TARZAN OF THE APES (1918, 00:55 - 02:10, SILENT)
Elmo Lincoln, Gordon Griffith, Enid Markey
Born to parents stranded in the savage jungles of Africa, the young son of Lord and Lady Greystoke is adopted and raised by the she-ape Kala after their deaths. Young Tarzan discovers and is tutored by their shipmate, Binns, who soon after leaves to report the news of the boy to his family back in England. On their arrival, the group is secretly protected by the reclusive Tarzan from ever-present dangers, including lions and a band of hostile natives.
The first appearance of Tarzan on screen, an adaptation of the ERB novel of same title, was wildly successful and became one of the first few films to gross over 1 million dollars at the box office. During the opening sequence, a silhouette of the adult Tarzan perched in a tree seems immediately to be a nod to the classic Fred J. Arting cover from the original book.
There has been mild and friendly debate as to who should be credited as the first Tarzan actor. Stellan S. Windrow was initially selected to play the ape-man for the film, and had completed shooting five weeks of tree and vine-work on location in Louisiana when he was suddenly called away to serve in the Navy during World War I. Thus, Windrow was the first actor hired and filmed in the role of Tarzan. First to actually appear on screen in the film was Gordon Griffith as the young Tarzan -- one of the great delights of the picture. Griffith's segment as the smiling, naked jungle boy runs for close to 30 minutes. But it was Windrow's replacement, Elmo Lincoln, who fulfilled the part of the adult Tarzan for the final production (though Windrow's tree scenes were kept due to Lincoln's fear of heights). Therefore, I think it's safe to say that Elmo Lincoln was truly the "first Tarzan film actor".
A former Arkansas peace officer, the oft-described "barrel-chested" Lincoln didn't fit ERB's vision of the character, and Burroughs was said to be less than enthusiastic with the choice. Much shorter than the 6'4" Windrow, Lincoln stood a mere 5'11" and was built more like a professional wrestler than a lithe, Olympic-style athlete. However, in costume Lincoln closely resembled the Tarzan from that first painting on the cover of "The All-Story" magazine (even down to the headband). And to watch Lincoln as Tarzan is to love him, as his zeal in the role more than makes up for the physical differences with the literary character. It's also been widely accepted that Lincoln actually killed a lion on film during the battle at the cabin, though the details of the story vary among different sources (i.e., how old or sick the lion was, if it had been drugged, and whether or not the killing was in self-defense).
The story itself remains fairly faithful to the spirit of the original novel, though several liberties were taken with the characters and the narrative. One of the most notable changes is the addition of "Binns", who seems to be a "catch-all" character that replaces Black Michael and Paul D'Arnot. It is Binns who saves John Clayton and Lady Alice during the mutiny on the ship, and later who helps educate Tarzan and provides his link to civilization.
The original 10-reel film was cut much in length over time as it was released in various forms. The one-hour version created for video release plays well, though it appears to have a few minor story gaps. There is no explanation for Jane's sudden irritation with Clayton in the cabin, nor is it resolved that Tarzan is truly the son of Lord and Lady Greystoke. There are also a few gaffes (possibly due to sloppy editing). Two that stick out are a quick shot of the young Tarzan wearing native garb directly prior to the scene where he discovers clothing, and also a shot of him sporting his hunting knife right before he enters the cabin and finds it for the first time. On an interesting note, I was informed by Jerry Schneider of ERBville Press that the last few minutes of this version is actually comprised of footage from the sequel, "The Romance Of Tarzan", but I haven't yet been able to confirm that by my own research. If true, it is a welcome addition, as it helps solidify the budding relationship between Tarzan and Jane.
All-in-all, this is a real gem of a film that belongs in every Tarzan movie collector's treasure chest.
THE ROMANCE OF TARZAN (1918, 01:36, SILENT)
Elmo Lincoln, Enid Markey
An adaptation of the remaining chapters of the novel, "Tarzan Of The Apes".
There are no known copies of this film in existence today.
THE REVENGE OF TARZAN (1920, 01:26 - 01:44, SILENT)
Gene Pollar, Karla Schramm, Armand Cortes
An adaptation of the major portion of the novel, "The Return Of Tarzan".
There are no known copies of this film in existence today.
THE SON OF TARZAN (1920, 04:13, SERIAL - 15 Chapters, SILENT)
Kamuela Searle, P. Dempsey Tabler, Gordon Griffith, Karla Schramm, Manilla Martan
An old enemy resurfaces and kidnaps Tarzan's son to revenge himself on the ape-man. Young Jack escapes with the great ape Akut into the jungles of Africa, where he learns to survive in the same manner as his father, growing up to become known as "Korak the Killer".
As the 4th consecutive adaptation of the Tarzan novels (and the first to be serialized), this film remains more faithful to the original story than any other treatment previous or since. Gordon Griffith, who appeared as the childhood Tarzan in the first two films, is a natural selection to play Jack, the son of Tarzan, as a boy. Though he's certainly grown in two years, his smile is immediately recognizable. P. Dempsey Tabler fills the role of Tarzan, with Karla Schramm returning in a nice performance as Jane. Though most of the casting is solid, there has been much criticism over the choice of Tabler as the ape-man, and it is deserved. Tabler is handsome and dignified in formal attire, but his lack of musculature and sagging midsection are completely out of place when he is shown as the Lord of the Jungle. Not so for the lithe and athletic Kamuela Searle, who plays the adult Korak -- once you've seen him in action, it's hard to imagine a better choice. Manilla Martan is wildly attractive as the adult Meriem, who happens to pop out of her raggedy dress more than once (not to mention her distracting bathing scene early in the film... if you have a DVD player, you might catch yourself using "pause" and "zoom" a little too often).
With few exceptions, most of the elements and scenes from ERB's novel are present, but a few of the character names have been curiously changed -- Greystoke is changed to "Greystone", Russian arch-villain Alexis Paulvitch becomes the Swedish "Ivan Paulovich" (also misspelled as "Paulevich" in one frame), and the rogue Malbihn's name is spelled as "Malbihm" the only time it appears. As for the story, the two major liberties taken don't hurt the translation at all. Here, Paulovich (played creepily by Eugene Burr) escapes Akut's attack early on, and joining up with the Swedes, Janssen and Malbihm, continues to pursue Korak and Meriem for the duration of the film. Paulovich also hatches a double-phased plot to lure Jane to Africa with a ransom for the return of Jack, after which he plans to use her as bait to wrest a second ransom from Tarzan. On a more trivial note, Korak is seen voicing the victory cry of the bull ape several times, which he could never bring himself to do in the novel.
There are also a few omissions -- the story thread of Korak's relationship with the baboon tribe is dropped (surely for time), but the attacking of young Jack by the native villagers probably should have been filmed. Without this backstory and the knowledge that the pursuing warriors were a threat to Jack, the scene of a "civilized" boy (still clad in city garb) dropping from a tree and savagely killing a black tribesman for his clothing and weapons comes off rather disturbing.
There was long-running rumor that Kamuela Searle was badly hurt and died from injuries during a scene where an elephant accidentally slammed him to the ground in the final chapter. This has since proven to be false -- Searle actually went on to complete work in other pictures after "The Son Of Tarzan", but did pass away at a young age from cancer four years after the release of this film. On close viewing of the scene in question, Searle is not "slammed", but rather dropped a little roughly -- it did look like it might hurt!
The 15-chapter serial was later shortened into a feature version called "Jungle Trail Of The Son Of Tarzan" (edited and titled by ERB himself at his Tarzana ranch), but any copies of this print are either lost or unviewable. As it stands, the full four-hour epic is very enjoyable, and a must-see for fans of the original novel.
THE ADVENTURES OF TARZAN (1927, 00:57, SERIAL - 15 Chapters, SILENT)
Elmo Lincoln, Louise Lorraine, Frank Whitson, Lillian Worth
An adaptation of the remaining chapters of the novel, "The Return Of Tarzan".
TARZAN AND THE GOLDEN LION (1927, 00:57 - 01:23, SILENT)
James H. Pierce, Boris Karloff
A group of scoundrels force a weary adventurer to reveal the location of the City of Diamonds. Kidnapping both him and Jane's sister, they set off for this city of the Tangani, with Tarzan, his faithful Waziri and the Golden Lion in pursuit.
This is a very enjoyable film titled after the ERB novel, with a clear storyline and plenty of action. Jim Pierce handles the role with poise and dignity, but with his short, wavy blond hair and boyish features he looks more to me like Johnny Sheffield's "Bomba" than the ape-man. Although the book is not closely followed, there are also a few irritating departures (at least in my copy) from the Tarzan mythos. Jad-bal-ja is changed to simply, "Jab the Lion". Instead of Flora Hawkes, we have the incorrectly named "Betty Greystoke". And the Waziri are referred to as the "Wazari". Still, the imprint of ERB manages to shine through in this film.
As a point of interest, the young Karloff plays a renegade Wazari tribesman, and it's not hard to recognize him. He looks just like Frankenstein in a native costume!
TARZAN TRIUMPHS (1943, 01:18)
Johnny Weissmuller, Frances Gifford, Johnny Sheffield
A Nazi paratrooper lands off course on the escarpment, tricking Tarzan into caring for his injuries while his comrades invade the peaceful city of Palandria to plunder its rich natural resources for their war effort.
In the first Weissmuller Tarzan film for RKO Radio Pictures, American anti-German sentiment during World War II was utilized to full advantage, making this one of the most successful of producer Sol Lesser's Tarzan films at the box-office. Filling the absence of Maureen O'Sullivan's "Jane", the heroine role was assigned to the gorgeous Gifford as "Zandra" of Palandria -- in fact, there were a few scenes where I wondered if Tarzan might not wait for Jane to return from London! Yet Tarzan resists Zandra's attempts to coax him into aiding her fallen city until Boy is captured by the Nazis (pronounced "NAT-sees" throughout the film). This is the turning point in the story, as Tarzan clenches his knife and declares, "NOW, TARZAN MAKE WAR!" (reportedly a huge crowd-pleaser at the time).
Though Tarzan was rarely shown killing his human enemies during the Weissmuller era, the payoff in this film is satisfying, with Tarzan, Boy and even Cheetah taking part in the slaughter of the Nazi invaders... a rare departure, never repeated in the Weissmuller movies. No wonder the audiences of the time loved this film so much!
As a final aside, this film introduced the actual Weissmuller "Tarzan yell" (in place of the legendary studio-produced version that had been deceptively attributed to him). As opposed to the MGM-created yell, this one was more humanly possible to imitate, and can be heard often in later Tarzan movies.
TARZAN'S DESERT MYSTERY (1943, 01:10)
Johnny Weissmuller, Johnny Sheffield, Nancy Kelly
While in London tending to injured Allied soldiers, Jane sends Tarzan across the desert on a quest for special jungle fever medicine. Along the way, Tarzan runs afoul of Nazis and an Arab prince when he intervenes to free a wild stallion captured for the prince.
Once again, Jane's absence is explained away as Tarzan and Boy go it alone in this second RKO Tarzan film. Humor develops as Boy tricks Tarzan into taking him on the long and dangerous journey against the wishes of Jane. The female lead falls to Kelly as American magician Connie Bryce, who has been commissioned to deliver a secret message warning of a Nazi plot to take over the desert region for their war effort. Connie takes charge of Boy when Tarzan is jailed for "stealing" the stallion, and then flees with them when rescued by Tarzan after she is framed for the murder of the prince.
A fun, yet uneven romp, the result of extensive reshooting when producer Sol Lesser wasn't pleased with the first batch of footage. The shots of magnified lizards in the remote jungle (taken from the film "One Million B.C.") don't pass well for prehistoric reptiles, and the end sequence with the giant spider is rather anti-climactic.
TARZAN'S MAGIC FOUNTAIN (1949, 01:13)
Lex Barker, Brenda Joyce
The wreckage from an old plane crash is discovered, as is the famous pilot who had mysteriously disappeared years before, appearing not to have aged a day since. She travels home to testify to free a jailed, innocent friend, but on their return to the jungle, Tarzan refuses to guide them back to the hidden valley whose people thrive on a fountain holding the powers of eternal youth.
With the departure of Johnny Weissmuller, RKO Pictures producer Sol Lesser cast Lex Barker in the title role. The intent was obviously to continue the Tarzan/Jane/Boy/Cheetah formula made famous by the Weissmuller films, but Barker is not quite as convincing uttering the mono-syllabic lines that Weissmuller acted out so effectively. With Barker, you have the sense that there is not much reason he shouldn't be filling in his sentences more completely. To his credit, though, I felt similarly with later actors trying to mimic this style. Overall, Barker is fine in this portrayal, and it is nice to see Brenda Joyce continuing in the role of Jane.
Although entertaining, the plot of this film is almost too close to Weissmuller's "Tarzan And The Amazons", with Tarzan once again being accused of betraying the trust of a hidden civilization, as unscrupulous hunters seek to exploit the discovery for their own profit.
TARZAN'S AND THE SLAVE GIRL (1952, 01:14)
Lex Barker, Vanessa Brown, Denise Darcel
Women are being stolen to help repopulate a dying city, sickened by a plague which is spreading into other territories. When Jane is captured along with a girl from a friendly village, Tarzan leads a group of warriors in pursuit, accompanied by a doctor possessing a cure for the illness.
Barker's second outing as Tarzan marks a noticeable improvement, and his performance is enhanced with a display of the savagery and strength that ERB fans expect to see from the ape-man. During an early fight with the captors, Tarzan's knife leaves a scar on the cheek of one of them, marking him as the stand-out villain of the film. Vanessa Brown joins the cast as a very unique Jane -- much more girlish and less buxom than other actresses in the role, yet still capable of taking care of herself. One of the highlights in fact is an all-out "catfight" in the treehouse between Jane and the sensuous temptress Lola (Darcel) which is very similar to a pro wrestling match!
This film is fun and action-packed, and has no problem holding the attention of the viewer. Definitely one of Lex Barker's better films.
