The Hidden City ** (1951, Johnny Sheffield, Sue England, Paul Guilfoyle) – Classic Movie Review 11,003

‘May the fleas of two thousand camels nest in your beard!’ – Raschid (Leon Belasco).

Director Ford Beebe’s 1950 adventure The Hidden City [Bomba and the Hidden City] stars Johnny Sheffield, who is back for his fourth simple but happy Bomba the Jungle Boy series entry, in which he must save the day after the wicked Hassan Emir (Paul Guilfoyle), corrupt leader of the Hidden City, has seized a valuable tribal throne and its true heir Princess Zidah [or Zita] (Sue England) is in trouble.

Nature photographer Dennis Johnson (Damian O’Flynn), driven by his tour guide Hadji (Smoki Whitfield), is photographing animal wildlife when he sees the white boy Bomba vine swinging through the jungle. Later Johnson meets the evil Emir, who wants Bomba silenced because he knows the truth about him, and sends out his henchman Abdullah (Charles La Torre) to kill the boy. Bomba is rescued by a village girl, who turns out to be the Princess whose father was overthrown by Hassan, and Bomba sets out to help her reclaim her title.

The Hidden City (1951, Johnny Sheffield, Sue England).

It is the first Bomba movie to be filmed at least partly outdoors. Instead of being shot almost entirely on a soundstage like the first three films, this features numerous exterior shots, using rented backlot sets.

Also in the cast are Smoki Witfield as Hadji, Damian O’Flynn as Dennis Johnson, Leon Belasco as Raschid, Charles La Torre as Abdullah, and Frank Lackteen as Village Chieftain.

The Production Code demanded that Bomba (Johnny Sheffield) and Princess Zidah (Sue England) must sleep in separate trees! Talking about unrealistic, there are no visible marks on Bomba after he is whipped and in pain.

The Hidden City [Bomba and the Hidden City] is directed by Ford Beebe, runs 71 minutes, is made and released by Monogram Pictures, is written by Carroll Young, based on characters created by Roy Rockwood, is shot in black and white by William A Sickner, is produced by Walter Mirisch, is scored by Ozzie Caswell and designed by Lester A Sansom.

Producer Walter Mirisch turned 100 on 8 November 2021. He won the Academy Award for Best Picture as producer of In the Heat of the Night (1967).

The 12 Bomba films, all directed by Ford Beebe, are: Bomba, the Jungle Boy (1949), Bomba on Panther Island (1949), The Lost Volcano (1950), The Hidden City (1951), The Lion Hunters (1951), Elephant Stampede (1952), African Treasure (1952), Bomba and the Jungle Girl (1952), Safari Drums (1953), The Golden Idol (1954), Killer Leopard (1954) and Lord of the Jungle (1955).

© Derek Winnert 2021 Classic Movie Review 11,003

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