TARZAN THE APE MAN
Black and xhite film directed by WSDyke from Burroughs'character.
Identification sheet:
1932, USA
Running time: 99 minutes
Direction: Woodbridge Strong van Dyke II
Production: Irving Thalberg / MGM
Scenario and adaptation: Cyril Hume
Main characters:
Tarzan, who has lost his noble origine as Lord Greystoke, is played by Johny Weissmuller. He is THE Tarzan, known as the best actor to have payed this character, even if he was not wearing a headband, as Burroughs described. In the same way, Maureen O'Sullivan in the role of Jane Parker was universally accepted to be great. And notice the little discreet erotic sight that she brought to the film. Standing by them, Neil Hamilton plays the young explorer Harry Holt, in love with Jane, and Aubrey Smith as James Parker, the girl's father.
Far from the original and thus, mythical:
Jacques Lourcelles in his dictionary of cinema said: "Despite the great success of the first Tarzan, the series of 6 Tarzans with Johny Weissmuller and Maureen O'Sullivan have created the myth of Tarzan". the atmosphere of freedom, the idilic life in this timeless tropical Eden had great repercussion in America after their crises of the 30s.
The film skips the narration of the Ape Man's origin and, instead of reproducing an adventure which has been drawn beforhand, the film rather presents Burroughs' characters in an original way. The main plot is thus focused on the meeting of the two main characters and their mutual undersatnding. However, this main action goes through many kidnappings and rescues, where creepers and Tarzan's famous call play an important role.
Tarzan's unbelievable longevity in the cinema:
Written by Borroughs in 1912, from 1918 on Tarzan is on the screen. Tarzan of the Apes was played by Elmo Lincoln and directed by Scott Sidney, and they filmed three chapters. Irving Thalberg, MGM's executive productor, helped to film a new series with Johny Weissmuller, former Olimpic swimming champion, as the hero. He played some other 6 films produced by RKO. Afterwards, more than forty new Tarzan adaptations appeared before 1968. Greystoke: the Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes, 1984, with Christopher Lambert is the closest to the book. From this film, you can learn Tarzan's origin and why a white man lived in the African jungle among apes.