TARZAN'S PERIL (1951, 01:19)
Lex Barker, Virginia Huston, George Macready
A police commissioner prepares for retirement after thirty years of service, but learns from Tarzan that a notorious gunrunner they worked to capture has escaped prison. As a tribal queen grants audience to potential suitors for her hand in marriage, Tarzan must ensure that guns do not fall into the hands of those who would win her by force rather than virtue.
Filmed on location in Africa, this is a different and refreshing Tarzan film in many ways. In a rare departure (aside from the origin tales), Tarzan doesn't even appear until almost 16 minutes into the movie as the story is constructed. Barker handles himself well in the role, but credit truly goes to the writers, the director, and the outstanding supporting cast for their excellent work. Once again, we have another unique Jane in Virginia Huston, but more for her dress (literally) and her short, curly locks. In her first scene in the treehouse, she appears wearing a very elegant white dress with gold necklaces as she prepares dinner for Tarzan, and thereafter is shown sporting white jungle garb and a brooch which is much more "dressy" than the traditional brown outfits made popular by Maureen O'Sullivan. And finally, there is a bone thrown to ERB fans in the mentioning of Tarzan as the son of an English lord, and of Jane as the daughter of an American scientist -- a move which would bring much more of the literary character back into Barker's next film, "Tarzan' Savage Fury".
The additional supporting cast is excellent, beginning with Alan Napier ("Alfred" in the Batman series featuring Adam West) as Commissioner Peters -- Napier had also appeared in Barker's "Tarzan's Magic Fountain" as Douglas Jessup. George Macready is the ruthless Radijeck, accompanied by reluctant henchmen Trask (Douglas Fowley) and Andrews (Glenn Anders). Finally, Fredrick O'Neal adds a fun and comedic element as King Bulam, seeking to steal the hand of Queen Melmendi (Dorothy Dandridge).
The action is standout as well, with a much more acrobatic element which adds a flair to the picture throughout. This, along with a well-written story, excellent direction, and great performances by the cast make this one of Lex Barker's best and most memorable Tarzan films.
TARZAN'S SAVAGE FURY (1952, 01:20)
Lex Barker, Dorothy Hart, Charles Korvin
Tarzan discovers an orphaned American boy in the jungle and takes him under his wing. Meanwhile, after murdering Tarzan's cousin during an expedition, the villain Rokov forces his English companion to pose as Lord Greystoke to enlist Tarzan's aid in locating a hidden store of diamonds protected by the Wazuri tribe. Tensions rise between Tarzan's party and the Wazuri when the true intentions of the villains threaten the temporary peace between them.
Lex Barker continues as the ape-man, with yet another actress cast in the revolving-door role of Jane (Barker never had the same Jane twice throughout his five Tarzan movies). Barker has improved, though, as he plays a much more serious and rugged Tarzan than in his earlier films. The producers seem to try to reach out to both fans of the Weissmuller films and also the ERB novels, on one hand reintroducing a "Boy" type of character in the part of Joey Martin, and on the other bringing Tarzan's true origin back into the story, along with variations of other elements from the books.
Tarzan is acknowledged to be the 10th Earl of Greystoke, raised by apes after the death of his parents. And in a first since the silent film era, Tarzan visits his deceased parents' cabin, where he must retrieve his father's Bible to prove his identity to the "Wazuri" (Waziri). Though brave and fierce, they are not exactly friends of the ape-man. Rokoff becomes "Rokov", but resembles the original villain from the novels in name only. Other nods to ERB include Tarzan addressing a lion as "Numa", and Joey's referring to an elephant as "Tantor". A fun watch overall, and one of Barker's best Tarzan films.
TARZAN AND THE SHE-DEVIL (1953, 01:15)
Lex Barker, Joyce Mackenzie, Monique van Vooren
Tarzan battles against a band of ivory traders who plunder native ivory supplies, then enslave the villagers as labor for a greater elephant hunt. Led by a villainous vixen, the traders seek to capture Tarzan and use his friendship with the elephants to help drive the herd to its destination.
Lex Barker's final Tarzan film proves to be a mixed bag... at times it is inventive, yet at times disappointing. There is an increased amount of visual eye-candy, including a crocodile-infested river, a pride of lions, a large elephant herd, and one particularly riveting scene where a python battles (and seemingly bests) a panther. Monique van Vooren certainly looks nice as the "She-Devil" of the title, as well. The natives here are white, though, and you have to suspend disbelief to accept them as a neighboring African tribe instead of the denizens of a lost civilization (black natives did seem scarce in many of the RKO Tarzan pictures). Also, the special effects are exceptionally poor, examples being visible strings on spinning boomerangs and Tarzan's burning treehouse revealed clearly to be a miniature by the scale of the flames. The story itself takes a few interesting turns, but never really seems to gain ground. Most bothersome, though, is Tarzan's reaction when he returns to his destroyed home and believes Jane to be dead. He becomes instantly dejected, head hung low, and allows himself to be captured, flogged and tortured without putting up any form of resistance whatsoever. It is here that the Tarzan of the movies differs the most from ERB's original character -- the Tarzan of the books would have been white-hot with rage and would have stopped at nothing to avenge his mate, leaving a trail of bodies in his wake. All of this is capped off by a very abrupt and non-satisfying ending, the only upbeat note being a quick shot of Cheetah grinning and clapping before the end credits.
This isn't by far the worst Tarzan movie, but it pales as a successor to Barker's last three films, and ends his turn as the ape-man with a fizzle rather than a bang.
TARZAN'S HIDDEN JUNGLE (1955, 01:13)
Gordon Scott, Vera Miles
Unable to meet their quota in Tarzan's domain, crafty hunters pose as photographers to trick a United Nations physician into guiding them safely into hostile Sukulu territory. When their true plan of driving the plentiful game back across the river is exposed, Tarzan races to rescue the doctor and his assistant before the fragile peace with the Sukulus is broken.
Former lifeguard Gordon Scott debuts as Tarzan, bringing a more formidable presence to the role. Unfortunately, Scott's bulk isn't mirrored in the story, which offers little in the way of inspiration or imagination. Gone is Jane here, with the role of the beautiful damsel falling to Miles as the physician's nurse, and the hints of attraction between her and Tarzan aren't played out. The villains are neither clever nor challenging to Tarzan, leaving only the lions in the Sukulu pit to generate a little excitement during the finale.
This film is watchable, but nowhere near as engaging as Scott's better pictures to come.
TARZAN AND THE LOST SAFARI (1957, 01:24)
Gordon Scott, Betta St. John
A group of adventurers crashes while flying too close to observe African wildlife herds. Tarzan attempts to guide them to the coast and safety, while seeking to avoid the dangerous natives of Opar, and a trap being set for them by a traitor in their midst.
This was the first Tarzan film in color, and was a step in the evolution of the screen character away from the Weissmuller tradition. Cheetah remains, but there is no mention of either Jane or Boy. Tarzan appears more intelligent, but remains monosyllabic, although Gordon Scott's delivery seemed much closer to "Tonto" than Tarzan, and his dialogue is overlaced with "wise jungle sayings" in conversation. There are also none-too-subtle sexual undertones in the observations of female characters and their interaction with Tarzan.
Very interestingly, this movie makes several nods toward the ERB tradition, though much of it is inaccurately defined. Tarzan does refer to his lion companion as "Numa" in one scene, though in another, he mentions that he was raised by a female ape named "Kerchak". And "Opar" is similar in name only to the city of the ERB books, except for the presence of a treasure -- ivory, in this case, instead of gold and jewels. All in all, it was nice to continue to see some recognition of the Burroughs lore return to the screen, and this was a very enjoyable precursor to some of the better Gordon Scott films to follow.
TARZAN'S FIGHT FOR LIFE (1958, 01:26)
Gordon Scott, Eve Brent
A witch-doctor with selfish motivations works to discredit a local physician who has dedicated his efforts to bring modern medicine to the neighboring tribes. Tarzan races to expose the situation, as well as save Jane and the dying son of the tribal chief before it is too late.
This film begins seeming to carry on with the evolutionary strides made in "Tarzan And The Lost Safari", yet before too long, Jane and Boy reappear into the story, along with their traditional comedic element developed during the Weissmuller era. There is much more passionate kissing between Tarzan and Jane, though, as a reminder of the changing times.
This movie is entertaining enough, but luckily was Scott's final Tarzan film for MGM and Sol Lesser. Finally, the legacy of the monosyllabic Tarzan would be left with MGM in favor of a more traditional, intelligent portrayal of the ape-man in future projects.
TARZAN AND THE TRAPPERS (1958, 01:14)
Gordon Scott, Eve Brent
Tarzan thwarts a threatening band of poachers, and is in turn hunted in revenge by the brother of one of the jailed villains. Tarzan is doubly challenged by another rogue seeking treasure in a lost city, the location of which is closely guarded by the ape-man.
This film is widely reported as being constructed from three proposed television pilot episodes. However, I understand that Gordon Scott himself has denied ever having filmed any Tarzan shows for TV. This presents a quandary.
The film runs smoothly from beginning to end, and was edited very well nonetheless. There are two main storylines presented, and the second is linked to the first. The first storyline is Tarzan's pursuit of the poachers. The second has one main plot (the hunting of Tarzan) and a subplot (the seeking of the treasure in the lost city).
For those looking, there are a few telltale signs that this movie was stitched together from TV pilot episodes. First, there is the difference in Eve Brent's dress and hairstyle throughout the film. We begin and end with a minor subplot about Tarzan fetching some eggs for Jane, and in both sequences, Jane has long hair and one particular dress. In the major portion of the film, though, Eve Brent sported a much shorter hairdo and a different dress from the other segments. Also, the film is in black and while, but is credited as being created after the advent of the new color Tarzan films. If the footage was truly shot after 1957, this might also indicate that it was initially designed for television.
Regardless of its origins, the film is very enjoyable to watch, and entertaining throughout.
TARZAN THE APE MAN (1959, 01:22)
Denny Miller, Joanna Barnes
A sojourning Watusi warrior attempts a dangerous journey home through miles of hostile territory, and is accompanied by Col. Parker, his daughter Jane, and riverboat captain Holt after revealing the location of the legendary "Elephant Graveyard". A curious Tarzan shadows their trail, protecting them during their journey and falling for Jane in the process.
MGM's first remake of their original 1932 Weissmuller classic has gotten much more of a bad rap than it deserves, and is actually quite enjoyable, though its mistakes are glaring and unforgivable. The storyline, narrated at times by the voice of Col. Parker, takes a fresh approach and makes little attempt to mimic the earlier film. Former UCLA basketball star Denny Miller, in his one-time outing as Tarzan, turns in a fine performance, as do his co-stars. Miller is both handsome and exceptionally graceful on film, whether swinging on a vine, diving into a lake, or riding atop an elephant, and his scenes are beautifully shot. The way he walks supported by his knuckles during the cabin scene with Jane instantly brought to my mind a vision of Disney's animated Tarzan. Very few screen Tarzans have been shown walking ape-like on all fours.
Barnes' Jane is portrayed as a materialistic rich girl, leaving London to join her father in Africa only after his steady supply of money to support her lifestyle dries up. Yet her character is both charismatic and likeable, and the chemistry between her and Tarzan make for many of the best scenes in the movie. And again there seems to be a foreshadow of a future film, as her soliloquy in the lake with Tarzan seems the likely inspiration for Bo Derek's musings in the later 1982 remake of "Tarzan The Ape Man".
Sadly, the actors (especially Miller) end up cheated by the perplexingly uneven quality of production which led to the movie being stigmatized in the minds of some as the "worst Tarzan film" of the series. And the errors are astoundingly bad, and truly inexplicable. The film shows promise during its first 20 minutes, with great sets, acting, storyline and effects such as the explosion on the boat. Signs of trouble begin with the first shot of Tarzan -- grainy, green-tinted B&W footage of a stuntman swinging through the trees from a clearly visible trapeze. With plenty of nice shots of Miller's own vinework, these cuts are completely out of place and unnecessary, as are the two quick closeups of a shiny rubber leopard mask during Tarzan's first fight, and the exceptionally poor underwater shots of Tarzan swimming with Jane which are mixed with a few much more believable footage. Just as bad during the escape scene in the lost city are the black and white stock shots of panicked villagers running through overlayed flame footage, when again there are plenty of workable color shots of burning huts and fleeing natives. There are additional examples, but my point should be clear. It's almost like someone intentionally tried to sabotage what could have been a much better film had about three minutes of some of the worst effects footage I've seen never been added in the first place.
And though the storyline loses some gloss near the end of the film, the only thing that really bothered me was the death of the noble Watusi warrior in a simple, sudden manner normally reserved for peripheral, expendable characters. After this much screen time, he deserved to either make it home or die in more noble manner.
Flaws aside, no one should avoid seeing this film on reputation alone, because there is much more to enjoy than there is to dislike. It is a shame that Miller wasn't given more credit and recognition for his unique and admirable portrayal of Tarzan.
TARZAN'S GREATEST ADVENTURE (1959, 01:28)
Gordon Scott, Anthony Quayle, Sean Connery
An old enemy of Tarzan's resurfaces to lead an expedition in search of a hidden diamond mine, plundering villages and outposts along the way. Tarzan takes off in pursuit, but is slowed by the company of a downed female pilot he must protect in the meantime.
With a new big-budget studio (Paramount Pictures) and producer (Sy Weintraub) behind him, Gordon Scott was set to make the two best Tarzan movies of his career. The mono-syllabic act is dropped in large part, as Scott plays Tarzan as an intelligent, but brooding and driven jungle hero. Quayle turns in a fine performance as "Slade", the equally driven villain with a greater taste for killing than for diamonds. A pre-Bond Connery ads very nicely to the film as Slade's sidekick, "O'Bannion", and is entertaining throughout.
The presence of Tarzan's female companion in the film serves mainly to showcase his machismo, as much of the dialogue between them demonstrates. I did have one major question, though... At the end of their "bonding" scene, Tarzan's hand is seen reaching up to pull her down to him, but the next time you see them on screen together, they are arguing as she leaves him, with no explanation of what happened in the interim. WAS IT THAT BAD?!? :)
For Tarzan movie fans, this film is considered one of the best of the entire series, and is certainly one of Gordon Scott's finest outings as Tarzan.
