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Tarzan the Ape Man (1932)

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13 out of 14 people found the following comment useful :-
A great film, often eclipsed by its sequel., 8 February 2001

Author: Sarah (history_65) from Glasgow

Of course, Tarzan and His Mate is by far the best film in the wonderful 1930s MGM series. But you shouldn't therefore overlook its forerunner, Tarzan the Ape Man. This is also a great movie and has some fantastic moments. In particular, get a load of the lighting and the way in which the jungle's well-defined shadows are cast across Tarzan's (equally well-defined!) torso. Also worth watching, of course, to discover what Tarzan really says, as he certainly DOESN'T ever say 'Me Tarzan, You Jane'. While Tarzan and His Mate is often cited for its sexy content, this movie is also pretty hot in places; a beautiful pre-code film, which is a must for any Tarzan fan to see.

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17 out of 22 people found the following comment useful :-
Bizarre and sexy - should have been a silent film., 14 January 2000

Author: David Atfield (bits@alphalink.com.au) from Canberra, Australia

It has to be said - this is a very strange film. A proper young English lass is kidnapped by a white man who, for reasons never explained in this version, lives with the apes. She instantly falls in love with him and gives up everything to swing through the trees with him. Hardly the kind of thing America in the early thirties would have thought proper. Which makes this film quite subversive - and Johnny Weissmuller is practically naked! His beauty, particularly in body shape and skin tone, is special - but so too is the performance of Maureen O'Sullivan. With Weissmuller monosyllabic at best, it is left to O'Sullivan to convey most of the story - and she does it with great grace and charm - and quite a bit of sex!

All that aside, there is some remarkable animal footage - sometimes with the actors and at other times with obvious doubles. There is a band of marauding pygmies (basically dwarves in black make-up) that has to be seen to be believed! The hardest things to take in this film though are its racism (the whites whip their black servants, and, when O'Sullivan's dad says that Tarzan has no real human feelings, O'Sullivan explodes "But he's white"!), and the rather fake animals used in certain scenes - particularly the men in ape suits. There is also some really bad rear projection. But, if you can ignore all that, there is much to enjoy and Cheeta the chimp is very cute.

But it is in the silent action sequences that the film really flies. Too often it gets bogged down in static sound sequences - and there is the usual problem with early talkies of too little music. It makes me think what a great silent film this would have been. W.S. Van Dyke was a first-rate visual director with many impressive silent films like "The Pagan" and if we could now just sit back and watch this sexy action film without talking and sound effects, just a great music score, this film could well be considered a masterpiece. But then I guess we would never have heard Tarzan's famous cry.

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10 out of 10 people found the following comment useful :-
Granddaddy of Sound Tarzans Still Entertains..., 24 October 2003

Author: Ben Burgraff (cariart) from Las Vegas, Nevada

TARZAN THE APE MAN was one of Irving Thalberg's 'pet' projects at MGM, an opportunity to take an existing franchise (Edgar Rice Burroughs' jungle lord had been a film staple since beefy Elmo Lincoln donned a loincloth, in 1918), give it 'A'-list production values and a 'name' director (W.S. Van Dyke), introduce charismatic actors as the leads (28-year old multiple Olympic champion Johnny Weissmuller and 21-year old Irish import Maureen O'Sullivan), and create a 'definitive' success for the studio.

A success? Thalberg created a legend!

Utilizing MGM's vast library of stock footage (primarily from 1931's TRADER HORN), a primordial Africa that was more pulp fiction than reality was created on the back lot, and veteran British character actor C. Aubrey Smith and 20s matinee idol (and future 'Batman' regular) Neil Hamilton were introduced, as James Parker and Harry Holt, adventurers questing after the legendary 'Elephants' Graveyard'. The arrival of Parker's daughter, Jane (O'Sullivan), a free-spirited, raven-haired beauty, complicates matters, but her stubborn refusal to lease, and confidence with the natives (shown as rear projections behind Smith and O'Sullivan) finally win the two men over, and soon the trio, accompanied by whip-induced native labor, are on safari.

