You have to wonder why Jane Parker (Maureen O'Sullivan) resists the temptation of returning to civilization when her hunter pals (Neil Hamilton and Paul Cavanaugh) come across her in the jungle. She speaks of the jungle as an idyllic place to live peacefully with Tarzan and Cheetah.
But the plot of this second in the series has her needing Tarzan's help every five minutes, as she has to deal with savages, lions, rhinos and other such beasts wanting to get her and her adventurous companions before they can take a trek into the elephant's graveyard where the hunters want to get hold of the valuable ivory tusks. Danger seems to lurk at every turn with both Jane and Tarzan emitting their jungle "calls" for help until the fast-paced climactic battle with savages and beasts.
MGM has used a lot of stock footage from their previous African film, "Trader Horn," so that most of the outdoor footage gives the illusion of looking as though the players are in a real jungle rather than the usual studio set.
Weissmuller is in top form and eases his way through all the adventures with consummate athletic grace. Maureen O'Sullivan, never lovelier in her abbreviated costuming, has the proper chemistry with him to make their Tarzan/Jane relationship seem utterly credible.
The famous nude swimming scene has been restored to the TCM print, but fans now know that it was not Maureen but a professional swimmer who did all of her stunts. When you think of it, it defies logic that a "civilized" young lady like Jane Parker would ever be so adept at all the underwater ballet movements unless she had been a professional swimmer all her life. But logic goes out the door in most of these Edgar Rice Burroughs stories.
Good supporting performances from Neil Hamilton and Paul Cavanaugh help considerably in establishing interest at the outset before the trek into the jungle even begins.
Summing up: Action fans will find plenty of it in this popular entry in the series.
But the plot of this second in the series has her needing Tarzan's help every five minutes, as she has to deal with savages, lions, rhinos and other such beasts wanting to get her and her adventurous companions before they can take a trek into the elephant's graveyard where the hunters want to get hold of the valuable ivory tusks. Danger seems to lurk at every turn with both Jane and Tarzan emitting their jungle "calls" for help until the fast-paced climactic battle with savages and beasts.
MGM has used a lot of stock footage from their previous African film, "Trader Horn," so that most of the outdoor footage gives the illusion of looking as though the players are in a real jungle rather than the usual studio set.
Weissmuller is in top form and eases his way through all the adventures with consummate athletic grace. Maureen O'Sullivan, never lovelier in her abbreviated costuming, has the proper chemistry with him to make their Tarzan/Jane relationship seem utterly credible.
The famous nude swimming scene has been restored to the TCM print, but fans now know that it was not Maureen but a professional swimmer who did all of her stunts. When you think of it, it defies logic that a "civilized" young lady like Jane Parker would ever be so adept at all the underwater ballet movements unless she had been a professional swimmer all her life. But logic goes out the door in most of these Edgar Rice Burroughs stories.
Good supporting performances from Neil Hamilton and Paul Cavanaugh help considerably in establishing interest at the outset before the trek into the jungle even begins.
Summing up: Action fans will find plenty of it in this popular entry in the series.