TARZAN THE MAGNIFICENT (1960, 01:28)
Gordon Scott, Jock Mahoney
A member of a notorious crime family is captured by a local police official, but escapes when the officer is killed during his rescue. Avenging his friend's death, Tarzan recaptures the fugitive and takes on the task of escorting him to the authorities, with the intent of giving the reward money to the slain officer's family.
This film is similar to "Tarzan's Greatest Adventure" in look and feel, but the script is flipped as Tarzan becomes the "hunted" instead of the "hunter". There is debate about which of the two films is the better, but I consider this movie the hands-down champ, with the bulk of the credit going to the excellent supporting cast. Quite simply, the characters have more personality, and are allowed to blossom in the film.
Future Tarzan actor Jock Mahoney portrays the villain "Coy Banton", the favorite son of his father who will stop at nothing to secure his freedom. Mahoney is incredibly fun to watch on screen... aren't we supposed to hate the bad guys? He is also integral in the film's biggest subplot, wooing the disgruntled wife of the boastful but cowardly businessman that accompanies Tarzan on the journey.
In my opinion, this was Gordon Scott's finest Tarzan film, and the definitive crown on his career as the ape-man. BRAVO!!!
TARZAN GOES TO INDIA (1962, 01:26)
Jock Mahoney, Leo Gordon, Jai the Elephant Boy
Tarzan is summoned to India to help save a herd of elephants from destruction during the building of a new dam. Tarzan's task is made more difficult by both the rogue elephant leader, and the unscrupulous foreman (Gordon) with a fetish for ivory.
Legendary stuntman/actor Jock Mahoney, fresh from his role as villain "Coy Banton" in "Tarzan The Magnificent", takes over the role of the ape-man in this enjoyable film. Hired on at age 42, Jocko's "Tarzan" was about as far from ERB's character as it gets, but he had such great charisma and screen presence that you can't help but love his portrayal -- plus he performed all of his own stunts. God rest his soul.
There is lots of great action in this film, including intriguing battles between a cobra and a mongoose, and also two bull elephants warring for control over their herd. And on the humorous side, if you watch closely right before the 28-minute mark, you can see an elephant drop his lunch on camera. I guess being shot at truly scared the poop out of him!
TARZAN'S THREE CHALLENGES (1963, 01:40)
Jock Mahoney, Woody Strode
Tarzan travels to Thailand to escort the successor to a dying emperor safely to his destination. After his guide is killed en route, Tarzan must prove himself worthy and capable of the task, at the same time averting danger from a rival to the throne.
Jock Mahoney was as heroic as the character he portrayed, fighting through fever and weakness during production to complete this film. Having lost over 40 pounds through the course of filming, he ends up looking more like a fasting Thai monk than the Lord of the Jungle, but still manages to save the day in convincing form.
Jocko's second (and final) outing as Tarzan exceeded his first film. For the record, I would have enjoyed him at age 50 in the role, had it been possible.
TARZAN AND THE VALLEY OF GOLD (1966, 01:30)
Mike Henry, Nancy Kovack
Driven by the lust for gold, a super-villain with an affinity for explosives attempts to overwhelm an ancient civilization with modern weaponry to raid their vast treasure vaults. Only Tarzan stands in his path to success.
Former Steelers / Rams football player Mike Henry became the next Tarzan, and his character was a "gentle giant"... formidable in appearance, yet soft-spoken and thoughtful of others. Henry was the only film Tarzan to date not required to shave his chest, possibly to give the character a more "manly" appearance. And if the huge knife he carried had been an inch longer, it would have qualified as a short sword!
This was a bold departure in an attempt to update the character, and for the first 13 minutes of the film (including the flashy intro and 60's-style soundtrack), I would have sworn I was watching a James Bond film. Even after Tarzan sheds his suit and tie for a loincloth and hunting knife, he displays mastery of modern weaponry, including an assault rifle, hand-grenades and even a tank!
TARZAN AND THE GREAT RIVER (1967, 01:39)
Mike Henry, Jan Murray, Diana Millay
Tarzan travels to Brazil to thwart a revived "death cult" that is enslaving villages for labor in a secret diamond mine. Along the way, he finds himself escorting a beautiful physician upriver to cure sick natives who think they have been cursed by the evil cult leader.
Mike Henry returns as the soft-voiced but formidable Tarzan in this exciting film, which tones down the "Bond" approach a bit (no guns and tanks this time, but he still sports a suit and travels where called). Tarzan is invited to accompany the Bogart-like Captain Sam (Murray) and his young ward, Pepe (Manuel Padilla Jr., who also played "Jai" in the Ron Ely "Tarzan" series), as they travel by boat to guide Dr. Ann Phillips (Millay) safely to her destination. In tow are Cheetah and "Baron" the lion (obviously inspired by Jad-Bal-Ja), but their presence is ultimately superficial to the story. Sadly, not all the animals got along with Henry as he received a bite on the jaw from a chimpanzee requiring 20 stitches to close, and which eventually became infected and delayed shooting for a few weeks while he recuperated from a fever.
Henry's athletic background is used to the movie's benefit, with excellent scenes of Tarzan racing rapidly through the jungle on foot and by vine, and in one scene, tackling a group of bad guys linebacker-style -- ouch! Or how about chasing and taking down an attacking lion to save the physician? The action is great, right down to the showdown with the wicked cult leader Barcuma played by Rafer Johnson. Throw in the Weissmuller yell for effect, and the final product is a very fun and entertaining film.
TARZAN AND THE JUNGLE BOY (1968, 01:39)
Mike Henry, Rafer Johnson, Steve Bond
A journalist and her fiance' travel to the jungle to investigate reported sightings of a boy who had disappeared in the jungle six years previously, enlisting Tarzan's assistance in the search. Unfortunately, their quest takes them through sacred tribal territory, throwing Tarzan in the middle of a feud between two brothers fighting to succeed their father as chief of their village.
In the final of three Tarzan films shot in rapid succession, Mike Henry reprises his role as the ape-man, seeking a missing boy who is rumored to be living in the jungle much in the same fashion as Tarzan. In a memorable line, when asked how it's possible that a youth could survive for six years under such circumstances, Tarzan replies, "It's been done." Rafer Johnson of "Tarzan And The Great River" returns again as the villain, this time cast as the evil brother Nagambi who tries to gain the leadership of his tribe through treacherous means. Steve Bond debuts as the lost orphan Erik Brunik, known to the natives as "Jukaro" -- amazingly, he dresses exactly like Tarzan!
An exciting adventure with plenty of Mike Henry action, including another great football tackle, and an underwater attack by a giant clam! It was originally intended for Henry to continue as Tarzan in the television series which eventually starred Ron Ely, but Henry sued producer Sy Weintraub for excessive endangerment on the set during the long and gruelling shooting schedules of his three films. Regardless, the final result looked great on screen and firmly set for Henry a notable place in Tarzan film history.
TARZAN EN LA GRUTA DEL ORO ("Tarzan in the Golden Grotto") (1970, 01:24)
a.k.a. "King of the Jungle", "Zan, King of the Jungle", "Tarzan's Greatest Challenge"
Steve Hawkes, Kitty Swan
When the king of the jungle rescues an Amazon captive from an enemy village, the newly armed natives take their rifles and seek revenge. Wounded and left for dead, the ape-man is discovered and cared for by a local prospector who, after being rewarded with gold from the Amazons' hidden cave, attracts the wrong kind of attention and places both the Amazons and their treasure at risk.
An immigrant of Eastern Europe who was inspired by Johnny Weissmuller, former Mr. Canada Steve Hawkes stars in the first of two Spanish / Italian Tarzan collaborations directed by Manuel Caño. Originally filmed in English and later dubbed in Italian and Spanish, the versions I saw had been redubbed in English and subtitled in Swedish! Though his Tarzan films are sometimes referred to as "unauthorized", Hawkes has stated that moneys were properly paid to Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc. on both occasions. For this film, producers ran short of funds during shooting after a flood caused them to lose much of their equipment and footage, forcing them to negotiate a lesser licensing fee by shortening Tarzan's name to simply "Zan".
The minor name change is easy to ignore while watching the film, as the well-built Hawkes looks great in the role, and though his knife rarely leaves its sheath, the story is full of action and a few laughs from end-to-end. The battle with the gorilla is a highlight, though the cruel treatment of the Amazon women by the villains made me squirm a bit. And instead of Cheetah, Zan's ever-present companion is a parrot who seems most fluent in the English language!
If you are a Tarzan movie fan, don't let anyone discourage you from seeing this film. Though not particularly original in content, it's at least as enjoyable if not more so than a few of the "official" releases I could name.
TARZAN Y EL ARCO IRIS ("Tarzan and the Rainbow") (1972, 01:18)
a.k.a. "Tarzan and the Brown Prince"
Steve Hawkes, Peter Lee Lawrence, Kitty Swan
After the death of a native king, two members of the village compete in a race to retrieve the Green God and thereby win the leadership of the tribe. Tarzan dogs their trail to protect the final outcome of the contest, but is distracted when an unscrupulous hunter targets the ape-man for addition to his menagerie.
Hawkes returns as the jungle lord, but the correction of his character's name to "Tarzan" is one of the only upsides of this second film by director Manuel Caño. His build seems less defined this time around, and appears inconsistent at times due to the use of recycled footage from the first film. Kitty Swan, who played the Amazon queen and love interest in the first movie, returns as Tarzan's "mate" in this film, but I was not clear if she actually represented the original character or a new one, as her name was never spoken.
Most disappointing and perplexing, though, is the misuse of Tarzan in this film -- he spends most of his time in the trees, simply observing the activities of the other characters, and has very little dialog or interaction throughout. This is a huge step back from the active and involved ape-man from "Tarzan en la Gruta del Oro", though the film does manage a few interesting moments -- the underwater fight with the crocodile is somewhat realistic and kinda cool!
As a point of trivia, Steve Hawkes suffered serious injuries when he was burned over the majority of his body during an accidental fire on the set. According to Hawkes, he was rescued by a lion that had been trained to free him from the bonds that held him pinned to stakes driven in the ground. From that point forward, he resolved to dedicate his life to the care of big cats that have been cruelly treated, and lives as a modern-day Tarzan among a host of lions, tigers and panthers in JungleWorld -- his private wildlife sanctuary in Florida.
TARZAN THE APE MAN (1982, 01:15)
Miles O'Keeffe, Bo Derek, Richard Harris
Seeking to reestablish a relationship with her estranged adventurer father, Jane Parker accompanies him on a quest for the fabled "Elephant Graveyard". However, Jane ends up discovering more about herself through sensual encounters with the mysterious Lord of the Jungle.
In this second remake of the exceptional 1932 classic, MGM has gained little ground if any from the atrocious treatment they gave the 1959 attempt featuring Denny Miller and Joanna Barnes. In fact, Miller himself felt a little better about his film after seeing this one! The story more closely resembles that of the Weissmuller epic, but as it was created mainly as a starring vehicle for Bo Derek (or rather, her unclothed body), Jane becomes the central character, leaving the speechless Tarzan as little more than background scenery. In fact, the movie posters depicted only Jane swinging from a vine, with the tagline, "The most beautiful woman of our time in the most erotic adventure of all time."
As with the last remake, this film starts off with promise, but quickly degrades. But this time, the actors can't be given as much credit. Derek's delivery becomes extremely grating -- especially her self-musings in the company of Tarzan. Classically trained veteran Harris is misused in an over-hammy performance as the megalomaniacal James Parker, who at one point states, "I wallow in ME." Parker is fun at the beginning, but by the end you might be happy to see his fate. In his debut big-screen appearance, Miles O'Keeffe is almost completely wasted as the ape-man, though he has in my opinion the most ERB-correct Tarzan physique shown on screen -- if he'd had black hair and grey eyes he would have been perfect! And though his characterization of Tarzan became stigmatized as "dumb as a box of rocks", his face reveals a hidden character, dignity and intelligence that could have been used to great effect in the the right vehicle.
The film at times is beautifully shot with a large and sweeping scope, but in other respects it suffers badly in what seems to be the unfamiliarity of director John Derek (a still photographer by trade) with the medium of motion pictures. The most glaring examples are the action sequences, many of which are depicted in an artificial slow motion -- while beautiful to look at, they are confusing and remove the thrill element almost completely. This includes the battle with the anaconda, and the final showdown with the Ivory King, who looks more like a Caucasian professional wrestler than an African native chief.
Most Tarzan fans seem to abhor this film, and it has earned a reputation as the worst of the series. However, there are bright spots throughout if you look for them, and it is worth a watch, especially if you are a Tarzan film completist.
GREYSTOKE, THE LEGEND OF TARZAN, LORD OF THE APES (1984, 02:09)
Christopher Lambert, Andie MacDowell, Sir Ralph Richardson
Orphaned as an infant in an African jungle and raised by apes, Tarzan is discovered and educated by Phillippe D'Arnot, who brings him to civilization to assume his title and position in prominent society.
This was the first attempt since the "Tarzan Of The Apes", the original silent film featuring Elmo Lincoln, to tell the story of John Clayton, Lord Greystoke as presented in ERB's first Tarzan novel of same title. "Greystoke" came out just a few years after I had completed reading the 24 novels, and I can't remember looking so forward to a film as I did this one. As a young teen, I recall absolutely loving "Greystoke", and I still feel the same, but its flaws are much more evident when I watch it today.