When a dying porter points the way to the Escarpment, a massive 'taboo' mountainous plateau protecting the Graveyard, the party has the missing piece to the puzzle, and begin an arduous climb to the top. (How a massive mountain range could be hidden, for so long, is not explained). After losing a porter, and nearly Jane, on the steep climb, the summit is achieved, and the famous Tarzan yell (a combination yodel/howl, created by MGM's sound department), is first heard. A treacherous river crossing, featuring stock footage of hippos and crocodiles, then costs the safari more bearers, with another yell saving their lives.

All this leads up, of course, to Johnny Weissmuller's first appearance as Tarzan, observing the party from the trees. He is simply magnificent...tanned, slim, smoothly-muscled (as opposed to the brawny body builders later cast in the role) and nearly naked. He soon kidnaps Jane (he may be ignorant, but he's not dumb!), and the incredible chemistry between the pair is exhibited for the first time. While initially terrified of the savage (particularly as he pulls off her clothing parts to examine them), he doesn't 'have his way' with her, and she realizes he is far more sensitive than she'd assumed.

Holt kills the ape guarding Jane (one assumes it is Kala, ape 'mother' of Tarzan, in the ERB books), and Tarzan screams in anguish at his loss. Displaying the racism prevalent in so many 30s films, Jane tries to defend her erstwhile kidnapper to her father ("He's WHITE!"), but the two hunters aren't buying it, and soon wound Tarzan, himself. Jungle animals spirit the bleeding jungle lord away...and Jane is soon at Tarzan's side, bandaging his head, and looking lustily at the big lug! When he recovers, the pair consummate their passion (in a scene tastefully off-camera), and are swapping names ("Jane...Tarzan...Tarzan...Jane").

Tarzan returns Jane, and walks away, despite her pleas to return to civilization with them. The safari is soon captured by a height-challenged native tribe ("Are they Pygmies?" Jane asks; "They're dwarves," her father replies...uh, whatever...), and a gruesome scene ensues of the surviving members being lassoed and dropped into a pit with a giant gorilla (a not-quite convincing guy in an ape suit). Holt is knocked unconscious, Parker is mortally injured, Cheeta is tossed against a wall, and Jane swoons in the gorilla's arms (shades of KING KONG), then Tarzan busts in, to kill the ape and save them all. As the ever-available stampede of elephants mash the dwarves into pulp, Tarzan leads the dying Parker, Jane, and Holt to the 'Elephants' Graveyard', where Jane's father passes away. Holt returns to civilization (he would return in the sequel, TARZAN AND HIS MATE) and Tarzan, Jane, and a recovering Cheeta start an exciting new life together!

Yes, the story is unintentionally campy, the 'apes', and animal fights, unconvincing, and there is blatant racism throughout the film. But as sheer entertainment, Depression-era audiences were enthralled. Weissmuller and O'Sullivan conveyed the kind of eroticism that pre-Code Hollywood was notorious for (and would reach even greater heights in the sequel), the action sequences were spectacular, and a new MGM franchise was born, that would produce six more films over the next nine years.

Thalberg had again proven why he was considered the film industry's resident genius!

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8 out of 8 people found the following comment useful :-
The One and Only Original That Started It All, 3 July 2004
Author: raysond from Chapel Hill,North Carolina

"Tarzan The Ape Man",was without a doubt one the definitive "Tarzan" movie,and the first "Tarzan" talkie that started it all and it continues to go strongly to this day,a century after Edgar Rice Burroughs's most famous character was first introduced,generations ago. It also introduce to audiences Johnny Weissmuller who was an Olympic swimming champion and so forth and the introduction of actress Maureen O'Sullivan whom would star in all six pictures from 1932 to 1942. However,there have been numerous attempts to remake,update or improve on the classic story by Edgar Rice Burroughs(notably the pretentious 1984 Tarzan update of "Graystoke",directed by Hugh Hudson)on it,but have failed to near the original's entertainment value or even its technical quality,which still holds beautifully to this day.

