Sheena (film)

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Sheena
Directed by John Guillerman
Produced by Paul Aratow
Written by Lorenzo Semple Jr.
Leslie Stevens
Starring Tanya Roberts
Ted Wass
Trevor Thomas
Princess Elizabeth of Toro
Music by Richard Hartley
Cinematography Pasqualino De Santis
Editing by Ray Lovejoy
Distributed by Columbia Pictures
Release date(s) August 17, 1984
Running time 117 min.
Language English
Budget $25,000,000 (estimated)
IMDb profile

Sheena is a 1984 Columbia Pictures film based on the comic character of the same name. An odd hybrid of action-adventure and soap opera-style drama, Sheena, shot on location in Kenya, told the tale of a female version of Tarzan who was raised in the fictional African country of Tigora by the equally fictional Zambouli tribe. Starring Tanya Roberts, Ted Wass, and Trevor Thomas, and directed by John Guillerman and written by Lorenzo Semple, Jr.. It was produced by Paul Aratow. Sheena bombed in theaters but found a more-or-less happy home on home video and DVD. It contains some great animal photography.

Tagline: Part Animal. Part Legend. All Woman.

Contents

[edit] Plot summary

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

While investigating rumors of a mystical "healing earth" whose powers are said to flow forth from the sacred Gudjara Mountain, geologists Philip and Betsy Ames (Michael Shannon and Nancy Paul) are killed in a cave-in, leaving their young daughter Janet an orphan. Young Janet is adopted by the Shaman of the native Zambouli tribe (Princess Elizabeth of Toro), and because of a prophecy about the cave-in ("when the sacred mountain cries out") she is viewed as a child of the gods and named Sheena, Queen of the Jungle. As Sheena (Tanya Roberts) grows up, she learns much from the Shaman about the lore of the jungle and the ways of all its creatures and is even entrusted with the secret of telepathic communication with the animals. Outsiders rarely disturb their territory, since that part of Tigora is under the special protection of King Jabalani (Clifton Jones).

Tanya Roberts as Sheena
Tanya Roberts as Sheena

But trouble is brewing in Tigora; the King's ex-football champion younger brother Prince Otwani (Trevor Thomas) is conspiring with his brother's fiancee, Countess Zanda (France Zobda), to have Jabalani assassinated so that they can exploit the titanium-rich Zambouli lands (this may or may not have something to do with the healing properties of the soil, but this is never explained). Experiencing a vision foretelling the death of the King, the Shaman hastens to Tigora's capital of Azan to try and warn him, but is arrested by corrupt police officers working for Zanda.

Otwani's old "friend", reporter Vic Casey (Ted Wass), and his cameraman Fletch (Donovan Scott) are in Tigora to do a story on the former football player. When King Jabalani is killed and the Shaman is framed for it, Vic and Fletch realize they are on to a much bigger story than they had anticipated. Heading to a remote prison compound to interview the Shaman they bear witness to her rescue by Sheena and her animal friends: "Chango", an elephant; "Marika", a zebra; and "Tiki", a chimpanzee. As they escape back into the jungle after destroying the prison, Vic and Fletch follow.

Meanwhile, Otwani obtains the services of Colonel Jorgensen (John Forgeham) and his small army of soldier mercenaries, the Black Berets. The Black Berets' job is to eradicate the Zambouli people so their territory will be open for strip-mining. Now Vic must join forces with Sheena to stop the evil Prince and his army.

[http://members.optusnet.com.au/%7Epwgr2/Sheena/Sheena-home.htm The Sheena Complete website has an in depth biography of Irish McCalla and Sheena with many rare never before seen photos. A section is devoted to the 1984 Sheena film.

[edit] Cast

[edit] Soundtrack Listing

Music composed and conducted by Richard Hartley for the film. Released by Varese Sarabande Club in 2004, there are twelve tracks in all. Note that when the soundtrack was originally released, there were only eleven tracks: the forty-second Track 02 (Interlude) was originally part of Track 01 (Sheena's Theme).

  • Track 01 - Sheena's Theme (Main Title) (2:52)
  • Track 02 - Interlude (0:40)
  • Track 03 - Introduction / One Way Ticket (6:15)
  • Track 04 - Climb! / Young Sheena (5:58)
  • Track 05 - Marika and the Water Deer (2:14)
  • Track 06 - African Ballet (1:53)
  • Track 07 - The Encounter (3:36)
  • Track 08 - Shaman Taught Me (1:58)
  • Track 09 - The Circle (1:13)
  • Track 10 - Come on Vic Casey (2:20)
  • Track 11 - May I (1:43)
  • Track 12 - End Title (2:59)

[edit] External links

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