As a movie, it's great! The story is solid, and Christopher Lambert is captivating and intense as John Clayton (his best performance ever, in my opinion), as are all the supporting cast members. But as an ERB-correct Tarzan movie -- since this is what it raised hopes of being -- its weaknesses are glaring. The biggest flaw in the eye of an "ERB Tarzan" fan is this: Though the first half of the film was an excellent depiction of the ape-man's origin, in trying to make the story as realistic and plausible as possible they totally emasculated the character of Tarzan (a name by which he's never referred to in the film). Lambert is never given the chance to truly portray the physical and violent aspects of the jungle lord. In fact, almost all of the violence is either implied or hinted at -- very little shown on screen -- leaving viewers to only imagine what Tarzan might do if he was truly pushed to the edge. As a point of trivia, most people know by now that as Jane, Andie MacDowell's lines were completely redubbed by an uncredited Glenn Close, speaking with an English accent. Close originally competed for the role of Jane herself, and accepted the voiceover job though still sore over the loss of the part to another actress.
Weaknesses aside, this is still a very good film. It's truly a sad film, as the central theme of the story is the concept of "loss", which repeats itself throughout, before pain and confusion push John Clayton to leave civilization to return to the comforts of his jungle. So "Greystoke" stands very well on its own, yet still is seen as a missed opportunity by many ERB fans who hoped for a truer interpretation of Tarzan on screen.
TARZAN IN MANHATTAN (1989, 01:34)
Joe Lara, Kim Crosby, Tony Curtis, Jan Michael Vincent
When Kala is murdered and Cheetah is kidnapped by the killers, Tarzan follows their trail to New York intent on rescue and revenge.
This campy pilot for a proposed television series mixes the traditional ERB example set a few years earlier by "Greystoke" with silly Hollywood tradition, this time opting for a modernized "fish-out-of-water" approach to the story. The film stars Joe Lara in his first turn as the ape-man, who looking quite out of place in the big city, befriends a Manhattan cab driver named Jane Porter (Crosby). Jane's father Archimedes Q. Porter (Curtis), a wisecracking private detective, joins in the race to stop the villainous Brightmore (Vincent) before Cheetah becomes the next victim of his cruel animal experiments.
"Tarzan in Manhattan" begins well enough in the jungle, where Tarzan swings from the thickest, hairiest man-made vines seen on screen, but starts to sink once he leaves Africa and heads stateside. Though genuinely cute in places, the film as a whole is marred by bad dialog, bad performances, and 80's-era fashion and sound which will give it a dated feel to modern viewers -- not all movies age gracefully! As for execution, it also suffers from several gaffes and inconsistencies, the latter of which will bother ERB fans the most. For example, an updated take on Tarzan's origin depicts young John Clayton as a boy of 6 or 7 who miraculously survives his parents in an explosive plane crash, and is immediately found and comforted by Kala while still wearing his disheveled dress clothes! One of the keys to accepting that Tarzan could so seamlessly integrate with the great apes is the proposal that he was discovered as an infant with no memories of his past, not to mention a spoken human language.
As for the cry of the bull ape, the classic Weissmuller yell is used unconvincingly for most of the film, but is replaced with a "Greystoke"-style roar near the end after Tarzan defeats Brightmore. And speaking of the climactic battle, what happened to Tarzan's strength? Earlier in the film, he is shown yanking the bars out of a jail cell window, breaking a baseball bat using only his two hands, and with a single hand, lifting a punk by his throat off the ground. By the climax, he's apparently lost as much steam as the film, struggling more than once to wrest a pistol from Brightmore's hand. And to top it off, even a very visible wire is needed to help Tarzan lift the villain over his head! ; )
Perhaps the true paradox here is the effort and expense I put into adding the extremely rare DVD of this title to my collection, when it is my personal pick for the "worst (authorized) Tarzan film ever made". Luckily, the pilot failed to spawn a series, though this Tarzan would defy logic again seven years later, when Lara was given a rare second chance to play the ape-man for the much better television series "Tarzan: The Epic Adventures".
TARZAN AND THE LOST CITY (1998, 01:23)
Casper Van Dien, Jane March, Steven Waddington
Tarzan is called back to Africa on the eve of his wedding to Jane to defend the hidden city of Opar from a plundering adventurer.
Casper Van Dien gets his one and only chance to portray the ape-man on screen, and he does a fantastic and refreshing job as Tarzan in a film that had much more potential than was evidenced at the box office. I know that this was not a popular movie with many, but I'm going to lay it on the line... This is one of my favorite Tarzan films of all time, and I watch it again every year or so. Yes, it has some weaknesses, but overall, I feel that it prevails where it is strong. The varied perceptions of this movie really illustrate the challenges a studio faces when trying to please diehard fans and still attract the masses for the greatest possible return on investment. It had been 14 years since Tarzan had graced the screen in "Greystoke", and producer Stanley Canter was positioning "Tarzan And The Lost City" to be a sequel of sorts to that successful film which he co-produced with Hugh Hudson. But after 14 years, a re-introduction to the character might have been more in order than a continuation to hold the attention of a new audience. Though I'd been pumped up by the hype and the excellent previews, I remember being disappointed having to see the film in a mostly empty theater not long after it opened. It is my judgment that this film is best enjoyed by ERB Tarzan fans, which is fine with me!
Van Dien prepped hard for the role, and it shows -- though not as tall as other actors cast as the ape-man, he makes up for it with one of the best Tarzan physiques ever brought to screen. If you disagree that he looks the part, you also disagree with legendary Tarzan artist Boris Vallejo (read my interview with Boris)! Casper also really captures the intensity, the strength and the wry wit of ERB's original character. In one point in the film, Tarzan grabs a rifle from a villain and breaks it over his knee as in the books (even Johnny Weissmuller's ape-man bashed his rifles against tree trunks).
The lovely Jane March is elegent, yet physically capable as Jane, and Steven Waddington is excellent as Nigel Ravens, his characterization ringing with echos of the villains of the novels. Also factoring into the film is the character of Mugambi, though he is depicted more as a seer / magician than as a warrior.
The main weakness in "Tarzan And The Lost City" is the anti-climactic end sequence in Opar, which falls far short of depicting what we would expect to see from the Lost City. No glorious but crumbling walls and minarets, no High-Priestess La, and no brutish Oparian race. Instead, a focus on sorcery coupled with some less-than-convincing CGI only serves to further damage what was a promising film throughout. It just sort of fizzles and wastes another opportunity to flesh out one of ERB's fantastic visions on the screen. But overall... I still LOVE the film, and recommend that any Tarzan fan give it a shot.
TARZAN (1999, 01:28, ANIMATED)
Tony Goldwyn, Minnie Driver, Glenn Close, Brian Blessed (voices)
The Walt Disney Company's animated translation of the classic Edgar Rice Burroughs tale of an orphaned boy raised in the jungles of Africa by a tribe of great apes.
The Disney formula continues to work in this thrilling adaptation of the ERB classic, which draws you in from the start with rich African-style drumming leading into the theme song by Phil Collins as the backstory unfolds. Goldwyn voices the part of Tarzan, with Driver as Jane Porter. Kala is voiced by Close, and most entertaining is Blessed as the voice of Clayton.
Aside from the excellent animation which features Tarzan traveling through the trees in the style of an extreme skateboarder and the inspiring combination of symphonic score and pop soundtrack, there are several liberties taken with the story and the original characters. Kerchak becomes the mate of Kala and Tarzan's foster father (replacing the literary character Tublat), and his hatred of Tarzan is softened into simply suspicion and distrust of the adopted boy. Tarzan's rival step-brother Terkoz is renamed as "Terk" and transformed into Tarzan's childhood friend, and Sheeta is misidentified as Sabor (perhaps they didn't want to risk children having too much fun with the name "Sheeta"). Most unfortunate, however, is the depiction of the villain as "Clayton", while neither that name nor its noble heritage is ever attributed to Tarzan.
While it's easy for ERB fans to criticize these changes, it wouldn't be fair in the least to concentrate too hard on them -- this is a fun film (one of the high points being the exciting battle between Tarzan and Sabor), and is enjoyable for kids and adults alike. Its success spawned two direct-to-video follow-ups, "Tarzan & Jane" and "Tarzan II", as well as an animated television series "The Legend of Tarzan", the latter of which drew much more at times from the original stories and characters.
TARZAN OF THE APES (1999, 00:48, ANIMATED)
Another animated retelling of the original novel by Edgar Rice Burroughs.
Released by Sony Wonder the same year as "Disney's Tarzan", this was marketed as part of their "Enchanted Tales" series, and was packaged individually on VHS and then as a double-feature with "A Tale Of Egypt" (the story of Moses). How or why both Disney and Sony Wonder were granted licenses at the same time, I cannot say.
Although the animation quality is more on a par with Saturday morning cartoons when compared to the big budget Disney release, the story is actually much more faithful to the ERB classic, including an increased number of characters from the novel. As for the music, it ranges from classical (the film opens with "The Flight of the Valkyries"), to pop-oriented songs in the style of "The Lion King".
Much shorter in length that its Disney counterpart, this film is strictly directed at children, though as such there is a surprising level of violence including many punches and bites! Regardless, it is a great way to introduce kids to the character of Tarzan.
TARZAN & JANE (2002, 01:15, ANIMATED)
Michael T. Weiss, Olivia d'Abo (voices)
As their anniversary approaches, Jane reminisces with Tantor and Terk about her first year in the jungle with Tarzan.
The voices have changed, but the song remains the same (with the addition of Mandy Moore in a duet version of "Two World" with Phil Collins). As a point of interest, Olivia d'Abo (the voice of Jane) is perhaps best known for her role as Princess Jehnna in "Conan The Destroyer". This direct-to-video sequel to Disney's "Tarzan" was actually constructed from three pre-release episodes of the TV show "The Legend of Tarzan" (which later aired individually in 2003), with the stories told through flashbacks as Jane worries over choosing an anniversary gift for Tarzan.
In the first, "British Invasion", Jane entertains three old friends from London, but Tarzan must come to the rescue as the foursome are stalked by two panthers -- ok, so Sheeta does finally make an appearance.... but the leopard is still incorrectly called Sabor! In the second segment, "Volcanic Diamond Mine", two treasure hunters masquerade as geologists to trick Tarzan into leading them to a hidden diamond mine. I have to say that the escape sequence from the volcano pushes the limits of plausibility even in the world of cartoons! Finally, in "Flying Ace", Tarzan is suspicious (not to mention jealous) of a childhood friend of Jane's who seems to be hiding an ulterior motive. There is a great, very ERB-esque moment here as a stranded British counter-intelligence agent exclaims that they have lost the ability to capture the escaping villain, and Tarzan shoots back, "You can't.... I CAN!" That's the Tarzan of the novels, all right!
Plenty of excitement and action keep the story moving, making this a very nice follow-up in the tradition of the 1999 box-office hit.
TARZAN II (2005, 01:12, ANIMATED)
Fearing that his differences are endangering his adopted tribe, Tarzan leaves to pursue his own destiny, but ends up learning a lesson about the importance of family in the process.
In the second direct-to-video follow-up of the 1999 film, Disney presents a tale that focuses squarely on Tarzan's youth (there are no appearances here of the adult jungle lord at all). After an accident in which he is thought killed, Tarzan overhears other young apes belittling him, and saddened, decides to quit the tribe in search of his own place in the world. His journey delivers him into the hands of a family of wicked gorillas, themselves trapped in a valley haunted by the legendary monster "Zugor". In time, Tarzan is taught to recognize that his unique abilities bring a much-needed benefit to those around him.
Though Disney drew more source material from ERB's novels for TV's "The Legend of Tarzan", "Tarzan II" takes a large step backwards and does nothing to further knowledge of the literary hero. Aside from the inclusion of previously-defined characters such as Tantor, Kala and Kerchak, opportunities to throw new bones to ERB fans were not taken. How hard could it have been to call the rhinoceros "Buto", for example?
Altogether, little of the magic of the 1999 film exists here, though it remains a fun little romp for kids that teaches the precious value of one's individuality. But personally, I wish they would have adopted portions of "Jungle Tales of Tarzan" to paint a more entertaining picture of Tarzan's childhood that illustrates this same lesson.
TARZAN (Target Release Date: 2008)
It seems like it's been an eternity since we've heard anything on this project, but progress has been reported. Warner Bros. and Jerry Weintraub Productions are teaming up with "Hellboy" director Guillermo del Toro to bring the ape-man back to the big screen. Screenwriter John August is out, and is being replaced by "Master and Commander: Far Side of the World" scribe John Collee.
On his personal website, John August had this to say:
" ... the decision of when to cut one's losses never gets easier. ... I had to let Tarzan go, after more than a year of work.
... I felt profound frustration and disappointment, both in myself and the people who'd hired me. It wasn't just the amount of wasted work, but the sense that I was abandoning my creations. The characters were real to me, and now wouldn't get a chance to live."
As for the upcoming movie, here are some snippets from an article at Variety.com:
"The studio is developing a new take on the Edgar Rice Burroughs-created character."
"Del Toro, who grew up reading Spanish-language translations of those (Tarzan) books, feels that the classic themes are still compelling, and that there is new ground to cover in the Tarzan mythology by turning back to the original Burroughs prose."
"I'd love to create a new version that is still a family movie, but as edgy as I can make it," Del Toro said. "There are strong themes of survival of a defenseless child left behind in the most hostile environment."
As expected, we'll be keeping an eye on things, and are hoping for the best!
Elmo Lincoln, Gordon Griffith, Enid Markey
Born to parents stranded in the savage jungles of Africa, the young son of Lord and Lady Greystoke is adopted and raised by the she-ape Kala after their deaths. Young Tarzan discovers and is tutored by their shipmate, Binns, who soon after leaves to report the news of the boy to his family back in England. On their arrival, the group is secretly protected by the reclusive Tarzan from ever-present dangers, including lions and a band of hostile natives.
The first appearance of Tarzan on screen, an adaptation of the ERB novel of same title, was wildly successful and became one of the first few films to gross over 1 million dollars at the box office. During the opening sequence, a silhouette of the adult Tarzan perched in a tree seems immediately to be a nod to the classic Fred J. Arting cover from the original book.