This was in fact the "original" of a long series of Tarzan movies starring Weissmuller and O' Sullivan that were made by Metro-Goldwyn Mayer,which in turn made Tarzan a hot commodity and its studio a Hollywood producing powerhouse of great entertainment. Dubiously faithful to the Edgar Rice Burroughs story about the humble beginnings to where Tarzan is introduced has been remade numerous times,but this is the 1932 original where Johnny Weissmuller and Maureen O'Sullivan bring a class of style of wit to the roles and the results are absolutely brilliant from beginning to end. Then in 1934,MGM made a sequel entitled "Tarzan And His Mate" which was the second entry in the lavishly produced MGM Tarzan series. Weissmuller and O'Sullivan cohabit in an unmarried bliss before the Hays Code of the era moved them into a treehouse with twin beds. There is also the swimming scene,which until now has been restored from the original print which has been banned for years until MGM reissued this scene back into the film. The scene where Maureen O'Sullivan is swimming with Weissmuller,completely nude was in its day very noticeable and very restricted toward adult audiences. Among the challenges that they face in there private domain is against nasty white hunters,savage natives,angry elephants,hungry lions and maneating crocodiles.

"Tarzan Escapes",was the third entry in the series released in 1936. In this sequel,Jane(O'Sullivan)is tricked by evil hunters into abandoning her fairy tale life with Tarzan(Weissmuller). So the Ape Man sets out to reunite with is one true love,and as he sets out to get back with Jane,trouble ensumes. The third entry in MGM's successful Weissmuller/O'Sullivan series is still among the better Tarzan movies thanks to the leads,but the Hays Office made sure that Jane was wearing a lot more clothes this time around since this was also aimed toward adult audiences. The series from this point takes a three-year hiatus. Then in 1939,the fourth entry in MGM's Weissmuller/O'Sullivan series went toward the kiddie fare with "Tarzan Finds A Son" which was family oriented material and a little more tamer than the first two installments. However,Weissmuller and O'Sullivan returned to their roles after three years with the addition of five year-old Johnny Sheffield as "Boy". He's an orphan whose awful relatives hope he stays lost so they can collect and inheritance. Tarzan and Jane fight to adopt the tyke and when the new family are captured by a wicked tribe only an elephant stampede and Tarzan's call of the jungle can save them.

Then in 1941,after a two year hiatus,the fifth entry in the series was really standard kiddie fare with "Tarzan's Secret Treasure". Tarzan saves an expedition from a savage tribe only to be repaid by having greedy hunters hold Boy and Jane hostage. They want Tarzan's help in finding a secret cache of gold hidden in the jungle. But Tarzan doesn't take kindly to threats against his family and teaches those evil-doers a lesson they'll never forget! This one was action-packed and it does show Weissmuller doing some of his own stunts. Then,in 1942,the last and final entry in the MGM Tarzan series titled "Tarzan's New York Adventure",marked Maureen O'Sullivan's final appearance as Jane. This one is so-so adventure with some very humorous moments when Tarzan meets the big city. When Boy is kidnapped by a evil circus owner,Tarzan,Jane and Cheta head out to rescue him.Then Tarzan shows off his jungle prowless by climbing skyscrapers and diving off the Brooklyn Bridge into the East River. This final Tarzan entry for both Weissmuller and O'Sullivan showcases some very interesting cameo appearances including one which features Elmo Lincoln,the screen's first Tarzan in a cameo appearance.

After the huge success of the Tarzan films for MGM,Johnny Weissmuller continue to played The Ape Man in six more films for RKO Pictures which began in 1943 and ended in 1948,where Weissmuller's final appearance as the Ape Man concluded in "Tarzan And The Mermaids",before he would venture into a new medium---television as "Jungle Jim" in the early-1950's. He also played "Jungle Jim" in several theatrical films for Columbia Pictures. As for actress Maureen O'Sullivan,after the success of the Tarzan films,she would go on to star in several films including "The Big Clock" and "Bonzo Goes To College" opposite Ronald Reagan and so many more. As for Johnny Sheffield,he would go on to continue the role of "Boy" in five more Tarzan films with Johnny Weissmuller until 1949,when he went on to star in more than twelve features as Bomba Of The Jungle under RKO Pictures and would continue that role on television.

