Zambo

Aptly described by other IMDb reviews as a "Spaghetti Tarzan", this might also be considered "Dances with Lions". Stiff and studly Brad Harris stars as George Ryon, falsely convicted of murder, who seizes his chance for escape while being transported by train. Handcuffed to a fellow prisoner, he travels into the heart of the African jungle. Eventually, he's discovered by natives, and comes to be regarded as a mythical white figure known as Zambo. Three years later, an expedition is launched to find a lost city, and Zambo becomes involved.

Largely predictable but hard to dislike, "Zambo" is reasonably fun. It benefits from location shooting in Tanzania and Uganda, and the atmosphere is undeniable. There's much footage of the local flora and fauna, and Zambo interacts with a few of the animals. The lions are calm around him, although at one point he does battle briefly with a very unconvincing gorilla. Romance also occurs as Grace Woodworth (the lovely Gisela Hahn), niece of the eminent Professor Woodworth (Attilio Dottesio), falls for the hunky jungle man. Villainy is supplied by the robust Raf Baldassarre as sleazy guide Juanez; slightly less of a problem is the character Perkins (Daniele Vargas), who gets rather greedy himself when he discovers a cache of jewels. The kid playing Zambos' loyal friend is very endearing.

It might be that some fans of Italian exploitation won't be completely satisfied because this film actually isn't all that trashy. But it certainly has its heart in the right place and is pleasant enough to watch for 91 minutes.

Seven out of 10.