La revanche de Tarzan

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.

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.

When Johnny Weissmuller already paved a solid career in three successful MGM's Tarzan with a huge box-office, then came up 20th Century Fox's Tarzan introducing another Olympic winner athlete to performer Tarzan aiming for share this profitable niche market, however due the poor production and onward lowest box office, Fox's Tarzan and Glenn Morris's career was buried for good in face he didn't enough skill to play another roles.

Now scrutinizing the low profile offering it turns out dealing with routine Tarzan's picture, over an expedition of wealthy American family on rain forest at black continent, something alike a touring, taking photographs, exploring news spots and just capturing some small animals, among them just a male hunter that is fiancé of the skinny eye-candy Eleanor Reed (Eleanor Holm) who approaches Tarzan when was in jeopardy as quicksand and on river swimming track down by a menacing crocodile, soon as intended arouse a mutual affect among them.

Meanwhile a local a womanizer Sultan bribes the dubious safari guide Olaf Punch (Joe Sawer) often with a nervous tic at your face, pushing the expedition entering at his territory where he intends to catch the pretty Eleanor to fill up his crowed harem, actually a fortress inside the dense jungle, forcing Tarzan to make a heroic act to save her, the "Jane" in question was miles away to match Maureen O'Sullivan whatever benchmarking, actually Eleanor delivered a pale Jane's performance, It never come out at Brazil in any format, I have found at Youtube a restored colorized print, for historical Tarzan background worthwhile a look as die-hard Tarzan's enthusiast like me.

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Resume:

First watch: 2014 / How many: 2 / Source: DVD-R - Youtube / Rating: 5.5.

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.

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.