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11 out of 17 people found the following comment useful :-
Exceptional adventure!, 20 June 2004

Author: zetes from Saint Paul, MN

This is the first of the MGM Tarzan films featuring Olympic medalist Johnny Weismuller in the titular role. It is new out on DVD, in a box set that contains the first six (out of twelve) that he would make. His co-star in these first six films (though I think she disappears in the latter six) is Maureen O'Sullivan, one of the greatest beauties Hollywood ever knew. They are the perfect Tarzan and Jane. Tarzan the Ape Man is extraordinary. The second film of the series, Tarzan and His Mate, is an acknowledged masterpiece of the adventure drama, but I'd almost rank Ape Man aside with it. It is beautifully done in every way, fun and exciting, but also at lengths gentle, charming, and downright erotic. There's a long scene where Tarzan and Jane play in the water. It's so sweet and so sexy. There's hardly any background music to the film, which sets it apart from many in its era that overused their musical scores. Long scenes are played out silently. There is no attempt to make up for a lack of dialogue. Of course, since this is the first time Tarzan meets men (at least white men), he doesn't speak much except for a few grunts to his chimpanzee buddies. It's quite amazing how much attention and care is put into the way Tarzan behaves, how he has become chimp-like. I also begin to notice with this film how good an actor Johnny Weismuller is. Tarzan the Ape Man is really a wonderful film. The new box set is absolutely a must-have. 10/10.

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4 out of 4 people found the following comment useful :-
Weissmuller's The Best, 27 April 2005

Author: telegonus from brighton, ma

This is the movie that kicked off the Johnny Weissmuller series of Tarzan pictures, which ran for sixteen years, through two studios, an adopted son and two Janes. Weissmuller is the best Tarzan I've seen. He was a champion Olympic swimmer rather than a trained actor, but was blessed with a wonderfully expressive face and had about him a kind of air of primitive moral authority that made him always interesting to watch, even when the plots were mediocre or far-fetched, as increasingly became the case as the series progressed. What's more, though Weissmuller's Tarzan may have been a so-called ape man, he was himself always touchingly human. Unlike today's action heroes, there was a sensitivity to Weissmuller. I know little of the man's personal life, but on screen he was always highly responsive to others and their needs, was alert to the nuances of human behavior rather than merely a macho man, and had at times a refreshing sense of humor that was somehow never cruel or demeaning. He was, in short, shorn of his jungle instincts, a perfect gentleman.

As his long-time companion, Jane, Maureen O'Sullivan was perfect casting. Small and lovely, she contrasted perfectly with Weissmuller, maintaining her dignity and composure in even in the most dire of circumstances. She knew that Tarzan would always come to the rescue; that lions, apes and treasure hunters were no match for him, and yet she never took him for granted.

The first two films of the series were the best, thanks in large measure to the Production Code not having gone into effect, which caused the series to eventually become "domesticated" and family-centered. There was a randiness to the early entries that works even today, as Tarzan and Jane were, after all, a couple, and the movies don't shy away from this. The Tarzan pictures were not Politically Correct, but they're not imperialist, either, and if anything feel at times like environmental tracts on the issue of leaving the jungles (and Tarzan) alone.

It's probably best to watch the films in sequence, if possible. In the MGM period there was a degree of continuity, as one movie more or less picked up where the previous one left off. Weissmuller is more credible early on, though he's never less than good; and Miss O'Sullivan, who left the series when it changed studios, was always a huge asset. The Tarzan movies offer pure escapism of the most innocent kind. In the first film in the series we see the development of the Tarzan-Jane relationship, and there are plenty of thrills and chills along the way. The movie is obviously a back-lot production, but the use of stock footage lends it an air of authenticity. Also authentic is the rapport between Tarzan and Jane, who, in their heyday, rivaled Fred and Ginger and Nick and Nora Charles as one of the premiere couples of Hollywood's golden age.

