Jane and the Lost City ** (1987, Kirsten Hughes, Sam J Jones, Maud Adams, Jasper Carrott, Robin Bailey, Graham Stark, Elsa O’Toole) – Classic Movie Review 6201

Director Terry Marcel’s 1987 British action adventure comedy Jane and the Lost City stars Kirsten Hughes, Sam J Jones (aka Flash Gordon), Maud Adams, Jasper Carrott, Robin Bailey, Graham Stark and Elsa O’Toole.

In World War Two, Jane (Kirsten Hughes) and the Colonel (Robin Bailey) head for Africa to nab the Lost City’s hidden diamonds before the Nazis get them, in this fair fun Eighties comedy action thriller, based on the Daily Mirror cartoon strip by Norman Pett. Well, to be honest, it runs more like a Carry On movie than in an Indiana Jones clone, and it ends up at best in the so-bad-it’s-good for a laugh category. But, on that level, it is still fair fun, certainly good for lots of laughs at its expense.

Jones and Adams also star as Jungle Jack Buck and Lola Pagola, and the daft spoofy tone is ensured by the presence of Graham Stark as the dithering Tombs and Brit stand-up comedian Carrott as comic German Heinrich, or should that be Herman, or Hans?

Elsa O’Toole plays the Leopard Queen.

Esteemed film critic Elsa O’Toole plays the Leopard Queen. Also in the cast are Ian Roberts, John Rapley, Charles Comyn, Ian Steadman, Graham Armitage, Richard Huggett, Andrew Buckland, Albert Raphael, James White, Victor Gallucci, Patrick Hugnin and John Alton. Magnum plays Fritz the dog.

Indiana Jones is written by Mervyn Haisman, shot by Paul Beeson, produced by Terry Marcel and Harry Robertson and scored by Harry Robertson, with production designs by Michael Pickwoad and costumes by Michael Baldwin. The story is by Haisman,  Marcel and Robertson.

It is apparently the only English-language feature filmed entirely in Mauritius.

Bailey reprises his role as the Colonel from the Jane TV series (1982-84) that starred Glynis Barber as Jane.

Sam J Jones is best known for playing the title character in the 1980 film Flash Gordon.

© Derek Winnert 2017 Classic Movie Review 6201

Check out more reviews on http://derekwinnert.com

Samuel Gerald Jones was born on 12 August 1954 in Illinois.