Tarzan Contra o Mundo

TARZAN'S NEW YORK ADVENTURE (MGM, 1942), directed by Richard Thorpe, the sixth installment in the popular series, includes more finals than firsts. For starters, it's the first since the series began to distribute the next installment less than a year following the previous film, instead of the standard two to three years; but most important, this is the first to provide Tarzan, Jane and Boy outside their native soil into new territory (not overlooking that Jane originated from England); and the first to present the jungle family full clothing attire. As for the finale, this was the last Tarzan adventure for MGM starring Johnny Weissmuller, the last with Maureen O'Sullivan playing Jane, the last with the traditional jungle underscoring played during the opening credits superimposed over the map of Africa, and the last produced on a higher budget scale. While MGM canceled the series, this didn't mark the end of Edgar Rice Burrough's jungle hero nor of Johnny Weissmuller. Even if this were the final Tarzan movie made, this would have been a fine conclusion. However, the series resumed over at the RKO Radio studios where Tarzan and Boy (Johnny Sheffield) continued to perform their usual tasks dealing with great tales of action and adventure with Brenda Joyce making her debut as Jane in TARZAN AND THE AMAZONS (1945).

For its 71 minutes, the shortest in the MGM series, in spite of its hokeyness and trite dialog (some of it spoken by Paul Kelly), and evidence of severe cuts in order to quicken the pace, the movie does have enough ingredients to assure entertainment, especially for children. It starts off with the jungle family doing their morning swim, followed by an airplane (called "Iron Bird" by Tarzan), piloted by Jimmie Shields (Paul Kelly) along with hunters making a landing. After its leader, Buck Rand (Charles Bickford) shoots and kills one of the lions, Tarzan orders the men leave before morning. By the rise of the morning sun, Manchester Mountford (Chill Wills), one of the hunters, faces some danger with a lion, and it is Boy who comes to his rescue. Amazed by the way the youngster handles himself with animals, one of the men suggests the boy make a great circus attraction. Afterwards comes a native uprising with flying spears. Tarzan and Jane swing into action but as one of the natives cuts the vine, the couple fall to the ground, leaving them unconscious. They later awaken to find themselves surrounded by blazing fire started by the natives Believing Tarzan and Jane have perished, and finding the natives are heading towards them, the hunters make a hasty departure, taking Boy with them. Having survived the fire and guided to safety by Cheetah, Tarzan and Jane find that Boy was taken away. Upon learning the whereabouts of the hunters, Tarzan and Jane attempt to get their son back following them to New York City. While there it is Jane who take charge of Tarzan, who finds it difficult not only being in "Stone Jungle," but his adjustment in wearing clothes. They track down the hunters and Boy to a circus in Long Island, but have quite a time dealing with authorities and Rand's abductors to get him back.

Supporting players include Virginia Grey as Jimmie's girl, Connie Beach, ; Russell Hicks as Judge Abbotson; Cyrus Kendall as Ralph Sargeant. Look for Willie Fung as a tailor trying to measure suits for Tarzan, and Charles Lane as the aggressive attorney who cross examines Jane to a point in having Tarzan grab hold and throw him across the courtroom.

TARZAN'S NEW YORK ADVENTURE starts off in familiar territory of Africa, but once it shifts over to New York City does the story really get underway. After Boy's departure, he isn't seen until when the movie is more than half over. The focus here is solely on Tarzan and Jane (Cheetah, too). Aside from Tarzan riding in a taxi, taking a shower with his clothes on and doing his ape call, with Cheetah along for the ride providing comedy relief, the big topper includes the most memorable of all, Tarzan surrounded by police on the Brooklyn Bridge which leaves him no choice but to take a 200 foot dive to the East River as Jane calmly watches amongst the crowd. This scene pales in comparison to Tarzan's swinging on ropes of flagpoles from building to building and hanging on a ledge. In spite of being in foreign territory, Tarzan does keep the tradition going by getting help from the circus elephants leading to a stampede in order to rescue Boy from his abductors.

TARZAN'S NEW YORK ADVENTURE, one of the very best in the series, did have frequent revivals on commercial television for many years prior to 1990, followed by more revivals when shown on the American Movie Classics cable channel (1997-2000) and Turner Classic Movies(TCM premiere: Saturday, May 7, 2011). This, along with others in the MGM series, are available either on video cassette or DVD. Next in the series: TARZAN TRIUMPHS (RKO, 1943) (***)

