Story: George Harland (Onslow Stevens) and his daughter Patricia (Peggy Ann Garner) are on an expedition in Africa, looking to explore and document the natives, their customs, and of course, the wealth of exotic wildlife the region has to offer. But the area also poses many dangers, from the hostile terrain and climate to the wild animals and locals unaccustomed to tourists, so the two have to be careful as they take their photos. When Patricia finds herself in peril, she is rescued by an unexpected presence, a young man who seems right at home in the jungle, Bomba (Johnny Sheffield). While they come from very different worlds, can Patricia and Bomba work together to reunite her with her expedition group?

Entertainment Value: This brisk jungle adventure would launch an entire Bomba franchise, with a total of twelve installments in the series. The story is simple enough and the movie basically exists to introduce us to Bomba, without much emphasis on narrative. A good portion of the film relies on stock footage of various African landscapes, customs, and animals, while the Bomba focused thread is given less time, at least until the second half of the picture. But the movie clocks in at seventy minutes, so it doesn’t drag at all and is never dull, though I did prefer the second half of Bomba: The Jungle Boy. I also appreciated the more b movie elements, such as the hokey sets and costumes, as they added some fun. Not the most exciting adventure perhaps, but a passable intro for Bomba and for me, I mostly enjoyed it.

After gaining some fame for playing Boy in the Tarzan series, Johnny Sheffield returns to the jungle in this, his first of twelve turns as Bomba. He looks the part quite well, which is an important element in this case, but he doesn’t bring much else to the table here. Which is not to say that he’s bad, he’s just stiff and doesn’t show much charisma, kind of wooden overall. I didn’t mind that however, as it makes sense with Bomba’s personality and since the script is careful not to demand much of Sheffield, he is always capable in the role. He is able to play off his costars well and he does indeed give off jungle boy vibes, so he’s fun to watch, even if quite stilted. The cast also includes Peggy Ann Garner, Onslow Stevens, and Charles Irwin.

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