La rivincita di Tarzan

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.

Here Tarzan dispatches hunters who are illegally trapping wildlife for menageries. Along the way , Tarzan manages to free all the captured animals as tigers, leopards , Lioness and their cubs . Meanwhile, he saves the damsel in distress , Eleanor Holm, when is kidnapped by an avaricious Arab, Ben Bey, to add his Harem who has already a lot of women, approx 100 . The latest and greatest of Edgar Rice Burrough famous adventures!. Tarzan calls again and new thrills sweep the jungle wilds!. Spectacularly produced! The Tarzan-thrill of all time!

Tarzan's Revenge is an adventure movie with action, thrills , animal attacks , angry natives , and mean trappers , but dubiously faithfful to Edgar Rice Borroughs . Being mostly shot on Twentieth Century Fox backlots, adding a lot of stock footage of jungle and wild animal. Glenn Morris is a better Olimpic runner than actor in this routine Tarzan movie. Glenn Morris was the fourth Olympic athlete to play Tarzan. He was the 1936 decathlon champion and won the Sullivan Award, outstanding amateur athlete of the year over the more famous Olympian Jesse Owens. Winning the Gold Medal at the 1936 Summer Olympic Games in Berlin, Germania, the so-called "Nazi Olympics" and the same Olympics where Jesse Owens upstaged Adolph Hitler. Subsequently, he played this movie hired by the independient producer Sol Lesser but the reviews were so throughly bad that Glenn never made another film. And co-star Eleanor Holm is frankly horrible . As secondary actress appears Hedda Hopper, known as Queen of the Quickies, starring hundreds of support roles and later on, she started a gossipy radio show, shortly after commenced a 30-year stint as a newspaper gossip columnist, rival of Louella Parsons. And, of course, the sympathetic chimpanzee Cheeta, who here steals the show while doing antics, mayhem and frolics. This is only for serious Tarzan fans. The picture was regularly directed by David Ross Letterman.

The film was produced by Sol Lesser in medium budget . Lesser to continue producing a lot of Tarzan movies . As he financed the last movies starred by Johnny Weissmuller, such as : Triumph of Tarzan, Tarzan's desert mystery, Tarzan and the Amazons, Tarzan and the Leopard Woman, Tarzan and the huntress, Tarzan and the mermaids . As well as those performed by Lex Barker, such as : Tarzan's magic fountain, Tarzan and the slave girl, Tarzan's peril, Tarzan and the She-devil , Tarzan's savage fury . And the subsequent Tarzan : Gordon Scott , who starred : Tarzan fights for life by Bruce Humberstone , Tarzan's greatest adventure by John Guillermin, Tarzan and the Last Safari, Tarzan the Magnificent by John Guillermin and Tarzan and the trappers by Charles Haas and Sidney Howard .

Physically, Glenn Morris is perfect for Tarzan: powerfully built, yet light on his feet. His feats of strength (wrestling with a hyena, bending cage bars, etc.) are almost credible in this context. But he's so taciturn (I think he utters 3 words in the entire movie: Tarzan, Eleanor, good) that he's a bit of a bore. Eleanor Holm is an excellent swimmer and a more than decent actress. This is a fairly polished production, but it suffers from tedious scripting - there isn't enough story for 70 minutes. ** out of 4.

Glenn Morris played Tarzan much as author Burroughs' wrote him: He was not a talker -- till later -- and when he met Jane, he said only, pointing to himself, "Tarzan." Then he pointed to Jane and said, simply, "Jane."

No "me" or "you."

In the books, he later became quite articulate, but only after being out in what we sometimes laughingly call "civilization."

In this rather languorous version -- at least three of which can be found at YouTube -- Glenn Morris' Tarzan does not meet "Jane," but he does meet "Eleanor," played by the lovely swimming champ Eleanor Holm.

The writers found a plausible excuse to get her into swim wear only a few times, but that included during the chase scene when the bad guys inevitably captured her.

Miss Holm made a few movies and Morris, sad to say, didn't. I think he should have: He was a great-looking and very athletic man, capable enough in this role and, with training perhaps, he could have played heroic roles into the future.

Other players here, even the atmosphere and bit people, seemed just perfect for what was needed and this Tarzan -- though unique and not part of any series -- is pleasant entertainment.

Yes, it's filled with stock footage, and there is very little violence, but that should not be considered a negative.

If only to watch Eleanor Holm, I'd watch "Tarzan's Revenge" -- a generic title, by the way, and not relating to the story -- again and I recommend it.