classicsoncall I guess it's a toss up as to who's the 'Jungle Girl' of the title. You have Linda Ward (Karen Sharpe), daughter of a government inspector, and Baru (Suzette Harbin), the daughter of a tribal chief, who it turns out acquired his status by nefarious means. Ultimately it doesn't make much difference because the story is a rather haphazard affair, as hero Bomba (Johnny Sheffield) attempts to learn about his origins and why he's the only jungle inhabitant that can't lay claim to a mother and father.This is only the second 'Bomba' film I've seen but I've already noted that just like Tarzan and Jungle Jim, Bomba can get involved with the deadliest of animal foes and come away without a scratch. In this one he wrestles a crocodile out to make dinner of Linda Ward, but it's actually the young lady who turns things around by shooting the croc. I thought I recognized Nancy Sharpe in her role here, turns out she portrayed the character Laura Thomas in the single season TV Western "Johnny Ringo" during the 1959/1960 season. Oh yeah, someone actually watched that show on a regular basis.As I keep tabs on these jungle features I'm always keen on catching wild animals outside their natural element. That leopard that fought off the water buffalo was actually a South American jaguar as you can note by the small rosettes inside the larger spots. How he got to Africa is anyone's guess.Well high above the Jeruti village, Bomba finds what he's looking for. The remains of his murdered parents were buried in a cave, killed on orders of Gamboso (Martin Wilkins), the village chief. The jungle lad didn't have much time to think about it as the wicked daughter Baru set the jungle on fire as a way to fend off the Wards and approaching Commissioner Barnes. The film may have one significant but dubious credit in as much as it features what might be the very first cat fight between a black and a white woman as Baru tussles with young Linda Ward. After it was over, did anyone else think it strange that when Baru walked out of the cave, you hear her scream off screen and that's it - she's gone! I guess Linda was the jungle girl after all.

lugonian BOMBA AND THE JUNGLE GIRL (Monogram, 1952), written and directed by Ford Beebe, based upon the character by Roy Rockwood in the "Bomba" Books, stars Johnny Sheffield in the title role in the eighth installment of this "second feature" adventure series. While title leaves impression of Bomba meeting a displaced jungle girl, helping her find her family by assisting her through long journey and adventure before reaching some obscure village, no such thing occurs. A somewhat misleading title actually revolves more on the displaced jungle boy wanting to know more about himself and whom his people are. The story gets underway as Bomba (Johnny Sheffield) observes the animals around him. He thinks to himself, "Every animal in the jungle has a mother and father but me. I don't even know who I am." This sets the pattern of what's to come. Bomba finds a book inside a cave that could lead to his true identity. By taking it over to his friend, Deputy Andy Barnes (Leonard Mudie) for translation, it is revealed the book to be a diary written by Cody Casson, a man now deceased, who found and raised Bomba when he was three. It is learned that Bomba's parents are John and Laura Hastings (possibly Hawkins), and that his father was a mapmaker living among the native tribe. Since Bomba, who likes the surname of "Hastings" best, wants to know more about his family, he decides to travel to the village where it all began many years ago. Along the way Bomba sees and rescues Linda Ward (Karen Sharpe) from an crocodile attack, who in turn shoots the crocodile as Bomba gets overpowered by it. Through a twist of fate, Bomba finds that Linda's father, Lawrence (Walter Sande) is a government agent inspecting living conditions of that same tribal village where he's headed. During his quest for information, Bomba discovers his parents were murdered, and intends on finding out who's responsible. To prevent Bomba from learning the truth from Linasi (Amanda Randolph), a blind woman who was once his native nurse, Gamboso (Martin Wilkins), the tribal leader, and Boru (Suzette Harbin), his daughter, arrange to have the woman killed by a poisoned dart from a blow gun, and placing Bomba under arrest for her murder. Set free by Linda, Bomba later makes every effort to save father and daughter from whatever danger lies ahead, at the same time, getting to the main source to his family mystery without getting himself targeted by death.Based on the plot summary, there's no jungle girl, unless one counts the Linda character, who's never seen in jungle clothes. As much as BOMBA AND THE JUNGLE GIRL is often dismissed as one of the lesser entries, it is, in fact, a satisfactory one. Contrary, the summary used in this edition is one that would have served best for the first in the series, BOMBA THE JUNGLE BOY (1949) rather than the plot used, consisting more time on the supporting safari players and hardly anything on Bomba's origin and how he came to be a lone jungle boy with a sphere. By this time, Ford Beebe, who scripted the entire "Bomba" adventures, slightly broke away from traditional "Bomba" stories by setting the pattern more towards Bomba's unknown heritage. By doing this, he adds further excitement placing Bomba's life in peril. Playing more like a murder mystery set in the jungle, it gets by on the material and limited production values it has. Below average acting from newcomer Karen Sharpe, along with a not-so-convincing demise of one of the villains, can be contributed towards the film's weakness, but overall, a passable 72 minutes. Others members of the cast include Morris Buchanan in notable support as Kokoli, a native who risks his life assisting Bomba; Don Blackman, Bruce Carruther, Roy Glenn, and Bomba's pet monkey, N'Kimba, doing what Cheta of the "Tarzan" movie series did best, attracting whatever attention in the "comedy relief" department.Being the last "Bomba" adventure produced by Monogram, in fact, the last Monogram film ever release, the duration of the "Bomba" series (1949-1955) were distributed by Allied Artists. Unseen on cable television since Turner Network Television's broadcast in 1992 and 1993, BOMBA AND THE JUNGLE GIRL has joined forces, along with other "Bomba" adventures, as worthy presentations on Turner Classic Movies (TCM premiere January 21, 2012). Next in the series: SAFARI DRUMS (1953). (**)

