Bomba on Panther Island

A black panther, thought to be a jungle spirit by the locals, is causing problems for entrepreneur Robert Maitland, who is trying to clear the vegetation for farming. Bomba (Johnny Sheffield) tries to track down the panther, but finds himself distracted by Robert's pretty sister Judy (Allene Roberts) and sultry maid Losana (Lita Baron), who the superstitious natives believe to be evil.

Having played 'cute kid' in seven Johnny Weismuller Tarzan movies, Johnny Sheffield was promoted to star of his own series of African adventures, playing jungle boy Bomba. This is his second film as the vine-swinging teen, but the first that I have seen, and if it is anything to go by, it might be my last for some time: the plot is uninspired, the pace is sluggish, and the 'action' is padded out with stock footage. I imagine that it was all downhill from here.

Sheffield is fine as the athletic adolescent - he's had enough practise at this kind of thing, after all - but the film lacks the energy and excitement of the Tarzan movies, partly due to its low budget (evident in the limited, unconvincing jungle studio sets), but mostly because of the dull script that focuses more on Bomba's attraction to the two women and less on the killer panther.

The film only comes to life in the final act, when Robert attempts to clear the jungle by lighting a fire (that quickly gets out of control), and Bomba wrestles with the panther (a stiff-legged stuffed animal) -- but it's too little, too late.

N.B. I assume that the Bomba movies were aimed at a young 'Saturday matinee' audience, but the opening scene, in which Bomba's pet capuchin is savaged to death by the panther, is the sort of thing to have kids in tears (even I choked up at the sight of the little monkey's limp body).