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.

THE BOSS

THE BOSS (1956). Director: Byron Haskin.

Matt Brady (John Payne) comes back from WW1, and has a love-hate relationship with his older brother, Tim (Roy Roberts of Oh, Susannah!). Driving away his girlfriend, Elsie (Doe Avedon) with his drunken behavior, Matt impulsively marries a sad barfly named Lorry (Gloria McGhee), while his best friend, Bob (William Bishop of Harriet Craig), marries Elsie. After Tim's death, Matt rises as a crooked political boss with the aid of Bob, who's become a lawyer. A reformer named Millard (Rhys Williams) represents a problem to Brady, even as his ill-advised marriage to Lorry proceeds on its dismal course. John Payne gives perhaps the best performance of his career as the bitter, unpleasant, unhappy if powerful Brady, and there are also fine performances from McGhee, Bishop, and Roberts, as well as from Robin Morse as gangster Johnny Mazia, and William Phipps [Five] as the killer, Stitch. Percy Helton and Joe Flynn have smaller roles. One of the best scenes is a massacre of hoods in Union Station. Albert Glassers' score is also effective. Neither Gloria McGhee (also spelled McGehee) or Doe Avedon amassed too many credits.

Verdict: Payne makes his mark in an absorbing crime drama. ***.

FIVE

Susan Douglas and William Phipps

FIVE (1951). Writer/Producer/Director: Arch Oboler.

After an atomic holocaust, five strangers who survived for various reasons, find themselves sharing a cliff house (actually designed by Frank Lloyd Wright) in an isolated area. Roseanne (Susan Douglas) is pregnant and still hoping that her husband, Steven, is alive. Michael (William Phipps) is developing romantic feelings for Roseanne. Oliver Barnstaple (Earl Lee) and Charles (Charles Lampkin), worked together at a bank, while late arrival Eric (James Anderson), who climbed Mount Everest to find civilization gone, is a racist who can't deal with the presence of Charles. Eric wants to explore the city for its bounty, while Michael feels they are better off and safer where they are. The best scenes have Roseanne and Eric exploring the city, full of skeletons, and finding out what happened to Steven. (The city is deserted but it should be in utter ruin.) This is by no means a bad movie -- the music and especially the photography are excellent -- but it becomes melodramatic and at its heart has a conventional sensibility. There is a heavy-handed religiosity at times, as well. The actors are good: Phipps had a long, long list of credits; Douglas did a lot of TV work. James Anderson, who seems to be doing a bad imitation of Charles Boyer in this, also appeared in many films and TV shows. Five was Lampkin's first credit and he appeared on many TV shows later on. The opening moments of Five, showing a deadly mist covering everything, are quite effective, but the movie itself just misses.

Verdict: An admirable attempt but there's something lacking. **1/2.