The Lost Volcano ** (1950, Johnny Sheffield, Marjorie Lord, John Ridgely, Donald Woods, Tommy Ivo) – Classic Movie Review 10,992

‘MIGHTIEST VOLCANIC ERUPTION EVER FILMED!’

Director Ford Beebe’s 1950 Monogram Pictures black and white Poverty Row pot-boiler adventure The Lost Volcano is based on the Bomba cartoon strip character by Roy Rockwood and stars Johnny Sheffield, who returns as Bomba the Jungle Boy on the trail of the bad guys seeking African treasure. Quite a lot of energy has gone into this cheap-looking, just about pleasant enough, time-passing third series entry.

The bad guys are wicked hunting guides who have kidnapped young boy David Gordon (Tommy Ivo) to get him to lead them to a great treasure hidden in a lost city in an active volcano about to erupt. Bomba the Jungle Boy arrives to try to rescue him, and along the way tackles a crocodile, a python and then the bad guys.

Also in the cast are Marjorie Lord as Ruth Gordon, Donald Woods as Paul Gordon, John Ridgely, Tommy Ivo, Robert Lewis, Elena Verdugo, Don C Harvey, and Grandon Rhodes.

The story and screenplay are by Jack DeWitt, which is ironic because the script lacks de wit, though, to be fair, it certainly does not lack incident and spirit.

Runtime: 76 minutes.

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).

Marjorie Lord (née Wollenberg; July 26, 1918 – November 28, 2015).

RIP Marjorie Lord, who died on 28 November 2015, aged 97. She met actor John Archer in a stage production and they married at the end of 1941. They had two children before divorcing in 1953. Son Gregg became an airline pilot while daughter Anne Archer is the Oscar-nominated actress.

The Lost Volcano (1950, Johnny Sheffield, Tommy Ivo).

Alas, Tommy Ivo (born April 18, 1936) was one of many child actors who disappeared from movies after puberty threatened, though happily he had a second career as a drag racing driver. He played Cousin Arne in I Remember Mama (1948), Joey in Prejudice (1949), William Button in Plymouth Adventure (1952) and David in The Treasure of Lost Canyon (1952) with William Powell.

 © Derek Winnert 2021 Classic Movie Review 10,992

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