In the United States where it was shown as the second film on a double feature with the low-budget US science fiction movie Frankenstein Meets the Space Monster (1965).
Spotting the lion skin stretched on a rack, Simbaza curses Mike by thrusting a spear into the ground at his feet.
There, it is explained that Janet, Mike's wife, has left him, taking their son Tommy to her mother's home in London.
Mike is next pursued across a misty Hampstead Heath by two Simbazi warriors carrying spears and in native dress.
Janet refuses to do so and instead consults a Simbazi expert, who tells her the only way Mike will survive the curse is to return to Africa and kill the man who had put it on him.
Mike eventually runs Simbaza down with a World War II vintage Dodge WC series truck, crushing him between a front wheel and the frame.
As a follow-up to Devil Doll (1964) executive producer Richard Gordon and director Shonteff selected a screenplay by Brian Clemens (written under the pseudonym 'Tom O'Grady' and with additional dialogue and scenes by Leigh Vance) originally titled The Lion Man for their star performer Haliday.
Though set in Africa, outdoor sequences were filmed in London's Regent's Park and stock footage of African fauna was extensively used.
Gordon defended the use of stock footage, saying in an interview that it is 'one of the ways to make low-budget pictures - to have plenty of running time, without having to do a lot of complicated shooting'.
[4][5] However, as British film historian John Hamilton points out, in Curse of Simba, the stock footage is 'poorly integrated and reinforces the slap-dash feel of the production'.
[7] Production began in April 1964[8] as a joint project of the UK's Galaworld Films and the American Gordon Films Inc.[9] The movie was originally budgeted at £35,000 and meant to be shot in four weeks, but because, as Gordon said in an interview, 'The weather really botched things up and sort of depressed everybody',[5] it ended up being completed a week over schedule and £15,000 over budget.
[11][12] Bryan Senn, an American film historian, writes that 'in England, the picture was trimmed by 10 minutes in order to fit the distributor's need for a shorter supporting feature', while British film historian Phil Hardy lists alternate run times of 77 and 61 minutes, but without noting if different countries got different run times.
[13] Although production started in 1964, the vehicles used in the safari scenes are World War II-era Willys MB Jeeps and a 1942 Dodge WC 56 ¾-Ton (1500-lb) Command/Reconnaissance Car, with which Mike runs over Simbaza at the climax of the film.
It opens documentary-style with a voiceover (and a montage of booga-booga tribesmen and wild animals devouring each other): 'Africa: A country [?!]
that for centuries was hidden from civilised man (...) Africa: Where primitive people still practise evil religions which weave a dark web of death around all those who sin against their gods'".
The reviewer further points out that Major Lomas describes the Simbazi by saying, "These people are further from civilisation than Stone Age men".
[16] The BoxOffice magazine review of 13 December 1965 says that "for the undemanding audience" which seems to "relish such goings-on, it's not disappointing fare", and that '"it's as actionful as anything that's preceded this import".
[15][25] Hamilton writes: "Not surprisingly, given the tight shooting time and forced rescheduling, the film exhibits a rushed and amateurish feel".
He continues: "The cramped sets (...) look bland and somewhat seedy, and the flat lighting and unimaginative camerawork only compound the impression of watching a rather dull TV drama".
Senn also says that Daniely has "seemingly disavowed her film work, claiming not to remember anything about it" but 'Money' was her terse reply when asked what attracted her to Curse of the Voodoo and 'crap' her evaluation of it".