Tarzan et la Reine de la jungle

Lord of the jungle Lex Barker (as Tarzan) battles gunrunner George Macready (as Radijeck) and assorted cohorts. This film seems a little foreign when compared to recent entries in the series. First, more of it was shot in Africa than had become the norm. Additionally, shapely Virginia Huston (as Jane) appears with a much shorter haircut than usual for the character, and her clothing has become a form-flattering white dress. Unfortunately ineligible as Tarzan's mate, the beautifully mixed Dorothy Dandridge plays an African queen. To prevent "Tarzan's Peril" from becoming too serious in tone, a certain chimpanzee gets the last laugh when swallowing a watch gives "Cheeta" musical indigestion.

**** Tarzan's Peril (3/13/51) Byron Haskin ~ Lex Barker, Virginia Huston, George Macready, Dorothy Dandridge

After MGM finished its Tarzan series, RKO picked up the series and hunky Lex Barker took over as the heroic ape-man. Surprisingly, RKO even bothered to take the project to Africa itself...something the fancier and richer MGM failed to do with the series. As for the results, they are pretty much what you'd expect...no more, no less.

In this third RKO installment, a super-evil gun runner named Radijeck (George Macready) has escaped custody and is back to his old gunrunning ways. He wants to destabilize the region by selling guns to the natives and his getting rich is his only real concern. As for his partners and any one else, they are expendable and Radijeck is a truly soul-less jerk. Can Tarzan manage to bring him to justice?

Barker was just fine as Tarzan, though I though Jane (Virginia Huston) lacked, well, a lot. She looked as if she just arrived from the beauty shop and lacked the humor and sex appeal of Maureen O'Suillivan, MGM's Jane. As for Macready and the other folks (such as Alan Napier), they were all good. What really stood out for me when I watched is that the animals actually WERE African animals. Most prior Tarzan pics featured animals from all over the globe...such as Asian elephants and American Alligators! All in all, a reasonably well made and satisfying film...but nothing more.

RKO no doubt felt the acclaim that King Solomon's Mines and The African Queen received from the movie-going public and decided to splurge for some real African location shooting for Tarzan's Peril. As we learn here from IMDb, Tarzan's Peril was also supposed to be in color, but that footage was scrapped. But it was nice for once to see actual Africans and black American actors playing speaking roles. From the last of the Weissmuller films through the first two Barker Tarzans, the jungle hero was constantly discovering these lost white tribes in Africa and it was getting ridiculous.

Sad to say though the story was borrowed from any number of westerns and transferred to Africa. White men George MacReady, Douglas Fowley, and Glenn Anders are selling guns to the natives. The tribe under Queen Dorothy Dandridge refuses, but the tribe under King Frederick O'Neal doesn't and the latter subjugates the former until Tarzan straightens things out.

MacReady even in far worse pictures than Tarzan's Peril brings his own brand of serpentine villainy for us to savor. His character and Lex Barker have some history so a chance to even things up with Tarzan is too good to pass up. MacReady though is bad news for both Fowley and Anders as well.

Seeing Dorothy Dandridge is also a treat, she is one regal beauty as the queen of her tribe. Dandridge was two years away from her Oscar nominated Carmen Jones, the high point of her sad career.

Tarzan's Perils was definitely better than the first two Lex Barker Tarzans, but a pedestrian western plot bogs this film down.

This is a good Tarzan action movie. Featuring such notable supporting actors as Alan Napier and Walter Kingsford, you get the impression that the studio wanted to make a quality film here- its not just another b-movie throw away. Talented director Byron Haskins (who directed many notable movies of the 40's, 50's and 60's as well as a career in cinematography) is in charge with a sure and steady hand.

Lex Barker is a big strong hunk and he does a fine job as Tarzan, who faces some serious perils. Bad tribal chief King Bulam very nearly kills Tarzan with his bare hands and a knife in an exciting fight sequence. George Macready is at his meanest as he murders several people and almost kills everybody else. Macready is really a nasty baddie in this one. Virginia Huston is an athletic and poised Jane who contributes her usual lovely and capable movie effort in an underwritten role.

Dorothy Dandridge steals this movie with terrific screen presence. She is ravishing as Good Queen Melmendi. The director wisely showcases Ms. Dandridge, who ignites every scene she is in and makes it special. She is a powerhouse obviously destined for future star potential.

"Tarzan's Peril" is a worthwhile, vigorous and fast-moving adventure movie. You will be satisfied if this is what you are expecting from a film outing with a classic adventure hero.