Michael_Elliott Bomba and the Jungle Girl (1952) * 1/2 (out of 4) The eighth film in Monogram's series once again has Johnny Sheffield playing Bomba, the jungle boy who in this adventure meets a jungle girl (Karen Sharpe) and the two try to figure out who his parents were. With the help of a partial diary, the two set out to learn the truth yet you know there are going to be complications. Having been watching the Bomba series in the order that they were made, I have no idea what the last four films will hold but there's no question that it appears everyone involved were running out of ideas. There's really not too much to say about this film that I haven't said about previous entries. This one here features a pretty boring story where not much happens except that our hero has a new female lead and we get countless scenes where they talk about things that they're going to do. Every ten minutes or so we get an action scene that is full of silly gunshots and every once in a while we get stock footage to go with it. The start of the film has our female swimming in a river for no reason other than a crocodile to show up and she of course will need Bomba to save her. I think the croc used here is different than the previous couple films as was the stock footage showing the real one. The story itself is pretty bland because after the first few minutes you realize that you really don't care what happened to Bomba's parents and your only main goal is getting through all the madness.

sol1218 ****SPOILERS*** Reaching the age of 21 and now being qualified to vote smoke and drink Bomba, Johnny Sheffield, realizes that unlike his animal friends in the jungle he doesn't have a mommy or papa since he was abandoned by them when he was three years old. Going on a journey of self discovery to find out just who he is and whom his parents were Bomba runs into Linda Ward,Karen Sharpe. It's Linda whom he saved from a crocodile attack while she was taking a swim in the Congo River. As things tune out Linda's pop Mr.Ward,Walter Sande, who's a good friend of Bomba also happens to work for the local British Commissioner in the district Andy Burns, Mudie Barnes.It's from Andy that Bomba gets a clue to who his parents were in that they were in fact murdered by the local natives in the area. As it soon turned out it was the local Chief Gambosa, Martin Wilkins,and his power hungry daughter Princess Baru,Suzette Habrin,who were not only responsible for Bomba's parents murders but were also involved in the murder of the real chief of the village whom Bomba's parents were very friendly with. Chief Gombosa who took control of the village had Bomba's nanny Linasi, Amanda Randolph, who's husband was the true village chief blinded to keep the villagers in line and from rioting against him. It's now up to Bomba and his new found girl friend Linda to track down where is parents are buried and find the evidence in his father John Hasting's diary to prove once in for all who's the real chief of the village! Which just happens to be Linasi's son Kokoli, Morris Buchanan, who's secretly working behind the scenes with Bomba to bring his father's killers to justice!With the phony village chief Gambosa and his daughter Princess Baru finding out that Bomba was on to them and their phony act as chief and princess of the native village they pull out all stops to shut him up and shut him up permanently. Bomba for his part has the British Commissioner Andy Bearns in his corner but with Gambosa getting the jump on him it may well be too late for Andy,in being miles away from all the action, to do anything for him. ***SPOILERS*** Bomba together with Linda finally track down the cave where his parents are buried as well as get his hands on his father's diary that proves that Gabosa and daughter are fakes. The only problem for Bomba is that it may be too late for him to get that evidence back to the village and the local British Commissioner Barnes with the determined Princess Baru and a bunch of her henchmen about to set the entire jungle on fire! And thus burn to a crisps not only the incriminating evidence against her and her pop Chief Gambosa but Bomba and Linda along with it!