Tarzan the Ape Man (1932)

Director:

W.S. Van Dyke

Writers:

Edgar Rice Burroughs (novel)
Cyril Hume (adaptation)

Release Date:

19 August 1932 (France)

Genre:

Action | Adventure

Tagline:

Mothered by an ape--He knew only the law of the jungle--to seize what he wanted!

Plot:

A trader and his daughter set off in search of the fabled graveyard of the elephants in deepest Africa, only to encounter a wild man raised by apes.

Plot Keywords:

Love | Tree Climbing | Death | Alligator | Pit

Cast

Johnny Weissmuller	...	Tarzan
Neil Hamilton	...	Harry Holt
Maureen O'Sullivan	...	Jane Parker
C. Aubrey Smith	...	James Parker
Doris Lloyd	...	Mrs. Cutten
Forrester Harvey	...	Beamish
Ivory Williams	...	Riano

Runtime:

99 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

Finland:K-11

Filming Locations:

Iverson Ranch, Chatsworth, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

When Johnny Weissmuller was approached to play Tarzan, he was under contract with BVD to advertise its underwear and swimming trunks. BVD strenuously objected to its spokesman appearing in just a loincloth - the company only wanted him to appear wearing its product. In return for letting Weismuller play Tarzan, MGM allowed BVD to run ads featuring the studio's contract players in BVD swimsuits (including Greta Garbo, Joan Crawford, Jean Harlow and Marie Dressler). (source: "Tarzan of the Movies" by Gabe Esso)

Goofs:

Continuity: When Jane falls in the precipice, she stays hanging in the rope, clearly in a free space. In following shots she appears with a boulder behind her.

Quotes:

Jane Parker: Thank you for protecting me.
Tarzan: Me?
Jane Parker: I said, thank you for protecting me.
Tarzan: [points at Jane] Me?
Jane Parker: No. I'm only "Me" for me.
Tarzan: [points at Jane] Me.
Jane Parker: No. To you, I'm "You."
Tarzan: [points at himself] You.
Jane Parker: No...
[Thinks for a second]
[...]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Whose Line Is It Anyway?: Show No. 101 (#1.4)" (1998)

Soundtrack:

Voo-Doo Dance

Grand daddy of all ape man movies is a rousing adventure and worth a viewing (especially if you want to see where all the jokes came from)

Jane Parker goes into the jungle and meets the man of her dreams. A long running movie series is born.

All kidding aside this is a really good adventure film of the sort that they don't make any more. The first of the MGM series, though not the first Tarzan movie, nor the only Tarzan film made during the same period (Edgar Rice Burroughs had deals with several producers) this is the film that broke box office records and spawned ten million "Me Tarzan, you Jane" jokes.

The film was made to cash in the previous years Trader Horn, a jungle picture that MGM had produced. Wanting to feed a public that wanted more as well as to make use of the hours of location footage shot for that film. The ape man was the perfect choice.

The plot has to do with Jane arriving in the jungle to see her father and then going of to find the elephant grave yard. Along the way is carried off by Tarzan and the rest is the movie. Its an exciting ride (especially if you forgive the creaky special effects and ape suits).

A perfect film for a rainy afternoon