There has been mild and friendly debate as to who should be credited as the first Tarzan actor. Stellan S. Windrow was initially selected to play the ape-man for the film, and had completed shooting five weeks of tree and vine-work on location in Louisiana when he was suddenly called away to serve in the Navy during World War I. Thus, Windrow was the first actor hired and filmed in the role of Tarzan. First to actually appear on screen in the film was Gordon Griffith as the young Tarzan -- one of the great delights of the picture. Griffith's segment as the smiling, naked jungle boy runs for close to 30 minutes. But it was Windrow's replacement, Elmo Lincoln, who fulfilled the part of the adult Tarzan for the final production (though Windrow's tree scenes were kept due to Lincoln's fear of heights). Therefore, I think it's safe to say that Elmo Lincoln was truly the "first Tarzan film actor".
A former Arkansas peace officer, the oft-described "barrel-chested" Lincoln didn't fit ERB's vision of the character, and Burroughs was said to be less than enthusiastic with the choice. Much shorter than the 6'4" Windrow, Lincoln stood a mere 5'11" and was built more like a professional wrestler than a lithe, Olympic-style athlete. However, in costume Lincoln closely resembled the Tarzan from that first painting on the cover of "The All-Story" magazine (even down to the headband). And to watch Lincoln as Tarzan is to love him, as his zeal in the role more than makes up for the physical differences with the literary character. It's also been widely accepted that Lincoln actually killed a lion on film during the battle at the cabin, though the details of the story vary among different sources (i.e., how old or sick the lion was, if it had been drugged, and whether or not the killing was in self-defense).
The story itself remains fairly faithful to the spirit of the original novel, though several liberties were taken with the characters and the narrative. One of the most notable changes is the addition of "Binns", who seems to be a "catch-all" character that replaces Black Michael and Paul D'Arnot. It is Binns who saves John Clayton and Lady Alice during the mutiny on the ship, and later who helps educate Tarzan and provides his link to civilization.
The original 10-reel film was cut much in length over time as it was released in various forms. The one-hour version created for video release plays well, though it appears to have a few minor story gaps. There is no explanation for Jane's sudden irritation with Clayton in the cabin, nor is it resolved that Tarzan is truly the son of Lord and Lady Greystoke. There are also a few gaffes (possibly due to sloppy editing). Two that stick out are a quick shot of the young Tarzan wearing native garb directly prior to the scene where he discovers clothing, and also a shot of him sporting his hunting knife right before he enters the cabin and finds it for the first time. On an interesting note, I was informed by Jerry Schneider of ERBville Press that the last few minutes of this version is actually comprised of footage from the sequel, "The Romance Of Tarzan", but I haven't yet been able to confirm that by my own research. If true, it is a welcome addition, as it helps solidify the budding relationship between Tarzan and Jane.
All-in-all, this is a real gem of a film that belongs in every Tarzan movie collector's treasure chest.
THE ROMANCE OF TARZAN (1918, 01:36, SILENT)
Elmo Lincoln, Enid Markey
An adaptation of the remaining chapters of the novel, "Tarzan Of The Apes".
There are no known copies of this film in existence today.
THE REVENGE OF TARZAN (1920, 01:26 - 01:44, SILENT)
Gene Pollar, Karla Schramm, Armand Cortes
An adaptation of the major portion of the novel, "The Return Of Tarzan".
There are no known copies of this film in existence today.
THE SON OF TARZAN (1920, 04:13, SERIAL - 15 Chapters, SILENT)
Kamuela Searle, P. Dempsey Tabler, Gordon Griffith, Karla Schramm, Manilla Martan
An old enemy resurfaces and kidnaps Tarzan's son to revenge himself on the ape-man. Young Jack escapes with the great ape Akut into the jungles of Africa, where he learns to survive in the same manner as his father, growing up to become known as "Korak the Killer".
As the 4th consecutive adaptation of the Tarzan novels (and the first to be serialized), this film remains more faithful to the original story than any other treatment previous or since. Gordon Griffith, who appeared as the childhood Tarzan in the first two films, is a natural selection to play Jack, the son of Tarzan, as a boy. Though he's certainly grown in two years, his smile is immediately recognizable. P. Dempsey Tabler fills the role of Tarzan, with Karla Schramm returning in a nice performance as Jane. Though most of the casting is solid, there has been much criticism over the choice of Tabler as the ape-man, and it is deserved. Tabler is handsome and dignified in formal attire, but his lack of musculature and sagging midsection are completely out of place when he is shown as the Lord of the Jungle. Not so for the lithe and athletic Kamuela Searle, who plays the adult Korak -- once you've seen him in action, it's hard to imagine a better choice. Manilla Martan is wildly attractive as the adult Meriem, who happens to pop out of her raggedy dress more than once (not to mention her distracting bathing scene early in the film... if you have a DVD player, you might catch yourself using "pause" and "zoom" a little too often).
With few exceptions, most of the elements and scenes from ERB's novel are present, but a few of the character names have been curiously changed -- Greystoke is changed to "Greystone", Russian arch-villain Alexis Paulvitch becomes the Swedish "Ivan Paulovich" (also misspelled as "Paulevich" in one frame), and the rogue Malbihn's name is spelled as "Malbihm" the only time it appears. As for the story, the two major liberties taken don't hurt the translation at all. Here, Paulovich (played creepily by Eugene Burr) escapes Akut's attack early on, and joining up with the Swedes, Janssen and Malbihm, continues to pursue Korak and Meriem for the duration of the film. Paulovich also hatches a double-phased plot to lure Jane to Africa with a ransom for the return of Jack, after which he plans to use her as bait to wrest a second ransom from Tarzan. On a more trivial note, Korak is seen voicing the victory cry of the bull ape several times, which he could never bring himself to do in the novel.
There are also a few omissions -- the story thread of Korak's relationship with the baboon tribe is dropped (surely for time), but the attacking of young Jack by the native villagers probably should have been filmed. Without this backstory and the knowledge that the pursuing warriors were a threat to Jack, the scene of a "civilized" boy (still clad in city garb) dropping from a tree and savagely killing a black tribesman for his clothing and weapons comes off rather disturbing.
There was long-running rumor that Kamuela Searle was badly hurt and died from injuries during a scene where an elephant accidentally slammed him to the ground in the final chapter. This has since proven to be false -- Searle actually went on to complete work in other pictures after "The Son Of Tarzan", but did pass away at a young age from cancer four years after the release of this film. On close viewing of the scene in question, Searle is not "slammed", but rather dropped a little roughly -- it did look like it might hurt!
The 15-chapter serial was later shortened into a feature version called "Jungle Trail Of The Son Of Tarzan" (edited and titled by ERB himself at his Tarzana ranch), but any copies of this print are either lost or unviewable. As it stands, the full four-hour epic is very enjoyable, and a must-see for fans of the original novel.
THE ADVENTURES OF TARZAN (1927, 00:57, SERIAL - 15 Chapters, SILENT)
Elmo Lincoln, Louise Lorraine, Frank Whitson, Lillian Worth
An adaptation of the remaining chapters of the novel, "The Return Of Tarzan".
TARZAN AND THE GOLDEN LION (1927, 00:57 - 01:23, SILENT)
James H. Pierce, Boris Karloff
A group of scoundrels force a weary adventurer to reveal the location of the City of Diamonds. Kidnapping both him and Jane's sister, they set off for this city of the Tangani, with Tarzan, his faithful Waziri and the Golden Lion in pursuit.
This is a very enjoyable film titled after the ERB novel, with a clear storyline and plenty of action. Jim Pierce handles the role with poise and dignity, but with his short, wavy blond hair and boyish features he looks more to me like Johnny Sheffield's "Bomba" than the ape-man. Although the book is not closely followed, there are also a few irritating departures (at least in my copy) from the Tarzan mythos. Jad-bal-ja is changed to simply, "Jab the Lion". Instead of Flora Hawkes, we have the incorrectly named "Betty Greystoke". And the Waziri are referred to as the "Wazari". Still, the imprint of ERB manages to shine through in this film.
As a point of interest, the young Karloff plays a renegade Wazari tribesman, and it's not hard to recognize him. He looks just like Frankenstein in a native costume!
TARZAN TRIUMPHS (1943, 01:18)
Johnny Weissmuller, Frances Gifford, Johnny Sheffield
A Nazi paratrooper lands off course on the escarpment, tricking Tarzan into caring for his injuries while his comrades invade the peaceful city of Palandria to plunder its rich natural resources for their war effort.
In the first Weissmuller Tarzan film for RKO Radio Pictures, American anti-German sentiment during World War II was utilized to full advantage, making this one of the most successful of producer Sol Lesser's Tarzan films at the box-office. Filling the absence of Maureen O'Sullivan's "Jane", the heroine role was assigned to the gorgeous Gifford as "Zandra" of Palandria -- in fact, there were a few scenes where I wondered if Tarzan might not wait for Jane to return from London! Yet Tarzan resists Zandra's attempts to coax him into aiding her fallen city until Boy is captured by the Nazis (pronounced "NAT-sees" throughout the film). This is the turning point in the story, as Tarzan clenches his knife and declares, "NOW, TARZAN MAKE WAR!" (reportedly a huge crowd-pleaser at the time).
Though Tarzan was rarely shown killing his human enemies during the Weissmuller era, the payoff in this film is satisfying, with Tarzan, Boy and even Cheetah taking part in the slaughter of the Nazi invaders... a rare departure, never repeated in the Weissmuller movies. No wonder the audiences of the time loved this film so much!
As a final aside, this film introduced the actual Weissmuller "Tarzan yell" (in place of the legendary studio-produced version that had been deceptively attributed to him). As opposed to the MGM-created yell, this one was more humanly possible to imitate, and can be heard often in later Tarzan movies.
TARZAN'S DESERT MYSTERY (1943, 01:10)
Johnny Weissmuller, Johnny Sheffield, Nancy Kelly
While in London tending to injured Allied soldiers, Jane sends Tarzan across the desert on a quest for special jungle fever medicine. Along the way, Tarzan runs afoul of Nazis and an Arab prince when he intervenes to free a wild stallion captured for the prince.
Once again, Jane's absence is explained away as Tarzan and Boy go it alone in this second RKO Tarzan film. Humor develops as Boy tricks Tarzan into taking him on the long and dangerous journey against the wishes of Jane. The female lead falls to Kelly as American magician Connie Bryce, who has been commissioned to deliver a secret message warning of a Nazi plot to take over the desert region for their war effort. Connie takes charge of Boy when Tarzan is jailed for "stealing" the stallion, and then flees with them when rescued by Tarzan after she is framed for the murder of the prince.
A fun, yet uneven romp, the result of extensive reshooting when producer Sol Lesser wasn't pleased with the first batch of footage. The shots of magnified lizards in the remote jungle (taken from the film "One Million B.C.") don't pass well for prehistoric reptiles, and the end sequence with the giant spider is rather anti-climactic.
TARZAN'S MAGIC FOUNTAIN (1949, 01:13)
Lex Barker, Brenda Joyce
The wreckage from an old plane crash is discovered, as is the famous pilot who had mysteriously disappeared years before, appearing not to have aged a day since. She travels home to testify to free a jailed, innocent friend, but on their return to the jungle, Tarzan refuses to guide them back to the hidden valley whose people thrive on a fountain holding the powers of eternal youth.
With the departure of Johnny Weissmuller, RKO Pictures producer Sol Lesser cast Lex Barker in the title role. The intent was obviously to continue the Tarzan/Jane/Boy/Cheetah formula made famous by the Weissmuller films, but Barker is not quite as convincing uttering the mono-syllabic lines that Weissmuller acted out so effectively. With Barker, you have the sense that there is not much reason he shouldn't be filling in his sentences more completely. To his credit, though, I felt similarly with later actors trying to mimic this style. Overall, Barker is fine in this portrayal, and it is nice to see Brenda Joyce continuing in the role of Jane.
Although entertaining, the plot of this film is almost too close to Weissmuller's "Tarzan And The Amazons", with Tarzan once again being accused of betraying the trust of a hidden civilization, as unscrupulous hunters seek to exploit the discovery for their own profit.
TARZAN'S AND THE SLAVE GIRL (1952, 01:14)
Lex Barker, Vanessa Brown, Denise Darcel
Women are being stolen to help repopulate a dying city, sickened by a plague which is spreading into other territories. When Jane is captured along with a girl from a friendly village, Tarzan leads a group of warriors in pursuit, accompanied by a doctor possessing a cure for the illness.
Barker's second outing as Tarzan marks a noticeable improvement, and his performance is enhanced with a display of the savagery and strength that ERB fans expect to see from the ape-man. During an early fight with the captors, Tarzan's knife leaves a scar on the cheek of one of them, marking him as the stand-out villain of the film. Vanessa Brown joins the cast as a very unique Jane -- much more girlish and less buxom than other actresses in the role, yet still capable of taking care of herself. One of the highlights in fact is an all-out "catfight" in the treehouse between Jane and the sensuous temptress Lola (Darcel) which is very similar to a pro wrestling match!
This film is fun and action-packed, and has no problem holding the attention of the viewer. Definitely one of Lex Barker's better films.
TARZAN'S PERIL (1951, 01:19)
Lex Barker, Virginia Huston, George Macready
A police commissioner prepares for retirement after thirty years of service, but learns from Tarzan that a notorious gunrunner they worked to capture has escaped prison. As a tribal queen grants audience to potential suitors for her hand in marriage, Tarzan must ensure that guns do not fall into the hands of those who would win her by force rather than virtue.
Filmed on location in Africa, this is a different and refreshing Tarzan film in many ways. In a rare departure (aside from the origin tales), Tarzan doesn't even appear until almost 16 minutes into the movie as the story is constructed. Barker handles himself well in the role, but credit truly goes to the writers, the director, and the outstanding supporting cast for their excellent work. Once again, we have another unique Jane in Virginia Huston, but more for her dress (literally) and her short, curly locks. In her first scene in the treehouse, she appears wearing a very elegant white dress with gold necklaces as she prepares dinner for Tarzan, and thereafter is shown sporting white jungle garb and a brooch which is much more "dressy" than the traditional brown outfits made popular by Maureen O'Sullivan. And finally, there is a bone thrown to ERB fans in the mentioning of Tarzan as the son of an English lord, and of Jane as the daughter of an American scientist -- a move which would bring much more of the literary character back into Barker's next film, "Tarzan' Savage Fury".