Some men come to Africa by plane looking for lions for their circus. Despite Tarzan's warnings to stay away from them, Boy is fascinated by the plane and tries to get a closer look. He's kidnapped by the circus owner, hoping to turn Boy into a big attraction back home. Tarzan, Jane, and Cheeta all head to New York to rescue him. Once there, Jane makes Tarzan obey the law and try to get Boy back the legal way. So they have to go to court to gain custody. Weird. Don't worry, this isn't a courtroom drama. There is plenty of action. Tarzan's escape from the police and the circus rescue is exciting stuff. There's also quite a bit of 'fish out of water' humor with Tarzan having to wear a suit and discovering radio and indoor plumbing for the first time. Cheeta's also lots of fun in this. That crazy laugh is something else. The phone call scene with Mantan Moreland will NOT sit well with everybody, so sensitive types be forewarned. Johnny Weissmuller, Maureen O'Sullivan, and Johnny Sheffield are all great, as usual. Good support from Paul Kelly, Charles Bickford, Virginia Grey, Chill Wills, and Cy Kendall. This is the sixth and final Tarzan film from MGM before the series relocated to RKO. It's also the last film with Maureen O'Sullivan, who didn't act again for six years. The subsequent RKO Tarzans are fun but it's hard to beat the MGM series which had, among other attributes, the wonderful chemistry between Weissmuller and O'Sullivan.

A group of big game hunters land on Tarzan's escarpment in a 'metal bird', which piques Boy's curiosity about the wonders of modern civilisation. After the fearless lad approaches the hunters and foolishly displays his remarkable command of animals, Buck Rand (Charles Bickford), leader of the hunt, sees dollar signs and plans to take the lad to the US and sell him to a circus.

Rand's opportunity comes when a tribe of savage natives attack the group, and both Tarzan (Johnny Weissmuller) and Jane (Maureen O'Sullivan) are seemingly burnt alive as they try to swing to the rescue: with Boy's parents dead, he is free to abduct Boy. However, thanks to the quick thinking of their faithful chimp Cheetah, Tarzan and Jane prove to be still very much alive, and together they travel to the 'Big Apple' to try and find their son.

After the formulaic Tarzan's Secret Treasure, it's great to see the legendary ape-man finally get a change of scenery. Tarzan, a fish out of water in the city, takes a while to adjust to his new surroundings and much fun is to be had from his unfamiliarity with modern technology and his coming to terms with NY etiquette; but, after he and his wife fail to convince the authorities to return Boy in court, Tarzan soon forgets all about doing things the civilised way, and switches back to jungle-mode in order to settle matters.

This involves an exciting rooftop chase (the 1940s equivalent of freerunning/Parkour), a daring climb up the Brooklyn bridge, a high dive into the river, and a finale that features—surprise, surprise—an elephant stampede. It might not be the greatest of all Tarzan's adventures, but seeing the lord of the jungle stepping out on the town is still a lot of fun.

Ask anyone over the age of 30 who is the best Tarzan and you may receive several answers. Ron Ely would be a popular choice; so would Gordon Scott. But I'll lay good money that the top answer would be Johnny Weissmuller.

By the time Tarzan's New York Adventure came to be made, Weissmuller had made the loin cloth his own and something new had to be done. As sacrilegious as it sounds, it was the taking of Tarzan out of his own environment that made this the best in his long list of jungle capers.

The plot is unimportant. Tarzan's son is taken away to New York and he travels there, accompanied by Jane, to bring him back. But it's the way that the whole premise is handled that ensures that this film will remain in the memory (it's remained in mine ever since I saw it, aged 7). You know Tarzan will win but you don't expect the way that he does it.

Weissmuller was a fine actor with little to say. And here, he doesn't need to say much. There's action, drama, and humour - everything one needs. Even the effects (apart from an occasional speeded up film shot) are sufficiently effective.

After a swim, jungle king Johnny Weissmuller (as Tarzan), pretty Maureen O'Sullivan (as Jane), and son John Sheffield (as Boy) see pilot Paul Kelly (as Jimmie Shields) land his plane in their idyllic African hideaway. It is an expedition led by hunter Charles Bickford (as Buck Rand), who needs lions for his circus. But, after seeing young Sheffield's animal antics, Mr. Bickford envisions the youngster as a circus act. Animal trainer Chill Wills (as Manchester Montford) tags him "The Boy King of the Jungle." When a mishap incapacitates his adopted parents, the interlopers take Sheffield to America...

Saved by "Cheeta" the Chimp, Mr. Weissmuller goes on a New York adventure to find Sheffield and bring him home...

After twenty exciting minutes in the jungle, we switch to seeing the Tarzan family in civilization. Actually, it's "Cheeta" who takes up most of the action, which turns out to be a good idea as the chimp handles the humorous situations better than Weissmuller. However, "Tarzan" does swing into action for an stupendous conclusion. "Tarzan's New York Adventure" was the most entertaining entry since the series began. Some of the editing, visuals and effects are worthy of an award nomination. Alas, this ended the comfortably budgeted MGM film, and Ms. O'Sullivan left. The RKO era would be next...

******* Tarzan's New York Adventure (5/42) Richard Thorpe ~ Johnny Weissmuller, Maureen O'Sullivan, Johnny Sheffield, Paul Kelly