Tarzans Kampf ums Leben

A lot of critics have panned this movie as a poor Tarzan film ...I totally disagree...Gordon Scott is a magnificent Tarzan with a superman physique - just what the role demanded....Scott must save a tribal village from an evil witch doctor named Futa who hates Tarzan with a passion because Tarzan knows that the witch doctor's medicine is inferior to Dr. Carl Sturdy who is in the jungle trying to develop a serum to fight tropical infections....adding to the film is a romance between Dr. Sturdy's daughter (Jill Jarmyn) and her father's medical cohort. Movie was made in brilliant technicolor with very good lighting effects....Gordon Scott gives the Tarzan yell from a limb on a tree as Futa's henchmen try to attack and kill natives bringing supplies to Dr. Sturday...It should be mentioned that MGM inserted several ft of footage to this film from film from "Tarzan and the Lost Safari" also starring Scott.....Scott is by far the most athletic Tarzan of them all, the handsomest and best athlete for the role... Check out a scene where a 25 ft python is wrapped around Scott who is trying to protect Jane from attack....lots of good action scenes and lions and evil tribesman...standard fare for the day for a Tarzan movie....Scott introduces his son as "Tartu" and not "boy" for some strange reason in the film....James Edwards (the cook in "The Caine Mutiny") gives a good action job as the evil Futa.....I liked this Tarzan film a lot and one year later Scott starred in the classic "Tarzan's Greatest Adventure" with Anthony Quayle and a young Sean Connery of 007 fame.

If you grew up watching Johnny Weismuller in those action packed programmers, this is just painful to watch. There are a few scenes of waterfalls, etc. that are nice but in the older films they used stock footage of wilderness along with wild African animals stampeding and attacking which in itself evoked a sense of danger utterly missing here. The pacing in the earlier films was quick and exciting while here, everyone sleepwalks through the entire movie with wooden acting by all involved. Action scenes are bland and suspense is nil. Gordon Scott is great eye candy but stinks up every scene he is in. Granted, it is not as noticeable as it could have been since all the other actors are doing the same thing. I hated seeing a dynamic character actor like Woody Strode stuck in this awful flick. He looked like he hated it too. I guess we all have to make a living.

Gordon Scott plays Tarzan in this bland outing for the Lord of the Apes, which was more racist than most entries in the series, where the main story points revolve around native people as being gullible and superstitious. The story has Tarzan helping a white doctor convince the easily fooled natives that an evil witch doctor is a hoax. That witch doctor is played by the great Woody Strode and one of the other natives is played by James Edwards, likely best remembered for his performances in "The Manchurian Candidate" and "The Killing." Tarzan wrestles a boa constrictor, rides a giraffe, and Cheeta the chimpanzee provides his usual comic relief. I'd normally sum up this film by saying it's blandly inoffensive, except that there is a fair amount in the film to be offended over, but I will say I was entertained.

I must admit to being a Tarzan junkie so keep that in mind while reading my comments. There's not a whole lot to the plots, in fact they tend to be fairly similar. Some injustice takes place, usually perpetrated by evil white men, and Tarzan sets things right. That's about it and if you expect complicated character interactions and plot twists you'll surely be disappointed. One of the best things about these movies is the physiques, happily and gloriously shown with as little clothing as possible. Jane is always an eyeful so I sat down to watch this one (the second color Tarzan) because I had never seen Eve Brent, the twelfth Jane. Although not the prettiest she was perhaps the sweetest and her scenes with Gordon Scott were rather passionate. Their kisses would make the heart of any romantic flutter. Still, as good as that was, my favorite part was James Edwards' characterization of Futa, the evil witch doctor. He made 'Fight for Life' an over the top camp fest. Yes, Gordon Scott was a hunk, Eve Brent was eye candy, there was Cheeta (although the chip can be irritating), there's lots of jungle and dangerous animal shots, but Edwards elevated this one above its routine plot and production values.

This is the Tarzan Movie that Stopped a Decades Long Franchise and sent the Tarzan Films in a New Direction. It sure has its Detractors, and it is Mediocre, but not Without some Entertainment Value.

It's Only the Second in Color and it is Colorful, check out the Native Attire. This Good Looking Tarzan also has the Very Good Looking Gordon Scott, and Jane (Eve Brent) is Stunning.

For Tarzan Action, He Rides a Giraffe and Fights an 18 foot. Python. Both Scenes with Real Animals with the Snake Unwilling to Let Go causing some On Set Panic. Tarzan is Captured and Bound Spread Eagle with a Caged Lion, and there is some Witch Doctor Eeriness for Suspense. Jane is in Peril a Few Times and Tarzan must Fight for Her Life as well as Others.

There are some Silly Things (Cheetah in loincloth) and some Bad Dialog. The other Female Character, Jill Jarmyn, Overacts Greatly and gets on the Nerves. But...

There's just too much Fun Going On here for this Entry to be Dismissed as Worthless. It's Worth a Watch.