The additional supporting cast is excellent, beginning with Alan Napier ("Alfred" in the Batman series featuring Adam West) as Commissioner Peters -- Napier had also appeared in Barker's "Tarzan's Magic Fountain" as Douglas Jessup. George Macready is the ruthless Radijeck, accompanied by reluctant henchmen Trask (Douglas Fowley) and Andrews (Glenn Anders). Finally, Fredrick O'Neal adds a fun and comedic element as King Bulam, seeking to steal the hand of Queen Melmendi (Dorothy Dandridge).
The action is standout as well, with a much more acrobatic element which adds a flair to the picture throughout. This, along with a well-written story, excellent direction, and great performances by the cast make this one of Lex Barker's best and most memorable Tarzan films.
TARZAN'S SAVAGE FURY (1952, 01:20)
Lex Barker, Dorothy Hart, Charles Korvin
Tarzan discovers an orphaned American boy in the jungle and takes him under his wing. Meanwhile, after murdering Tarzan's cousin during an expedition, the villain Rokov forces his English companion to pose as Lord Greystoke to enlist Tarzan's aid in locating a hidden store of diamonds protected by the Wazuri tribe. Tensions rise between Tarzan's party and the Wazuri when the true intentions of the villains threaten the temporary peace between them.
Lex Barker continues as the ape-man, with yet another actress cast in the revolving-door role of Jane (Barker never had the same Jane twice throughout his five Tarzan movies). Barker has improved, though, as he plays a much more serious and rugged Tarzan than in his earlier films. The producers seem to try to reach out to both fans of the Weissmuller films and also the ERB novels, on one hand reintroducing a "Boy" type of character in the part of Joey Martin, and on the other bringing Tarzan's true origin back into the story, along with variations of other elements from the books.
Tarzan is acknowledged to be the 10th Earl of Greystoke, raised by apes after the death of his parents. And in a first since the silent film era, Tarzan visits his deceased parents' cabin, where he must retrieve his father's Bible to prove his identity to the "Wazuri" (Waziri). Though brave and fierce, they are not exactly friends of the ape-man. Rokoff becomes "Rokov", but resembles the original villain from the novels in name only. Other nods to ERB include Tarzan addressing a lion as "Numa", and Joey's referring to an elephant as "Tantor". A fun watch overall, and one of Barker's best Tarzan films.
TARZAN AND THE SHE-DEVIL (1953, 01:15)
Lex Barker, Joyce Mackenzie, Monique van Vooren
Tarzan battles against a band of ivory traders who plunder native ivory supplies, then enslave the villagers as labor for a greater elephant hunt. Led by a villainous vixen, the traders seek to capture Tarzan and use his friendship with the elephants to help drive the herd to its destination.
Lex Barker's final Tarzan film proves to be a mixed bag... at times it is inventive, yet at times disappointing. There is an increased amount of visual eye-candy, including a crocodile-infested river, a pride of lions, a large elephant herd, and one particularly riveting scene where a python battles (and seemingly bests) a panther. Monique van Vooren certainly looks nice as the "She-Devil" of the title, as well. The natives here are white, though, and you have to suspend disbelief to accept them as a neighboring African tribe instead of the denizens of a lost civilization (black natives did seem scarce in many of the RKO Tarzan pictures). Also, the special effects are exceptionally poor, examples being visible strings on spinning boomerangs and Tarzan's burning treehouse revealed clearly to be a miniature by the scale of the flames. The story itself takes a few interesting turns, but never really seems to gain ground. Most bothersome, though, is Tarzan's reaction when he returns to his destroyed home and believes Jane to be dead. He becomes instantly dejected, head hung low, and allows himself to be captured, flogged and tortured without putting up any form of resistance whatsoever. It is here that the Tarzan of the movies differs the most from ERB's original character -- the Tarzan of the books would have been white-hot with rage and would have stopped at nothing to avenge his mate, leaving a trail of bodies in his wake. All of this is capped off by a very abrupt and non-satisfying ending, the only upbeat note being a quick shot of Cheetah grinning and clapping before the end credits.
This isn't by far the worst Tarzan movie, but it pales as a successor to Barker's last three films, and ends his turn as the ape-man with a fizzle rather than a bang.
TARZAN'S HIDDEN JUNGLE (1955, 01:13)
Gordon Scott, Vera Miles
Unable to meet their quota in Tarzan's domain, crafty hunters pose as photographers to trick a United Nations physician into guiding them safely into hostile Sukulu territory. When their true plan of driving the plentiful game back across the river is exposed, Tarzan races to rescue the doctor and his assistant before the fragile peace with the Sukulus is broken.
Former lifeguard Gordon Scott debuts as Tarzan, bringing a more formidable presence to the role. Unfortunately, Scott's bulk isn't mirrored in the story, which offers little in the way of inspiration or imagination. Gone is Jane here, with the role of the beautiful damsel falling to Miles as the physician's nurse, and the hints of attraction between her and Tarzan aren't played out. The villains are neither clever nor challenging to Tarzan, leaving only the lions in the Sukulu pit to generate a little excitement during the finale.
This film is watchable, but nowhere near as engaging as Scott's better pictures to come.
TARZAN AND THE LOST SAFARI (1957, 01:24)
Gordon Scott, Betta St. John
A group of adventurers crashes while flying too close to observe African wildlife herds. Tarzan attempts to guide them to the coast and safety, while seeking to avoid the dangerous natives of Opar, and a trap being set for them by a traitor in their midst.
This was the first Tarzan film in color, and was a step in the evolution of the screen character away from the Weissmuller tradition. Cheetah remains, but there is no mention of either Jane or Boy. Tarzan appears more intelligent, but remains monosyllabic, although Gordon Scott's delivery seemed much closer to "Tonto" than Tarzan, and his dialogue is overlaced with "wise jungle sayings" in conversation. There are also none-too-subtle sexual undertones in the observations of female characters and their interaction with Tarzan.
Very interestingly, this movie makes several nods toward the ERB tradition, though much of it is inaccurately defined. Tarzan does refer to his lion companion as "Numa" in one scene, though in another, he mentions that he was raised by a female ape named "Kerchak". And "Opar" is similar in name only to the city of the ERB books, except for the presence of a treasure -- ivory, in this case, instead of gold and jewels. All in all, it was nice to continue to see some recognition of the Burroughs lore return to the screen, and this was a very enjoyable precursor to some of the better Gordon Scott films to follow.
TARZAN'S FIGHT FOR LIFE (1958, 01:26)
Gordon Scott, Eve Brent
A witch-doctor with selfish motivations works to discredit a local physician who has dedicated his efforts to bring modern medicine to the neighboring tribes. Tarzan races to expose the situation, as well as save Jane and the dying son of the tribal chief before it is too late.
This film begins seeming to carry on with the evolutionary strides made in "Tarzan And The Lost Safari", yet before too long, Jane and Boy reappear into the story, along with their traditional comedic element developed during the Weissmuller era. There is much more passionate kissing between Tarzan and Jane, though, as a reminder of the changing times.
This movie is entertaining enough, but luckily was Scott's final Tarzan film for MGM and Sol Lesser. Finally, the legacy of the monosyllabic Tarzan would be left with MGM in favor of a more traditional, intelligent portrayal of the ape-man in future projects.
TARZAN AND THE TRAPPERS (1958, 01:14)
Gordon Scott, Eve Brent
Tarzan thwarts a threatening band of poachers, and is in turn hunted in revenge by the brother of one of the jailed villains. Tarzan is doubly challenged by another rogue seeking treasure in a lost city, the location of which is closely guarded by the ape-man.
This film is widely reported as being constructed from three proposed television pilot episodes. However, I understand that Gordon Scott himself has denied ever having filmed any Tarzan shows for TV. This presents a quandary.
The film runs smoothly from beginning to end, and was edited very well nonetheless. There are two main storylines presented, and the second is linked to the first. The first storyline is Tarzan's pursuit of the poachers. The second has one main plot (the hunting of Tarzan) and a subplot (the seeking of the treasure in the lost city).
For those looking, there are a few telltale signs that this movie was stitched together from TV pilot episodes. First, there is the difference in Eve Brent's dress and hairstyle throughout the film. We begin and end with a minor subplot about Tarzan fetching some eggs for Jane, and in both sequences, Jane has long hair and one particular dress. In the major portion of the film, though, Eve Brent sported a much shorter hairdo and a different dress from the other segments. Also, the film is in black and while, but is credited as being created after the advent of the new color Tarzan films. If the footage was truly shot after 1957, this might also indicate that it was initially designed for television.
Regardless of its origins, the film is very enjoyable to watch, and entertaining throughout.
TARZAN THE APE MAN (1959, 01:22)
Denny Miller, Joanna Barnes
A sojourning Watusi warrior attempts a dangerous journey home through miles of hostile territory, and is accompanied by Col. Parker, his daughter Jane, and riverboat captain Holt after revealing the location of the legendary "Elephant Graveyard". A curious Tarzan shadows their trail, protecting them during their journey and falling for Jane in the process.
MGM's first remake of their original 1932 Weissmuller classic has gotten much more of a bad rap than it deserves, and is actually quite enjoyable, though its mistakes are glaring and unforgivable. The storyline, narrated at times by the voice of Col. Parker, takes a fresh approach and makes little attempt to mimic the earlier film. Former UCLA basketball star Denny Miller, in his one-time outing as Tarzan, turns in a fine performance, as do his co-stars. Miller is both handsome and exceptionally graceful on film, whether swinging on a vine, diving into a lake, or riding atop an elephant, and his scenes are beautifully shot. The way he walks supported by his knuckles during the cabin scene with Jane instantly brought to my mind a vision of Disney's animated Tarzan. Very few screen Tarzans have been shown walking ape-like on all fours.
Barnes' Jane is portrayed as a materialistic rich girl, leaving London to join her father in Africa only after his steady supply of money to support her lifestyle dries up. Yet her character is both charismatic and likeable, and the chemistry between her and Tarzan make for many of the best scenes in the movie. And again there seems to be a foreshadow of a future film, as her soliloquy in the lake with Tarzan seems the likely inspiration for Bo Derek's musings in the later 1982 remake of "Tarzan The Ape Man".
Sadly, the actors (especially Miller) end up cheated by the perplexingly uneven quality of production which led to the movie being stigmatized in the minds of some as the "worst Tarzan film" of the series. And the errors are astoundingly bad, and truly inexplicable. The film shows promise during its first 20 minutes, with great sets, acting, storyline and effects such as the explosion on the boat. Signs of trouble begin with the first shot of Tarzan -- grainy, green-tinted B&W footage of a stuntman swinging through the trees from a clearly visible trapeze. With plenty of nice shots of Miller's own vinework, these cuts are completely out of place and unnecessary, as are the two quick closeups of a shiny rubber leopard mask during Tarzan's first fight, and the exceptionally poor underwater shots of Tarzan swimming with Jane which are mixed with a few much more believable footage. Just as bad during the escape scene in the lost city are the black and white stock shots of panicked villagers running through overlayed flame footage, when again there are plenty of workable color shots of burning huts and fleeing natives. There are additional examples, but my point should be clear. It's almost like someone intentionally tried to sabotage what could have been a much better film had about three minutes of some of the worst effects footage I've seen never been added in the first place.
And though the storyline loses some gloss near the end of the film, the only thing that really bothered me was the death of the noble Watusi warrior in a simple, sudden manner normally reserved for peripheral, expendable characters. After this much screen time, he deserved to either make it home or die in more noble manner.
Flaws aside, no one should avoid seeing this film on reputation alone, because there is much more to enjoy than there is to dislike. It is a shame that Miller wasn't given more credit and recognition for his unique and admirable portrayal of Tarzan.
TARZAN'S GREATEST ADVENTURE (1959, 01:28)
Gordon Scott, Anthony Quayle, Sean Connery
An old enemy of Tarzan's resurfaces to lead an expedition in search of a hidden diamond mine, plundering villages and outposts along the way. Tarzan takes off in pursuit, but is slowed by the company of a downed female pilot he must protect in the meantime.
With a new big-budget studio (Paramount Pictures) and producer (Sy Weintraub) behind him, Gordon Scott was set to make the two best Tarzan movies of his career. The mono-syllabic act is dropped in large part, as Scott plays Tarzan as an intelligent, but brooding and driven jungle hero. Quayle turns in a fine performance as "Slade", the equally driven villain with a greater taste for killing than for diamonds. A pre-Bond Connery ads very nicely to the film as Slade's sidekick, "O'Bannion", and is entertaining throughout.
The presence of Tarzan's female companion in the film serves mainly to showcase his machismo, as much of the dialogue between them demonstrates. I did have one major question, though... At the end of their "bonding" scene, Tarzan's hand is seen reaching up to pull her down to him, but the next time you see them on screen together, they are arguing as she leaves him, with no explanation of what happened in the interim. WAS IT THAT BAD?!? :)
For Tarzan movie fans, this film is considered one of the best of the entire series, and is certainly one of Gordon Scott's finest outings as Tarzan.
TARZAN THE MAGNIFICENT (1960, 01:28)
Gordon Scott, Jock Mahoney
A member of a notorious crime family is captured by a local police official, but escapes when the officer is killed during his rescue. Avenging his friend's death, Tarzan recaptures the fugitive and takes on the task of escorting him to the authorities, with the intent of giving the reward money to the slain officer's family.
This film is similar to "Tarzan's Greatest Adventure" in look and feel, but the script is flipped as Tarzan becomes the "hunted" instead of the "hunter". There is debate about which of the two films is the better, but I consider this movie the hands-down champ, with the bulk of the credit going to the excellent supporting cast. Quite simply, the characters have more personality, and are allowed to blossom in the film.
Future Tarzan actor Jock Mahoney portrays the villain "Coy Banton", the favorite son of his father who will stop at nothing to secure his freedom. Mahoney is incredibly fun to watch on screen... aren't we supposed to hate the bad guys? He is also integral in the film's biggest subplot, wooing the disgruntled wife of the boastful but cowardly businessman that accompanies Tarzan on the journey.
