Nabonga

19441944
ApprovedApproved
1h 15min

When a treasure hunter seeks a downed airplane in the jungles of Africa, he encounters one of the passenger's young daughter, now fully grown, and with a gorilla protector.When a treasure hunter seeks a downed airplane in the jungles of Africa, he encounters one of the passenger's young daughter, now fully grown, and with a gorilla protector.When a treasure hunter seeks a downed airplane in the jungles of Africa, he encounters one of the passenger's young daughter, now fully grown, and with a gorilla protector.

4.3/10

557

Top credits

See production, box office & company info

Buster Crabbe and Julie London in Nabonga (1944)

Buster Crabbe, Fifi D'Orsay, Julie London, and Barton MacLane in Nabonga (1944)

Buster Crabbe and Barton MacLane in Nabonga (1944)

In an effort to clear the name of his deceased father, young Ray Gorman travels to darkest Africa to try to track down the money embezzled from his father's bank years earlier. After a long trek through the jungle Gorman finds the money in the care of beautiful 'white witch' Doreen, daughter of the now long-dead embezzler. Gorman finds his goal difficult to accomplish as not only does Doreen, guarded by a huge, ferocious gorilla, not want to give up the money, but greedy guide Carl Hurst has followed Gorman's trail, intent on getting the money himself by any means necessary. —Doug Sederberg <vornoff@sonic.net>

gorilla jungle jungle girl psychotronic film cult 47 more

Taglines
- A WHITE GIRL RULES THE JUNGLE...HER STRENGTH OF POWER WAS "NABONGA!" (original poster - all caps)
Genres
Certificate
- Approved
Parents guide
- Add content advisory

Trivia
To play the role of Doreen as a child, director Sam Newfield used his own daughter, Jackie Newfield.

Quotes
Marie: Oh, wait! I'm afraid of that gorilla!
Ray Gorman: He won't hurt you - not after she's told him not to.
Marie: And suppose she tells him different... what then?
Ray Gorman: He'd tear you to pieces.

Connections
Edited into Dark Jungle Theater: Nabonga (2015)

Top review

Killer gorilla thriller

Buster Crabbe, formerly Tarzan, Flash Gordon and Buck Rogers, stars in this jungle action adventure. A box of jewels from a robbery was lost in the jungle years ago with the daughter of the thief. Our hero needs to find the box and/or the girl whose only friend in the meantime is a man in a gorilla costume. Sounds like a-dime-a-dozen, but actually "Nabonga" is well scripted and rather amusing. Instead of the same old wild fights against lions, this adventure gives Crabbe plenty of opportunity to be witty, for example I loved the scene when he is so afraid of the mighty gorilla the girl has to calm him down. Barton MacLane plays one his typical baddies, trying to steal the jewels himself. Well, it's a simple B movie within the genre rules of the 1940s, but it's doing well.

helpful•5