Tarzan et la Diablesse

Tarzan looks like a real hero of the '90's here, not only stopping illegal ivory poaching but upholding human rights by foiling some latter-day slave trading. This time it's one of those curiously light-skinned tribes that inhabit Central Africa in some of his movies.

The film's title is something of a misnomer. The nominal she-devil here is Monique van Vooren, who sponsors the poachers, but she's a pussycat compared to Raymond Burr, full into his "heavy" role. This was the last time around as Tarzan for Lex Barker, no reason to shed any tears, though admittedly the character isn't one you can do a whole lot with. Joyce Mackenzie was the fourth actress in a row to give a single performance as Jane, and she does an OK job. There are some nice scenes of domestic bliss with the happy couple in this movie. All in all this is just another Tarzan flick, not so great, a little better than most. But you always knew what you were getting with these movies.

For the fifth and final Tarzan film starring Lex Barker it was not only back to the RKO back lot, but back to the old days when the natives that Tarzan was helping were not even black. In fact Tarzan spends most of the time in chains because he's broken hearted because he thinks the villains have killed Jane.

Jane is played here by Joyce McKenzie and the trio of villains are Tom Conway, Raymond Burr, and Monique Van Vooren, the last being the she-devil in the title. No black magic does she use, simply some feminine wiles and an appeal to Tarzan that since Jane is dead, he can best help by making sure that her two male conspirators don't go too hard on the natives they've enslaved, especially Raymond Burr who is on a power kick.

The trio is after ivory and they've captured a whole tribe of to do their heavy work as ivory hunting legal or not requires a lot of help.

But as we know from many a Tarzan film in the past, the elephants are among his best jungle friends and they help out a lot in rescuing Jane and the natives and Tarzan later in typical elephant fashion. Of course the elephants are also acting on their own rational self interest since they have no desire to wind up piano keys.

RKO did the first film with Gordon Scott as Tarzan and then bid adieu to the Tarzan franchise. With Scott the series began to get a bit more realistic in the plots and also reflected the new Africa emerging in the Sixties. Tarzan And The She-Devil is a piece of high camp, but that's about the only way it can be enjoyed.

The hunter Vargo (Raymond Burr) comes to Dagar, joining forces with the trader Lyra (Monique Van Dooren) and announcing he wants to obtain a big haul of ivory. To round up the elephants needed, Vargo captures the men of Lacopo tribe to force them work for him. The Lacopo women flee to Tarzan and appeal for help. Tarzan goes and breaks into Vargo's compound and frees the Lacopo men.

Vargo then decides he wants to enlist Tarzan to herd the elephants. When Tarzan refuses, Vargo and his men set out to capture Jane. In doing so, they set the treehut on fire. With Jane presumed killed in the fire, Tarzan is made a prisoner until he agrees to cooperate.

Worst Tarzan? No way! That title goes to the Bo Derek one or Christopher Lambert one- Tarzan and the She-Devil is a standard Tarzan with an old trope of evil ivory poachers, but such a nasty business is quite relevant today. And talking about nasty - Raymond Burr adds some edge as the main heavy, bringing an earthy sense of danger to the proceedings. Monique Van Dooren plays the She-Devil, but she just a supporting character and isn't as evil as Vargo, and brings Jane to Tarzan when he learns from Fidel that Vargo intends to double cross them. Nice to see Tom Conway as Fidel, who is a little nervous about this operation and Vargo.

It's a slightly sluggishly-paced, but it's decent enough with a good finale where Vargo gets a crushing reception. There's a nice shot of a big cat and a python wrestling. Cheetah is amusing as ever with his antics, though he shows a caring side to Tarzan while he's heartbroken over Jane- he think she's dead but she isn't.

Joyce MacKenzie is a stunning, sexy, strong Jane (she is a handful for two men who try to kidnap her). Raymond Burr makes a good villain. These two steal the movie from the She-Devil of the title (who doesn't do much that's devilish), and Tarzan himself (who doesn't do much of anything). The story (about ivory hunters) is nothing special, but the film does climax, appropriately, with an elephant stampede. ** out of 4.

Disappointed was the exact meaning for Tarzan behavior so far, I saw Tarzan on fights, hard assignments, arrested sometimes, but never saw he so haggard by Jane allegedly dead, he was overdue, it' sounds weakness as never seen before, a low point, the ivory hunters achieved what anyone gets previously, the movie starts with an outdated and tiresome formula, when Tarzan meets Jane on Tree' house in those warm up scene introducing a new Jane (Joyce Mackenzie), with Cheetah on funny sequence, then came up the Ivory hunters leading by a cruel and heartless Lyra as She-Devil (Monique Van Vooren) and the great Raymond Burr playing a mad dog with a threatening whip ready to be used, at least Jane has a plenty acting on the movie, wasn't a simple eye-candy who stay safe at home, the screenplay is far-fetched appealing in so many stock footage on mostly Indians Elephants instead the large ones Africans with big ears, the final is simply-mindedly pitiful, sorry for Lex Barker on so sad farewell!!

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First watch: 2020 / How many: 1 / Source: DVD / Rating: 5.5