Tarzan's Revenge
From 1938, Tarzan's Revenge has several problems. In the eponymous role it lacks Johnny Weissmuller, who, being an athlete, at least acquired rudimentary acting skills over time. Glenn Morris, 1936 Berlin Olympics decathlon gold medalist, portrays Tarzan in this film without any acting ability, out-acted even by his non-actress costar, the "Jane," although she goes by Eleanor, played by Eleanor Holm, 1932 Olympic gold medalist in the 100 meter backstroke.
Based loosely on Edgar Rice Burroughs' first Tarzan novel, Eleanor travels with her parents and fiancé, Nevin Potter (George Meeker), on a safari westwards into Africa's heart to collect wild animals for zoos. Watching this practice in 2020, it's sickening to contemplate the casual disruptive actions of these white American and British assholes as they thread their way into unknown country, assuming they can do whatever they want.
The revenge of the title, I guess, consists of Tarzan's freeing the captured animals. It's curious that after more than a hundred years since the character's debut in print, Tarzan stands out as something close to an environmentalist.
At the opposite pole, Nevin Potter, rifle always at the ready, will kill any animal he sees or hears, one time firing blindly into the jungle because he thinks he hears "something." Eleanor's father ineffectually admonishes him several times, telling him the purpose of the expedition is to capture, not kill.
Eleanor falls into a muddy pond, meets Tarzan while Nevin goes off to find a rope and enlist the help of two men. The wild man, meanwhile, pulls her out and they have the most basic conversation possible. Here we see two Olympic athletes acting on the screen together. It is not like watching James Stewart and Carole Lombard mix their screen chemistries. None of the safari believe Eleanor's account of encountering a tall muscular white man wearing just a breechclout and accompanied by a friendly chimpanzee. It's understandable why they don't, but frustrating for Eleanor.
The movie meanders for three-fourths of its seventy minute length, picks up speed finally after Eleanor's abduction by African men serving a mysterious monarch ruling a hidden kingdom. He seeks to add Eleanor to his harem, but Tarzan stops this plan, restores her to her father and fiancé. Eleanor, liking the life with Tarzan--they'd spent some alone time together earlier--decides to stay with him, just as Jane does in the original novel. Jealous Nevin Potter takes a shot at Tarzan, grazes the wild man's arm, gets beaten up for his trouble. The man with no proper manners proves to be noble, while the hunter is nothing without his rifle. The contempt we feel for Nevin Potter comes through most vividly when he can't resist killing a parrot.
It's not a good movie; it covers the same territory much better dealt with in Tarzan the Ape Man (1932) and Tarzan and His Mate (1934), both with Weissmuller and Maureen O'Sullivan, although George Meeker's portrayal of the jackass animal murderer Nevin Potter stands out in a film suffering from a lack of surprises and weak attempts at suspense.
From 1938, Tarzan's Revenge has several problems. In the eponymous role it lacks Johnny Weissmuller, who, being an athlete, at least acquired rudimentary acting skills over time. Glenn Morris, 1936 Berlin Olympics decathlon gold medalist, portrays Tarzan in this film without any acting ability, out-acted even by his non-actress costar, the "Jane," although she goes by Eleanor, played by Eleanor Holm, 1932 Olympic gold medalist in the 100 meter backstroke.
Based loosely on Edgar Rice Burroughs' first Tarzan novel, Eleanor travels with her parents and fiancé, Nevin Potter (George Meeker), on a safari westwards into Africa's heart to collect wild animals for zoos. Watching this practice in 2020, it's sickening to contemplate the casual disruptive actions of these white American and British assholes as they thread their way into unknown country, assuming they can do whatever they want.
The revenge of the title, I guess, consists of Tarzan's freeing the captured animals. It's curious that after more than a hundred years since the character's debut in print, Tarzan stands out as something close to an environmentalist.
At the opposite pole, Nevin Potter, rifle always at the ready, will kill any animal he sees or hears, one time firing blindly into the jungle because he thinks he hears "something." Eleanor's father ineffectually admonishes him several times, telling him the purpose of the expedition is to capture, not kill.
Eleanor falls into a muddy pond, meets Tarzan while Nevin goes off to find a rope and enlist the help of two men. The wild man, meanwhile, pulls her out and they have the most basic conversation possible. Here we see two Olympic athletes acting on the screen together. It is not like watching James Stewart and Carole Lombard mix their screen chemistries. None of the safari believe Eleanor's account of encountering a tall muscular white man wearing just a breechclout and accompanied by a friendly chimpanzee. It's understandable why they don't, but frustrating for Eleanor.
The movie meanders for three-fourths of its seventy minute length, picks up speed finally after Eleanor's abduction by African men serving a mysterious monarch ruling a hidden kingdom. He seeks to add Eleanor to his harem, but Tarzan stops this plan, restores her to her father and fiancé. Eleanor, liking the life with Tarzan--they'd spent some alone time together earlier--decides to stay with him, just as Jane does in the original novel. Jealous Nevin Potter takes a shot at Tarzan, grazes the wild man's arm, gets beaten up for his trouble. The man with no proper manners proves to be noble, while the hunter is nothing without his rifle. The contempt we feel for Nevin Potter comes through most vividly when he can't resist killing a parrot.
It's not a good movie; it covers the same territory much better dealt with in Tarzan the Ape Man (1932) and Tarzan and His Mate (1934), both with Weissmuller and Maureen O'Sullivan, although George Meeker's portrayal of the jackass animal murderer Nevin Potter stands out in a film suffering from a lack of surprises and weak attempts at suspense.
Vic Neptune
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