For the film that started it all, this is a less than impressive start for the Tarzan films that became so immensely popular within the next decade. In fact, it's a downright disappointment.
MAUREEN O'SULLIVAN spends most of the time screaming for or at Tarzan and becomes annoying after her first rescue to Tarzan's tree-top domain. Separated from the safari partners (C. Aubrey Smith and Neil Hamilton), she becomes adjusted awfully quickly to Tarzan's life style even though she screams at the playful chimps around her or any moving jungle animal. And there are plenty of them, although most exist only on footage culled from a previous expedition MGM made for "Trader Horn" a little earlier.
The plot is almost non-existent. The safari is seeking the elephant's burial ground in their search for ivory, a device used in countless other Tarzan films. But the pace is agonizingly slow, as directed by Woody VanDyke, with a silent no-music soundtrack that fails to add further interest to an already slow-moving story and depends solely on jungle sounds for atmospheric effect.
JOHNNY WEISSMULLER, of course, is entirely suitable and believable as the man on the swinging vines but his character is never developed beyond a few simple words. After a series of escapes, he and Maureen O'Sullivan end up on the high rocks together, watching as Neil Hamilton rides off on an elephant. The End.
For the film that spawned one of filmdom's most popular series, this one is a yawner. Maureen is unflatteringly photographed in some of her close-ups, the make-up job being strictly early '30s with the tight hair and bow lips, although she was much more becomingly attired in the remaining films of the series. Her interaction with Tarzan and Cheetah is more annoying than entertaining though, and the less said about Weissmuller's wooden performance the better.
Miss O'Sullivan's screams are exploited throughout, making Fay Wray's efforts in KING KONG seem tame by comparison. As the second romantic lead, Neil Hamilton does a nice, understated job as the safari leader.
MAUREEN O'SULLIVAN spends most of the time screaming for or at Tarzan and becomes annoying after her first rescue to Tarzan's tree-top domain. Separated from the safari partners (C. Aubrey Smith and Neil Hamilton), she becomes adjusted awfully quickly to Tarzan's life style even though she screams at the playful chimps around her or any moving jungle animal. And there are plenty of them, although most exist only on footage culled from a previous expedition MGM made for "Trader Horn" a little earlier.
The plot is almost non-existent. The safari is seeking the elephant's burial ground in their search for ivory, a device used in countless other Tarzan films. But the pace is agonizingly slow, as directed by Woody VanDyke, with a silent no-music soundtrack that fails to add further interest to an already slow-moving story and depends solely on jungle sounds for atmospheric effect.
JOHNNY WEISSMULLER, of course, is entirely suitable and believable as the man on the swinging vines but his character is never developed beyond a few simple words. After a series of escapes, he and Maureen O'Sullivan end up on the high rocks together, watching as Neil Hamilton rides off on an elephant. The End.
For the film that spawned one of filmdom's most popular series, this one is a yawner. Maureen is unflatteringly photographed in some of her close-ups, the make-up job being strictly early '30s with the tight hair and bow lips, although she was much more becomingly attired in the remaining films of the series. Her interaction with Tarzan and Cheetah is more annoying than entertaining though, and the less said about Weissmuller's wooden performance the better.
Miss O'Sullivan's screams are exploited throughout, making Fay Wray's efforts in KING KONG seem tame by comparison. As the second romantic lead, Neil Hamilton does a nice, understated job as the safari leader.