting with Commander Andy Barnes (Charles Irwin). While a dangerous panther is stalking and killing natives, Rob gets the idea of starting a fire to clear the brush on an island so he can have a base for agricultural research. Two attractive young women compete for the attentions of Bomba (Johnny Sheffield) as a fire rages out of control during a wild storm, and the panther makes its move. Bomba on Panther Island is an improvement on Bomba the Jungle Boy, with a more interesting story and some exciting developments. Bomba may have been called the Jungle Boy, but at 18 Sheffield (and his alter ago) was a man, something that is definitely noticed not just by Judy but by the sensual and beautiful native girl, Losana (Lita Baron), who is seen as a mysterious creature by the other natives. Baron [Jungle Jim] isn't bad, but Roberts isn't much of an actress. Irwin and Lewis are also professional. In this entry Sheffield is adept and quite charming as Bomba.

Verdict: Bomba better watch out for those "predatory females." **1/2.

BOMBA THE JUNGLE BOY

BOMBA THE JUNGLE BOY (1949). Director: Ford Beebe.

"Filmed in glorious sepia tone," Bomba the Jungle Boy is the first in a series based on the children's books by Roy Rockwood. Photographer George Harland (Onslow Stevens of The Vanishing Shadow), his daughter, Pat (Peggy Ann Garner of Black Widow), and their friend, Andy (Charles Irwin) try to find more interesting wildlife and scenic views across a certain "Big Rift," but Pat gets lost. Bomba (Johnny Sheffield), who was raised by an old recluse who died, isn't too crazy about Pat at first, but then warms up to her, helping her build a refuge. When Pat asks Bomba for a leopard skin, he tries to take his off right in front of her; later she shows up in a remarkably professional leopard dress that seems fitted, patterned and sewn by experts. There is a plague of locusts, some hungry lions, a monkey named Otto, and more stock footage than you can shake a stick at. This is an ultra-cheap Monogram production that even serial thrill-king Ford Beebe can't do much with. The best performance is from Smoki Whitfield as the personable and bright native guide, Eli. Sheffield, of course, played "Boy" in the Tarzan films.

Verdict: Definitely room for improvement with this series. **.