La revanche de Tarzan

This low-key Tarzan feature relies more on the settings and the general situation than it does on the story, which is rather sketchy. It was Glenn Morris's only appearance as Tarzan, and while he certainly looks athletic enough, his lack of acting experience really shows. Some of the other aspects of the movie help out just enough to make it watchable.

The story has an expedition heading to Africa to capture some zoo specimens, with Tarzan indicating a strong preference for allowing his animal friends to stay in the wild. Meanwhile, a lecherous sultan has spotted a young woman in the expedition, and would like to add her to his harem, so he has made plans accordingly. Most of the screen time, though, does not advance the story, instead focusing on a variety of vignettes, and adding a lot of footage of lions, elephants, and many other animals, including a couple of cute lion cubs. The real action consumes just a small fraction of the running time.

Hedda Hopper, in a smaller role, is the liveliest of the cast members, and she has a few good moments with George Barbier, as the aunt and uncle of the heroine. As the heroine, Eleanor Holm is also pretty inexperienced, but she does have a solid screen presence. Morris's flat portrayal of Tarzan means that Holm has to try to carry a number of their scenes.

This is watchable as very light viewing, as long as you're prepared not to be too critical and don't mind a rather slow pace, but it doesn't have enough strengths to be any more than that.

Despite its reputation as being among the worst of the Tarzan films, this largely forgotten attempt to challenge the established MGM series of Johnny Weismuller and Maureen O'Sullivan is really no worse than any of the later Tarzan movies of the 1940s and 1950s (not surprising since Sol Lesser, who later took over the series after MGM abandoned the series produced this) in terms of silly plot, laughable stereotypes etc. The real reason why the film gets it's bad reputation is because of Glen Morris, the 1936 Decathlon champion, who makes for a very unconvincing Tarzan with a goofy expression and his awkward way of saying his only two words in the whole script ("Tarzan!" and "Good!"). The later movies at least have more convincing Tarzans. Morris learned his lesson and never tried acting again (I shudder to think of what might have happened had Yankees legend Lou Gehrig embarrassed himself by being in this film, as he had been Lesser's first choice).

By contrast, Olympic swimming legend Eleanor Holm fares much better. Like Morris, she had no experience for the part other than her athletic fame but she seems to at least be having a good time like the first prize winner on amateur night, showing off some spunk as Tarzan's eventual mate (keeping her own name Eleanor, rather than being called Jane), and also looking quite lovely in a bathing suit. If anything, she comes off as better than any of the women who followed Maureen O'Sullivan in the part of Jane and it would have been interesting to see her in other Tarzan films.

Glen Morris (Decathlon Gold in Hitler's Games) and Elanor Holm (Gold in '32 for "Backstroke").

These Olympians were Paired Only 1 Time as "Tarzan and His Wannabe Mate",

both Her and Cheetah are Denied Their "Iconic" Names in this Non-MGM Filler made in a 3 Year Gap of the Johnny Weissmuller Popular Series.

It's Rumored that Morris was so Devastated by the Cruel and Bad Reviews, He Left Movies after His Only Attempt and Headed for Home.

It's a Fact, that Elanor "Partied So Hearty" on the Boat-Trip to the '36 Games that She was Disqualified and Benched. She Also Made No Other Fictional Movies.

In this Tarzan Picture, Once Again, the Ape-Man is Semi-Mute, Morris Only Uterring 3 Words the Entire Film,

but He is Handsome and Built Like "The Lord of the Jungle", Swings a Mighty Vine, Bellows a Commanding "Tarzan Yell", and, of course, Runs Like a Deer.

But None of this could Manage to Remove this Back-Lot, Low-Energy Production from the Doldrums.

Even Though, there is a Nifty, Energetic Fight with Tarzan and a Slew of Natives on a Wooden Bridge Hundreds of Feet in the Air,

and a "Busby Berkley" Inspired Gal-a-Athon Dance in a Harem-Filled Palace in the Middle of the Jungle.

The Constant, Repetitive Musical Underscoring is Nerve-Shattering, almost as Much as "Hedda Hopper" and Her Relentless "Sneezing".

For "Tarzan" Completest and Undiscriminating Lovers of "B-Movie" Adventures, it's...

Worth a Watch.

Tarzan's Revenge (1938)

** (out of 4)

Winning a gold medal in the Olympics must have been pretty nice in the 1930s as not only did you get the gold but you also got fame and a role in a Tarzan movie. This time out it's Glenn Morris who takes over the role of Tarzan as he must constantly save a rich girl (Eleanor Holm) who falls into traps, gets attacked by lions and eventually kidnapped by a evil priest. TARZAN'S REVENGE is pure "B" movie non-sense and if you're expecting the quality of the MGM films then you're certainly going to be disappointed. It's clear that the producers of this film really didn't care about quality as it seems they were just happy to have the Tarzan rights, looked at what MGM was doing and just tried to copy it. It really does seem as if the producers would be happy with no flubbed lines so that they could quickly edit the material together and get it released into theaters. There's really nothing horribly wrong with this picture it's just that nothing's very good either and in the end we're left with a rather bland and unmemorable film. Morris really isn't all that good as Tarzan. He certainly has the physical look down but the speech and mannerisms simply aren't there. Holm isn't too bad in her part and we get familiar faces like Joe Sawyer and Hedda Hopper in supporting roles. The stock footage is the typical stuff you'd expect from a movie like this. The biggest problem is that there's just no energy to anything you're watching.

The Reeds, a family of American zoo owners arrive in Africa in order to collect animals for their zoo. Patriarch Roger Reed is relishing the adventure while his wife is constantly having sneezing fits. Their daughter Eleanor is being targeted by an evil sheik who wants to add her to his collection of wives. He bribes their safari guide Olaf to lead them to a trap where he will kidnap her. But he hasn't reckoned on Tarzan, who is keeping an eye on the Reeds & is in love with her, causing complications between him & Eleanor's trigger-happy fiancée Nevin Potter, who is intent on killing as many animals as he can.

After MGM had made their three Tarzan adaptations, Twentieth Century Fox decided to give Tarzan creator Edgar Rice Burroughs a better deal & got the rights in return. But they couldn't get Johnny Weissmuller, the actor who played Tarzan in the MGM films & who was a former Olympic swimming champ, so they recruited 1936 decathlon champ Glenn Morris for the lead role. They also cast another swimming champ, Eleanor Holm, for the love interest.

The film is a rather goofy but passably entertaining Tarzan flick with some humour directed at the inept safari & some reasonable fight scenes & Tarzan grappling with lions & natives. Of course, some of the elements in the script have dated badly but Tarzan's Revenge is not too bad & does a fair job of giving some jungle escapism. Glenn Morris could manage the physical requirements of the role (he looked pretty good swinging on the vines in some scenes & is a good swimmer) but the public preferred Weissmuller so Morris' involvement in the franchise ended after this, his only turn as Tarzan. The other actors acquit themselves fairly although C. Henry Gordon's evil sheik is strictly one-dimensional & cardboard in nature.