PHENOMENALITY: *uncanny*
MYTHICITY: *poor*
FRYEAN MYTHOS: *adventure*
CAMPBELLIAN FUNCTIONS: *sociological*
AFRICAN TREASURE has the simplest plot of any Bomba films so far. As in earlier features, we have nefarious nogoodniks-- diamond smugglers-- masquerading as legitimate hunters as they venture into Bomba's neck of the woods. They enslave local workers to dig diamonds out of an extinct volcano, including the father of Lita (Luez). Lita importunes "jungle devil" Bomba to free the workers and conquer the villains, and after assorted unmemorable thrills and spills, he does so. There's no hint of romance between the hero and the female lead this time, and the only thing that struck me about the film was that after seven film adventures, visitors to Bomba's territory still doubt his existence until they see him in person. I could be wrong, but it seems that by the time Tarzan had racked up seven sound-film adventures, pretty much everyone who visits Africa expects to encounter the "ape-man.".
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