THE HIDDEN CITY

Johnny Sheffield and Sue England

THE HIDDEN CITY (aka Bomba and the Hidden City/1950). Director: Ford Beebe.

Dennis (Damian O'Flynn) and his driver Hadji (Smoki Whitfield) are taking nature shots of the jungle when they spot Bomba, the Jungle Boy (Johnny Sheffield) swinging by. They report this to Hassan Emir (Paul Guilfoyle), the leader of a place called the "Hidden City." Dennis wants to capture Bomba, more out of curiosity than any malevolence, but Hassan and his right-hand Abdullah (Charles La Torre) seem to want Bomba dead.

Haggard in the jungle: Sue England

Apparently they are afraid that Bomba may know the true origins of a young lady named Zidah (Sue England), an orphan who has been taken in by adoptive father, Raschid (Leon Belasco). Raschid is anxious to get in good with Hassan, so when the latter comes to choose a wife -- or slave -- from the girls of a nearby village, he is eager to offer Zidah. However, Zidah runs off and tries to set up housekeeping with Bomba in the jungle -- Bomba will have none of it. (It may be that in some shots Zidah looks old enough to be Bomba's mother, or that Bomba hasn't yet developed much interest in the opposite sex; English was 22 and Sheffield 19.)

Belasco, O'Flynn and Whitfield

The Hidden City is a standard Bomba adventure with some amusing moments and a fast pace courtesy of director Ford Beebe. Sheffield is charming, England  adequate, and Guilfoyle, and especially Belasco, make a decided impression in their roles. In one scene Abdullah savagely whips a prone Bomba, but neither the blows nor the teenager are seen in the frame. Although the title sort of promises some kind of mysterious adventure or locale, this doesn't quite materialize. The film is reasonably pleasant for Bomba and jungle movie enthusiasts. From Monogram.

Verdict: So-so Bomba adventure that moves too swiftly to wear out its welcome. **.