Tarzan e a Mulher Leopardo

TARZAN AND THE LEOPARD WOMAN is the most entertaining of the Tarzan films Weismuller made for RKO. Things were starting to get dreary at the RKO backlot jungle, and this film gave the series a boost. The story of a murderous cult who worship a leopard god, has the kind of plot found in the Tarzan comics I used to read as a kid. The plot seems to be in part based on a real life leopard worshiping murder cult, somewhat like the murderous Kali cult of 19th century India; this secret all male society terrorized East Africa until it was put down by the British. Acquenta is exotically gorgeous as the cults leader, Queen Lea.

So what if TARZAN AND THE LEOPARD WOMAN is only escapist entertainment. If you highbrow types are looking for art, what are you doing watching a Tarzan movie anyway?

Local authorities are positive that leopards are responsible for a series of fatal attacks on caravans travelling the jungle route from Zambesi, but Tarzan remains unconvinced. The ape man is right, of course: the real culprits are fanatical members of a leopard cult, led by beautiful high priestess Lea (the gorgeous Acquanetta) and native doctor Ameer Lazar (Edgar Barrier), who are angry at civilisation for exploiting their resources and encroaching on their domain.

Meanwhile, Lea's younger brother Kimba (Tommy Cook), who is desperate to earn warrior status by presenting his tribe with a human heart, tricks his way into the Tarzan household and sets his murderous sights on Jane (Brenda Joyce)...

After a few not particularly impressive movies, its great to see the Weissmuller Tarzan series back on form at last with possibly the ape man's most satisfying adventure since Tarzan and His Mate: not only do we get an enjoyably silly premise, impossibly wicked villains, and an exciting finale, but we also see leopard men performing daft dance routines, Cheetah playing a flute and charming a rubber snake, Tarzan grappling with hairy wrestler Tongolo the Terrible (played by professional wrestler 'King Kong' Kashey), four pretty teachers almost eaten by crocodiles, and an exciting chase scene in which Tarzan prepares deadly booby traps for his pursuers.

A hugely entertaining slice of escapist jungle fun, I rate Tarzan and the Leopard Woman 7.5 out of 10, rounded up to 8 for IMDb.

TARZAN AND THE LEOPARD WOMAN (1946)

A bizarre Tarzan offering featuring a freaky cult of worshippers who dress up in leopard skins with claws and attack people, taking out their hearts to sacrifice to their god! The high priestess of the pack is the pretty Acquanetta (CAPTIVE WILD WOMAN) who was never a good actress at all but is probably used to better advantage here than she ever was before here. Tarzan becomes aware that something's not right when the attacks are blamed on real leopards. A very strange chapter indeed.

**1/2 out of ****

This was a little strange to view at first because I had never seen a Johnny Weismuller-Tarzan film of the 1940s. I was only familiar with the earlier stuff with Weismuller and Maureen O'Sullivan as "Jane." By the mid '40s when this was made (and others), Brenda Joyce had replace O'Sullivan. A blonde-haired "Jane" looked strange to me. Their son, "Boy," still played by Johnny Sheffield, was another shock of sorts. He now was a teenager with muscles and a changing voice. That didn't look or sound right!

Tarzan himself had become a regular English-speaking person, even though he still lived in the jungle. He came into town and everyone knew him and talked to him as if he was one of them. It was just all too strange.

Meanwhile, "the leopard woman" (Acquanetta) wasn't as mysterious as she was billed nor was she much of an actress, just a pretty face. She didn't have that big a role, anyway.

All in all, not a video worth keeping.

In his tenth outing, jungle king Johnny Weissmuller (as Tarzan) leads the charge against a cult of leopard-emulating white folk. The story is exceptionally silly, but perfect for Saturday afternoons at the cinema. This is the point in the "Tarzan" series where you would have to say "Boy" sidekick Johnny Sheffield became a young man; he shows off his muscles and deeper voice proudly in a shower scene. Beautiful and leggy Brenda Joyce (as Jane) appears very comely in her micro mini-skirt. "Cheeta" the chimp is an excellent musician. Appearing as the titular "Leopard Woman" is curvy "Acquanetta" (as Lea). However, the main guest star is "Leopard Boy" Tommy Cook (as Kimba), who makes the most of the film's best-scripted role. Director Kurt Neumann and photographer Karl Struss set up most every scene for good visual appeal.

****** Tarzan and the Leopard Woman (1/20/46) Kurt Neumann ~ Johnny Weissmuller, Johnny Sheffield, Brenda Joyce, Tommy Cook