In my opinion, this was Gordon Scott's finest Tarzan film, and the definitive crown on his career as the ape-man. BRAVO!!!
TARZAN GOES TO INDIA (1962, 01:26)
Jock Mahoney, Leo Gordon, Jai the Elephant Boy
Tarzan is summoned to India to help save a herd of elephants from destruction during the building of a new dam. Tarzan's task is made more difficult by both the rogue elephant leader, and the unscrupulous foreman (Gordon) with a fetish for ivory.
Legendary stuntman/actor Jock Mahoney, fresh from his role as villain "Coy Banton" in "Tarzan The Magnificent", takes over the role of the ape-man in this enjoyable film. Hired on at age 42, Jocko's "Tarzan" was about as far from ERB's character as it gets, but he had such great charisma and screen presence that you can't help but love his portrayal -- plus he performed all of his own stunts. God rest his soul.
There is lots of great action in this film, including intriguing battles between a cobra and a mongoose, and also two bull elephants warring for control over their herd. And on the humorous side, if you watch closely right before the 28-minute mark, you can see an elephant drop his lunch on camera. I guess being shot at truly scared the poop out of him!
TARZAN'S THREE CHALLENGES (1963, 01:40)
Jock Mahoney, Woody Strode
Tarzan travels to Thailand to escort the successor to a dying emperor safely to his destination. After his guide is killed en route, Tarzan must prove himself worthy and capable of the task, at the same time averting danger from a rival to the throne.
Jock Mahoney was as heroic as the character he portrayed, fighting through fever and weakness during production to complete this film. Having lost over 40 pounds through the course of filming, he ends up looking more like a fasting Thai monk than the Lord of the Jungle, but still manages to save the day in convincing form.
Jocko's second (and final) outing as Tarzan exceeded his first film. For the record, I would have enjoyed him at age 50 in the role, had it been possible.
TARZAN AND THE VALLEY OF GOLD (1966, 01:30)
Mike Henry, Nancy Kovack
Driven by the lust for gold, a super-villain with an affinity for explosives attempts to overwhelm an ancient civilization with modern weaponry to raid their vast treasure vaults. Only Tarzan stands in his path to success.
Former Steelers / Rams football player Mike Henry became the next Tarzan, and his character was a "gentle giant"... formidable in appearance, yet soft-spoken and thoughtful of others. Henry was the only film Tarzan to date not required to shave his chest, possibly to give the character a more "manly" appearance. And if the huge knife he carried had been an inch longer, it would have qualified as a short sword!
This was a bold departure in an attempt to update the character, and for the first 13 minutes of the film (including the flashy intro and 60's-style soundtrack), I would have sworn I was watching a James Bond film. Even after Tarzan sheds his suit and tie for a loincloth and hunting knife, he displays mastery of modern weaponry, including an assault rifle, hand-grenades and even a tank!
TARZAN AND THE GREAT RIVER (1967, 01:39)
Mike Henry, Jan Murray, Diana Millay
Tarzan travels to Brazil to thwart a revived "death cult" that is enslaving villages for labor in a secret diamond mine. Along the way, he finds himself escorting a beautiful physician upriver to cure sick natives who think they have been cursed by the evil cult leader.
Mike Henry returns as the soft-voiced but formidable Tarzan in this exciting film, which tones down the "Bond" approach a bit (no guns and tanks this time, but he still sports a suit and travels where called). Tarzan is invited to accompany the Bogart-like Captain Sam (Murray) and his young ward, Pepe (Manuel Padilla Jr., who also played "Jai" in the Ron Ely "Tarzan" series), as they travel by boat to guide Dr. Ann Phillips (Millay) safely to her destination. In tow are Cheetah and "Baron" the lion (obviously inspired by Jad-Bal-Ja), but their presence is ultimately superficial to the story. Sadly, not all the animals got along with Henry as he received a bite on the jaw from a chimpanzee requiring 20 stitches to close, and which eventually became infected and delayed shooting for a few weeks while he recuperated from a fever.
Henry's athletic background is used to the movie's benefit, with excellent scenes of Tarzan racing rapidly through the jungle on foot and by vine, and in one scene, tackling a group of bad guys linebacker-style -- ouch! Or how about chasing and taking down an attacking lion to save the physician? The action is great, right down to the showdown with the wicked cult leader Barcuma played by Rafer Johnson. Throw in the Weissmuller yell for effect, and the final product is a very fun and entertaining film.
TARZAN AND THE JUNGLE BOY (1968, 01:39)
Mike Henry, Rafer Johnson, Steve Bond
A journalist and her fiance' travel to the jungle to investigate reported sightings of a boy who had disappeared in the jungle six years previously, enlisting Tarzan's assistance in the search. Unfortunately, their quest takes them through sacred tribal territory, throwing Tarzan in the middle of a feud between two brothers fighting to succeed their father as chief of their village.
In the final of three Tarzan films shot in rapid succession, Mike Henry reprises his role as the ape-man, seeking a missing boy who is rumored to be living in the jungle much in the same fashion as Tarzan. In a memorable line, when asked how it's possible that a youth could survive for six years under such circumstances, Tarzan replies, "It's been done." Rafer Johnson of "Tarzan And The Great River" returns again as the villain, this time cast as the evil brother Nagambi who tries to gain the leadership of his tribe through treacherous means. Steve Bond debuts as the lost orphan Erik Brunik, known to the natives as "Jukaro" -- amazingly, he dresses exactly like Tarzan!
An exciting adventure with plenty of Mike Henry action, including another great football tackle, and an underwater attack by a giant clam! It was originally intended for Henry to continue as Tarzan in the television series which eventually starred Ron Ely, but Henry sued producer Sy Weintraub for excessive endangerment on the set during the long and gruelling shooting schedules of his three films. Regardless, the final result looked great on screen and firmly set for Henry a notable place in Tarzan film history.
TARZAN EN LA GRUTA DEL ORO ("Tarzan in the Golden Grotto") (1970, 01:24)
a.k.a. "King of the Jungle", "Zan, King of the Jungle", "Tarzan's Greatest Challenge"
Steve Hawkes, Kitty Swan
When the king of the jungle rescues an Amazon captive from an enemy village, the newly armed natives take their rifles and seek revenge. Wounded and left for dead, the ape-man is discovered and cared for by a local prospector who, after being rewarded with gold from the Amazons' hidden cave, attracts the wrong kind of attention and places both the Amazons and their treasure at risk.
An immigrant of Eastern Europe who was inspired by Johnny Weissmuller, former Mr. Canada Steve Hawkes stars in the first of two Spanish / Italian Tarzan collaborations directed by Manuel Caño. Originally filmed in English and later dubbed in Italian and Spanish, the versions I saw had been redubbed in English and subtitled in Swedish! Though his Tarzan films are sometimes referred to as "unauthorized", Hawkes has stated that moneys were properly paid to Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc. on both occasions. For this film, producers ran short of funds during shooting after a flood caused them to lose much of their equipment and footage, forcing them to negotiate a lesser licensing fee by shortening Tarzan's name to simply "Zan".
The minor name change is easy to ignore while watching the film, as the well-built Hawkes looks great in the role, and though his knife rarely leaves its sheath, the story is full of action and a few laughs from end-to-end. The battle with the gorilla is a highlight, though the cruel treatment of the Amazon women by the villains made me squirm a bit. And instead of Cheetah, Zan's ever-present companion is a parrot who seems most fluent in the English language!
If you are a Tarzan movie fan, don't let anyone discourage you from seeing this film. Though not particularly original in content, it's at least as enjoyable if not more so than a few of the "official" releases I could name.
TARZAN Y EL ARCO IRIS ("Tarzan and the Rainbow") (1972, 01:18)
a.k.a. "Tarzan and the Brown Prince"
Steve Hawkes, Peter Lee Lawrence, Kitty Swan
After the death of a native king, two members of the village compete in a race to retrieve the Green God and thereby win the leadership of the tribe. Tarzan dogs their trail to protect the final outcome of the contest, but is distracted when an unscrupulous hunter targets the ape-man for addition to his menagerie.
Hawkes returns as the jungle lord, but the correction of his character's name to "Tarzan" is one of the only upsides of this second film by director Manuel Caño. His build seems less defined this time around, and appears inconsistent at times due to the use of recycled footage from the first film. Kitty Swan, who played the Amazon queen and love interest in the first movie, returns as Tarzan's "mate" in this film, but I was not clear if she actually represented the original character or a new one, as her name was never spoken.
Most disappointing and perplexing, though, is the misuse of Tarzan in this film -- he spends most of his time in the trees, simply observing the activities of the other characters, and has very little dialog or interaction throughout. This is a huge step back from the active and involved ape-man from "Tarzan en la Gruta del Oro", though the film does manage a few interesting moments -- the underwater fight with the crocodile is somewhat realistic and kinda cool!
As a point of trivia, Steve Hawkes suffered serious injuries when he was burned over the majority of his body during an accidental fire on the set. According to Hawkes, he was rescued by a lion that had been trained to free him from the bonds that held him pinned to stakes driven in the ground. From that point forward, he resolved to dedicate his life to the care of big cats that have been cruelly treated, and lives as a modern-day Tarzan among a host of lions, tigers and panthers in JungleWorld -- his private wildlife sanctuary in Florida.
TARZAN THE APE MAN (1982, 01:15)
Miles O'Keeffe, Bo Derek, Richard Harris
Seeking to reestablish a relationship with her estranged adventurer father, Jane Parker accompanies him on a quest for the fabled "Elephant Graveyard". However, Jane ends up discovering more about herself through sensual encounters with the mysterious Lord of the Jungle.
In this second remake of the exceptional 1932 classic, MGM has gained little ground if any from the atrocious treatment they gave the 1959 attempt featuring Denny Miller and Joanna Barnes. In fact, Miller himself felt a little better about his film after seeing this one! The story more closely resembles that of the Weissmuller epic, but as it was created mainly as a starring vehicle for Bo Derek (or rather, her unclothed body), Jane becomes the central character, leaving the speechless Tarzan as little more than background scenery. In fact, the movie posters depicted only Jane swinging from a vine, with the tagline, "The most beautiful woman of our time in the most erotic adventure of all time."
As with the last remake, this film starts off with promise, but quickly degrades. But this time, the actors can't be given as much credit. Derek's delivery becomes extremely grating -- especially her self-musings in the company of Tarzan. Classically trained veteran Harris is misused in an over-hammy performance as the megalomaniacal James Parker, who at one point states, "I wallow in ME." Parker is fun at the beginning, but by the end you might be happy to see his fate. In his debut big-screen appearance, Miles O'Keeffe is almost completely wasted as the ape-man, though he has in my opinion the most ERB-correct Tarzan physique shown on screen -- if he'd had black hair and grey eyes he would have been perfect! And though his characterization of Tarzan became stigmatized as "dumb as a box of rocks", his face reveals a hidden character, dignity and intelligence that could have been used to great effect in the the right vehicle.
The film at times is beautifully shot with a large and sweeping scope, but in other respects it suffers badly in what seems to be the unfamiliarity of director John Derek (a still photographer by trade) with the medium of motion pictures. The most glaring examples are the action sequences, many of which are depicted in an artificial slow motion -- while beautiful to look at, they are confusing and remove the thrill element almost completely. This includes the battle with the anaconda, and the final showdown with the Ivory King, who looks more like a Caucasian professional wrestler than an African native chief.
Most Tarzan fans seem to abhor this film, and it has earned a reputation as the worst of the series. However, there are bright spots throughout if you look for them, and it is worth a watch, especially if you are a Tarzan film completist.
GREYSTOKE, THE LEGEND OF TARZAN, LORD OF THE APES (1984, 02:09)
Christopher Lambert, Andie MacDowell, Sir Ralph Richardson
Orphaned as an infant in an African jungle and raised by apes, Tarzan is discovered and educated by Phillippe D'Arnot, who brings him to civilization to assume his title and position in prominent society.
This was the first attempt since the "Tarzan Of The Apes", the original silent film featuring Elmo Lincoln, to tell the story of John Clayton, Lord Greystoke as presented in ERB's first Tarzan novel of same title. "Greystoke" came out just a few years after I had completed reading the 24 novels, and I can't remember looking so forward to a film as I did this one. As a young teen, I recall absolutely loving "Greystoke", and I still feel the same, but its flaws are much more evident when I watch it today.
As a movie, it's great! The story is solid, and Christopher Lambert is captivating and intense as John Clayton (his best performance ever, in my opinion), as are all the supporting cast members. But as an ERB-correct Tarzan movie -- since this is what it raised hopes of being -- its weaknesses are glaring. The biggest flaw in the eye of an "ERB Tarzan" fan is this: Though the first half of the film was an excellent depiction of the ape-man's origin, in trying to make the story as realistic and plausible as possible they totally emasculated the character of Tarzan (a name by which he's never referred to in the film). Lambert is never given the chance to truly portray the physical and violent aspects of the jungle lord. In fact, almost all of the violence is either implied or hinted at -- very little shown on screen -- leaving viewers to only imagine what Tarzan might do if he was truly pushed to the edge. As a point of trivia, most people know by now that as Jane, Andie MacDowell's lines were completely redubbed by an uncredited Glenn Close, speaking with an English accent. Close originally competed for the role of Jane herself, and accepted the voiceover job though still sore over the loss of the part to another actress.
Weaknesses aside, this is still a very good film. It's truly a sad film, as the central theme of the story is the concept of "loss", which repeats itself throughout, before pain and confusion push John Clayton to leave civilization to return to the comforts of his jungle. So "Greystoke" stands very well on its own, yet still is seen as a missed opportunity by many ERB fans who hoped for a truer interpretation of Tarzan on screen.
TARZAN IN MANHATTAN (1989, 01:34)
Joe Lara, Kim Crosby, Tony Curtis, Jan Michael Vincent
When Kala is murdered and Cheetah is kidnapped by the killers, Tarzan follows their trail to New York intent on rescue and revenge.