TARZAN'S PERIL (RKO Radio, 1951) directed by Byron Haskin, the third of five installments starring Lex Barker as Edgar Rice Burrough's most celebrated jungle hero, is, by far, the most prestigious project to date. An improvement over the previous two entries, thanks to some authentic location filming in Africa where much of the Tarzan stories takes place, and the casting of George Macready as the most sinister villain thus far, ranking this possibly the best in the Barker series. Aside from location sequences mixed with the studio jungle sets, TARZAN'S PERIL was reportedly intended to become the first in the series to be lensed in color, something that never happened, at least for now anyway.

Rather than the traditional opening focusing on Tarzan, Jane and/ or Cheta's daily activities, which turns up 16 plus minutes into the story, TARZAN'S PERIL opens with a native celebration in British East Africa as Melmendi (Dorothy Dandridge) is made queen of the Ashuba tribe. Commissioner Peters (Alan Napier), about to retire after thirty years of service, witnesses the event with his soon-to-be replacement, Connors (Edward Ashley). King Bulam (Frederick O'Neal), a brutal chief of the Yorango tribe, comes to propose marriage to Melmendi, but is refused. Later, the pounding of drums brings forth a message that Radijack (George Macready), a ruthless slaver and gunrunner, has escaped prison and somewhere in the jungle. Assisted by Doctor Herbert Trask (Douglas Fowley) and Andrews (Glenn Anders) as his henchmen, Radijack intends on bringing in a load of illegal rifles to the natives. As Peters and Connors approach Trask to inspect their hidden items, Radijack makes his surprise attack by shooting them. During their journey climbing a cliff, Radijack arranges for Andrews to meet with an accident that handicaps him with a broken leg. Being left there to die, Andrews crawls through dangerous territory before grabbing gold onto a log and floating down the river. While canoing with Jane (Virginia Huston), Tarzan (Lex Barker) foresees danger and rescues Andrews from a crocodile attack. Taking the injured hunter to a doctor, Tarzan, having learned from Andrews of the killing of his friend, Peters, and Radijack's evil intentions, Tarzan swings into action to stop Radijack from supplying the Yorango tribe with guns to attack the peaceful Ashuba tribe. By doing so, Tarzan faces some perils of his own almost in the manner of a weekly chaptered serial.

Making every attempt on bettering this long running series to a point of recalling some highly entertaining adventure made famous by Johnny Weissmuller during his days at MGM, the strength to TARZAN'S PERIL rests on well developed screenplay by Samuel Newman and Francis Swann with enough action to hold one's interest. Although routinely made, much of it is presented in the manner with some originality. George Macready, as mentioned earlier, gives a standout performance as the villain. Aside from putting other characters to permanent rest, his intention on doing the same to Tarzan finds the jungle hero subdued by his native followers, only to somewhat finish him off by having him thrown into water rapids to plunge down from a high waterfall. Other dangers faced by Tarzan is one where he's entrapped inside spider-like arms of man-eating plants, a similar situation earlier used in Weissmuller's TARZAN'S DESERT MYSTERY (1943), plus his encounter with a giant poisonous snake that nearly takes Cheta. There's also interesting casting of Dorothy Dandridge as the African tribal queen, shortly before achieving immortality for her leading roles as her Academy Award nomination in CARMEN JONES (20th Century-Fox, 1954), and PORGY AND BESS (Samuel Goldwyn, 1959) opposite Sidney Poitier. As with her screen career, Dandridge's role comes short yet essential to the plot.

The weakness to TARZAN'S PERIL once again falls upon the Jane character, this time enacted by the blondish but average acting Virginia Huston. Aside from her short 1950s style haircut and noticeable facial makeup in the Virginia Mayo mode, her Jane character isn't dressed in traditional jungle dress tog but white animal skins resembling that of an Esther Williams bathing suit. Unlike previous efforts where Jane takes part in Tarzan's adventures, this time Tarzan says, "Jane, go home," leaving Tarzan to fulfill his mission alone with Cheta, his chimpanzee, along for the ride. Jane, being off screen for a long stretch, does reappear, doing housework in her tree house before being face to face with a deadly visitor.

While no masterpiece, TARZAN'S PERIL comes close to becoming 79 minutes of non-stop action, making whatever weaknesses that take place to be overlooked or forgiven. Never distributed to video cassette, TARZAN'S PERIL, formerly broadcast on American Movie Classics prior to 2000, and finally Turner Classic Movies (TCM premiere: July 16, 2011), has become available on DVD through Turner Home Entertainment. With more "Tarzan" adventures in the horizon, and the slow faze out of Jane before the end of the decade, the next installment in the series is TARZAN'S SAVAGE FURY (1952). (*** drums).