Copyright by 20 March 1942 by Loew's Inc. An MGM picture. New York opening at the Capitol: 6 August 1942. U.S. release: May 1942. Australian release: 13 May 1943. 6,362 feet. 70 minutes.
SYNOPSIS: Tarzan rescues Boy from an evil circus owner.
NOTES: Number 18 of the 45-picture Tarzan series. Elmo Lincoln who starred as the first Tarzan back in 1918 plays one of the roustabouts in the Bickford-Kendall circus.
COMMENT: The last of MGM's Weissmuller Tarzans, this entry is rarely seen and consequently has a poor reputation. Fortunately, a recent revival on free-to-air television confirms that the movie's thumbs-down rating is wrong. In fact, the novel story idea is given a great work-out: Tarzan clambers around skyscrapers, jumps from the Brooklyn Bridge and showers in a double-breasted suit!
True, the climax is less original but it's still a happy variation of the usual jungle call as the ape man's elephant friends thwart the villains' efforts to escape.
Cheeta has a great deal to do too (perhaps too much), as she skittles through a nightclub, shakes hands with Hobart Cavanaugh, dandies herself up in Jane's clothes and telephones gibberish to a startled Mantan Moreland. Even Boy has his moments, particularly at the beginning of the film where he demonstrates his jungle skills to an incredulous Charles Bickford, Chill Wills and Paul Kelly. And as for Maureen O'Sullivan, who is making her last appearance here as Jane, she hasn't looked so sexy since Tarzan and His Mate (1934).
All told, a sure-fire crowd-pleaser, pacily directed, glossily produced, and featuring a fine array of character players led by Bickford at his villainous best. Attractive songstress Virginia Grey is also on hand, and, like Miss O'Sullivan, is well treated by Sidney Wagner's sparkling black-and-white cinematography.
SYNOPSIS: Tarzan rescues Boy from an evil circus owner.
NOTES: Number 18 of the 45-picture Tarzan series. Elmo Lincoln who starred as the first Tarzan back in 1918 plays one of the roustabouts in the Bickford-Kendall circus.
COMMENT: The last of MGM's Weissmuller Tarzans, this entry is rarely seen and consequently has a poor reputation. Fortunately, a recent revival on free-to-air television confirms that the movie's thumbs-down rating is wrong. In fact, the novel story idea is given a great work-out: Tarzan clambers around skyscrapers, jumps from the Brooklyn Bridge and showers in a double-breasted suit!
True, the climax is less original but it's still a happy variation of the usual jungle call as the ape man's elephant friends thwart the villains' efforts to escape.
Cheeta has a great deal to do too (perhaps too much), as she skittles through a nightclub, shakes hands with Hobart Cavanaugh, dandies herself up in Jane's clothes and telephones gibberish to a startled Mantan Moreland. Even Boy has his moments, particularly at the beginning of the film where he demonstrates his jungle skills to an incredulous Charles Bickford, Chill Wills and Paul Kelly. And as for Maureen O'Sullivan, who is making her last appearance here as Jane, she hasn't looked so sexy since Tarzan and His Mate (1934).
All told, a sure-fire crowd-pleaser, pacily directed, glossily produced, and featuring a fine array of character players led by Bickford at his villainous best. Attractive songstress Virginia Grey is also on hand, and, like Miss O'Sullivan, is well treated by Sidney Wagner's sparkling black-and-white cinematography.