This campy pilot for a proposed television series mixes the traditional ERB example set a few years earlier by "Greystoke" with silly Hollywood tradition, this time opting for a modernized "fish-out-of-water" approach to the story. The film stars Joe Lara in his first turn as the ape-man, who looking quite out of place in the big city, befriends a Manhattan cab driver named Jane Porter (Crosby). Jane's father Archimedes Q. Porter (Curtis), a wisecracking private detective, joins in the race to stop the villainous Brightmore (Vincent) before Cheetah becomes the next victim of his cruel animal experiments.
"Tarzan in Manhattan" begins well enough in the jungle, where Tarzan swings from the thickest, hairiest man-made vines seen on screen, but starts to sink once he leaves Africa and heads stateside. Though genuinely cute in places, the film as a whole is marred by bad dialog, bad performances, and 80's-era fashion and sound which will give it a dated feel to modern viewers -- not all movies age gracefully! As for execution, it also suffers from several gaffes and inconsistencies, the latter of which will bother ERB fans the most. For example, an updated take on Tarzan's origin depicts young John Clayton as a boy of 6 or 7 who miraculously survives his parents in an explosive plane crash, and is immediately found and comforted by Kala while still wearing his disheveled dress clothes! One of the keys to accepting that Tarzan could so seamlessly integrate with the great apes is the proposal that he was discovered as an infant with no memories of his past, not to mention a spoken human language.
As for the cry of the bull ape, the classic Weissmuller yell is used unconvincingly for most of the film, but is replaced with a "Greystoke"-style roar near the end after Tarzan defeats Brightmore. And speaking of the climactic battle, what happened to Tarzan's strength? Earlier in the film, he is shown yanking the bars out of a jail cell window, breaking a baseball bat using only his two hands, and with a single hand, lifting a punk by his throat off the ground. By the climax, he's apparently lost as much steam as the film, struggling more than once to wrest a pistol from Brightmore's hand. And to top it off, even a very visible wire is needed to help Tarzan lift the villain over his head! ; )
Perhaps the true paradox here is the effort and expense I put into adding the extremely rare DVD of this title to my collection, when it is my personal pick for the "worst (authorized) Tarzan film ever made". Luckily, the pilot failed to spawn a series, though this Tarzan would defy logic again seven years later, when Lara was given a rare second chance to play the ape-man for the much better television series "Tarzan: The Epic Adventures".
TARZAN AND THE LOST CITY (1998, 01:23)
Casper Van Dien, Jane March, Steven Waddington
Tarzan is called back to Africa on the eve of his wedding to Jane to defend the hidden city of Opar from a plundering adventurer.
Casper Van Dien gets his one and only chance to portray the ape-man on screen, and he does a fantastic and refreshing job as Tarzan in a film that had much more potential than was evidenced at the box office. I know that this was not a popular movie with many, but I'm going to lay it on the line... This is one of my favorite Tarzan films of all time, and I watch it again every year or so. Yes, it has some weaknesses, but overall, I feel that it prevails where it is strong. The varied perceptions of this movie really illustrate the challenges a studio faces when trying to please diehard fans and still attract the masses for the greatest possible return on investment. It had been 14 years since Tarzan had graced the screen in "Greystoke", and producer Stanley Canter was positioning "Tarzan And The Lost City" to be a sequel of sorts to that successful film which he co-produced with Hugh Hudson. But after 14 years, a re-introduction to the character might have been more in order than a continuation to hold the attention of a new audience. Though I'd been pumped up by the hype and the excellent previews, I remember being disappointed having to see the film in a mostly empty theater not long after it opened. It is my judgment that this film is best enjoyed by ERB Tarzan fans, which is fine with me!
Van Dien prepped hard for the role, and it shows -- though not as tall as other actors cast as the ape-man, he makes up for it with one of the best Tarzan physiques ever brought to screen. If you disagree that he looks the part, you also disagree with legendary Tarzan artist Boris Vallejo (read my interview with Boris)! Casper also really captures the intensity, the strength and the wry wit of ERB's original character. In one point in the film, Tarzan grabs a rifle from a villain and breaks it over his knee as in the books (even Johnny Weissmuller's ape-man bashed his rifles against tree trunks).
The lovely Jane March is elegent, yet physically capable as Jane, and Steven Waddington is excellent as Nigel Ravens, his characterization ringing with echos of the villains of the novels. Also factoring into the film is the character of Mugambi, though he is depicted more as a seer / magician than as a warrior.
The main weakness in "Tarzan And The Lost City" is the anti-climactic end sequence in Opar, which falls far short of depicting what we would expect to see from the Lost City. No glorious but crumbling walls and minarets, no High-Priestess La, and no brutish Oparian race. Instead, a focus on sorcery coupled with some less-than-convincing CGI only serves to further damage what was a promising film throughout. It just sort of fizzles and wastes another opportunity to flesh out one of ERB's fantastic visions on the screen. But overall... I still LOVE the film, and recommend that any Tarzan fan give it a shot.
TARZAN (1999, 01:28, ANIMATED)
Tony Goldwyn, Minnie Driver, Glenn Close, Brian Blessed (voices)
The Walt Disney Company's animated translation of the classic Edgar Rice Burroughs tale of an orphaned boy raised in the jungles of Africa by a tribe of great apes.
The Disney formula continues to work in this thrilling adaptation of the ERB classic, which draws you in from the start with rich African-style drumming leading into the theme song by Phil Collins as the backstory unfolds. Goldwyn voices the part of Tarzan, with Driver as Jane Porter. Kala is voiced by Close, and most entertaining is Blessed as the voice of Clayton.
Aside from the excellent animation which features Tarzan traveling through the trees in the style of an extreme skateboarder and the inspiring combination of symphonic score and pop soundtrack, there are several liberties taken with the story and the original characters. Kerchak becomes the mate of Kala and Tarzan's foster father (replacing the literary character Tublat), and his hatred of Tarzan is softened into simply suspicion and distrust of the adopted boy. Tarzan's rival step-brother Terkoz is renamed as "Terk" and transformed into Tarzan's childhood friend, and Sheeta is misidentified as Sabor (perhaps they didn't want to risk children having too much fun with the name "Sheeta"). Most unfortunate, however, is the depiction of the villain as "Clayton", while neither that name nor its noble heritage is ever attributed to Tarzan.
While it's easy for ERB fans to criticize these changes, it wouldn't be fair in the least to concentrate too hard on them -- this is a fun film (one of the high points being the exciting battle between Tarzan and Sabor), and is enjoyable for kids and adults alike. Its success spawned two direct-to-video follow-ups, "Tarzan & Jane" and "Tarzan II", as well as an animated television series "The Legend of Tarzan", the latter of which drew much more at times from the original stories and characters.
TARZAN OF THE APES (1999, 00:48, ANIMATED)
Another animated retelling of the original novel by Edgar Rice Burroughs.
Released by Sony Wonder the same year as "Disney's Tarzan", this was marketed as part of their "Enchanted Tales" series, and was packaged individually on VHS and then as a double-feature with "A Tale Of Egypt" (the story of Moses). How or why both Disney and Sony Wonder were granted licenses at the same time, I cannot say.
Although the animation quality is more on a par with Saturday morning cartoons when compared to the big budget Disney release, the story is actually much more faithful to the ERB classic, including an increased number of characters from the novel. As for the music, it ranges from classical (the film opens with "The Flight of the Valkyries"), to pop-oriented songs in the style of "The Lion King".
Much shorter in length that its Disney counterpart, this film is strictly directed at children, though as such there is a surprising level of violence including many punches and bites! Regardless, it is a great way to introduce kids to the character of Tarzan.
TARZAN & JANE (2002, 01:15, ANIMATED)
Michael T. Weiss, Olivia d'Abo (voices)
As their anniversary approaches, Jane reminisces with Tantor and Terk about her first year in the jungle with Tarzan.
The voices have changed, but the song remains the same (with the addition of Mandy Moore in a duet version of "Two World" with Phil Collins). As a point of interest, Olivia d'Abo (the voice of Jane) is perhaps best known for her role as Princess Jehnna in "Conan The Destroyer". This direct-to-video sequel to Disney's "Tarzan" was actually constructed from three pre-release episodes of the TV show "The Legend of Tarzan" (which later aired individually in 2003), with the stories told through flashbacks as Jane worries over choosing an anniversary gift for Tarzan.
In the first, "British Invasion", Jane entertains three old friends from London, but Tarzan must come to the rescue as the foursome are stalked by two panthers -- ok, so Sheeta does finally make an appearance.... but the leopard is still incorrectly called Sabor! In the second segment, "Volcanic Diamond Mine", two treasure hunters masquerade as geologists to trick Tarzan into leading them to a hidden diamond mine. I have to say that the escape sequence from the volcano pushes the limits of plausibility even in the world of cartoons! Finally, in "Flying Ace", Tarzan is suspicious (not to mention jealous) of a childhood friend of Jane's who seems to be hiding an ulterior motive. There is a great, very ERB-esque moment here as a stranded British counter-intelligence agent exclaims that they have lost the ability to capture the escaping villain, and Tarzan shoots back, "You can't.... I CAN!" That's the Tarzan of the novels, all right!
Plenty of excitement and action keep the story moving, making this a very nice follow-up in the tradition of the 1999 box-office hit.
TARZAN II (2005, 01:12, ANIMATED)
Fearing that his differences are endangering his adopted tribe, Tarzan leaves to pursue his own destiny, but ends up learning a lesson about the importance of family in the process.
In the second direct-to-video follow-up of the 1999 film, Disney presents a tale that focuses squarely on Tarzan's youth (there are no appearances here of the adult jungle lord at all). After an accident in which he is thought killed, Tarzan overhears other young apes belittling him, and saddened, decides to quit the tribe in search of his own place in the world. His journey delivers him into the hands of a family of wicked gorillas, themselves trapped in a valley haunted by the legendary monster "Zugor". In time, Tarzan is taught to recognize that his unique abilities bring a much-needed benefit to those around him.
Though Disney drew more source material from ERB's novels for TV's "The Legend of Tarzan", "Tarzan II" takes a large step backwards and does nothing to further knowledge of the literary hero. Aside from the inclusion of previously-defined characters such as Tantor, Kala and Kerchak, opportunities to throw new bones to ERB fans were not taken. How hard could it have been to call the rhinoceros "Buto", for example?
Altogether, little of the magic of the 1999 film exists here, though it remains a fun little romp for kids that teaches the precious value of one's individuality. But personally, I wish they would have adopted portions of "Jungle Tales of Tarzan" to paint a more entertaining picture of Tarzan's childhood that illustrates this same lesson.
TARZAN (Target Release Date: 2008)
It seems like it's been an eternity since we've heard anything on this project, but progress has been reported. Warner Bros. and Jerry Weintraub Productions are teaming up with "Hellboy" director Guillermo del Toro to bring the ape-man back to the big screen. Screenwriter John August is out, and is being replaced by "Master and Commander: Far Side of the World" scribe John Collee.
On his personal website, John August had this to say:
" ... the decision of when to cut one's losses never gets easier. ... I had to let Tarzan go, after more than a year of work.
... I felt profound frustration and disappointment, both in myself and the people who'd hired me. It wasn't just the amount of wasted work, but the sense that I was abandoning my creations. The characters were real to me, and now wouldn't get a chance to live."
As for the upcoming movie, here are some snippets from an article at Variety.com:
"The studio is developing a new take on the Edgar Rice Burroughs-created character."
"Del Toro, who grew up reading Spanish-language translations of those (Tarzan) books, feels that the classic themes are still compelling, and that there is new ground to cover in the Tarzan mythology by turning back to the original Burroughs prose."
"I'd love to create a new version that is still a family movie, but as edgy as I can make it," Del Toro said. "There are strong themes of survival of a defenseless child left behind in the most hostile environment."
As expected, we'll be keeping an eye on things, and are hoping for the best!
With the growing popularity of the Tarzan novels, it was inevitable that the Ape-Man would take to the "silver screen" as quickly as he took to the trees. The first few silent films made valiant attempts to remain true to the literary character (though casting was sometimes questionable). But over time, the portrayal of Tarzan often strayed far from ERB's original vision, ignoring his origin and redefining him as anything from a speechless or semi-articulate savage to a jungle cowboy rounding up "baddies". New primary characters such as "Boy" and "Cheetah" were created, helping to form inaccurate stereotypes of Tarzan in the minds of many. The distortions continued until the mid 1980's, when cinema began making bold gestures toward bring audiences back in touch with ERB's original "Tarzan Of The Apes".
Though I rank among the many fans who feel that ERB's Tarzan has yet to be done properly on the big screen, the movies are for the most part very entertaining, and worthy of being judged on their own merits. For many people (including myself), film was their first encounter with Tarzan, and his many interpretations on screen have at least been true to the spirit of the Ape-Man -- brave, heroic and invincible.
Please enjoy this dedication to Tarzan in cinema. I own copies of all but a few of the movies, and will continue to build this as I have the chance to watch them again and review them. Special thanks go to Jerry L. Schneider of ERBville Press, author of the "Edgar Rice Burroughs and the Silver Screen" series, for providing information (including running times) for the silent films. There is no greater or more comprehensive reference for the history of Tarzan on screen than his books.
Though I rank among the many fans who feel that ERB's Tarzan has yet to be done properly on the big screen, the movies are for the most part very entertaining, and worthy of being judged on their own merits. For many people (including myself), film was their first encounter with Tarzan, and his many interpretations on screen have at least been true to the spirit of the Ape-Man -- brave, heroic and invincible.
Please enjoy this dedication to Tarzan in cinema. I own copies of all but a few of the movies, and will continue to build this as I have the chance to watch them again and review them. Special thanks go to Jerry L. Schneider of ERBville Press, author of the "Edgar Rice Burroughs and the Silver Screen" series, for providing information (including running times) for the silent films. There is no greater or more comprehensive reference for the history of Tarzan on screen than his books.