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12 out of 20 people found the following comment useful :-
Tarzan - GOOD; Jane & Others - PAIN IN THE BUTT......Watch The Sequels Instead, 30 August 2006

Author: ccthemovieman-1 from Lockport, NY, United States

Wow, this is very unusual in one regard: usually the first movie in a long string of sequels is the best of the bunch. People are surprised when a sequel is actually better. With Tarzan, I thought this movie was the worst of the bunch, or at least the first six which comprise my Tarzan Collection DVD package. I will gladly watch the sequels multiple times but I am through sitting through this turkey, thanks to several characters.

Well, let's start with the good news first:

THE GOOD - Plenty of action with a lot of wild animals on display, even if they are just stock footage. You see lion attacks, crocodiles, hippos, panthers, you name it, and you see several of the different tribes of all kinds, including pygmies (called "dwarfs" in the movie.) Since this movie was made almost 75 years ago, I can't knock any of the realism because they didn't have it in the movies that long ago. They do the best they can so you put up with actors talking in front of fake backgrounds. However, Weissmuller did a lot of action scenes and was in great shape. He and O'Sullivan make a well-built handsome couple, if there ever was one in those Golden Years of cinema.

The film has historical value (with so many sequels) in that it shows how Tarzan acquired Jane and his beginnings of learning the English language.

The BAD - From the moment "Jane Parker" is taken by Tarzan almost every scene with her is Maureen O'Sullivan in hysterics, shrieking and screaming scene after scene. It's enough to give you a headache and it ruins the film. Thankfully, she calmed down in the sequels, but not in this movie. The movie also does no favors for "The Great White Hunter" image as C. Aubrey Smith, playing Jane's father, and Neil Hamilton, as "Harry Holt," the safari guide, shoot at every animal within sight, whether the beasts is threatening or not. These people are kill- happy, particularly Smith. On another note, it's too bad there isn't anything in here explaining how Tarzan got to be in the jungle in the first place. There is no history of him in here or footage of his growing up. He's just there when Jane and the group get to a certain point in Africa.

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3 out of 3 people found the following comment useful :-
The First - And One Of The Best - Tarzan Films Made By MGM, 19 February 2008

Author: Hal-900 from WA, USA

With its overly obvious fake backgrounds and all that great MGM gloss, "Tarzan The Ape Man" might seem a little contrived to modern eyes, but to me it is a deliciously lively, super-entertaining action-adventure tale; the ultimate word in 1930s escapism. The tone and attitude of this early talkie scream high escapade and fun, lots of fun. To me Johnny Weissmuller is Tarzan, the same way Christopher Reeve is Superman, Lynda Carter is Wonder Woman. Better actors have played the role of Tarzan but only Weissmuller has the right combination of virility and boyish charm. Maureen O'Sullivan is perfectly cast as Jane. There is something endearing about the way she seems to be unaware of her own sexuality. They make a wonderful romantic duo. Also, I loved how the film is willing to come to a halt in order to allow the courtship of Tarzan and Jane take center stage. Without those 'meaningless' scenes of carefree love I don't think the film would have worked. It is an idea Richard Donner stole for his 1978 film "Superman." On top of everything, this pre-code film feels more 70s than 30s. The two half-naked youngsters enjoying free love and environmental bliss, belong in a film about hippies not in an old-fashioned Hollywood film. By today's standards, it is primitive film-making, but it remains one of the best of its kind. It is now available on a fabulous Warner DVD set.

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2 out of 2 people found the following comment useful :-
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), 23 September 2006

Author: dbborroughs from Glen Cove, New York

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

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2 out of 2 people found the following comment useful :-
Tarzan The Ape Man/Tarzan And His Mate, 10 October 2004
Author: MARIO GAUCI (marrod@onvol.net) from Naxxar, Malta

This week I also watched the first two entries in the MGM Tarzan series by way of Warner's elegant 4-Disc Set. I actually took some persuading to purchase these films (the very positive online buzz is what got me), and I finally relented some time ago thanks to a generous 20% sale on the part of Deep Discount DVD!

Anyway, I was pleasantly surprised by them: solid (though primitive) production values, a bevy of exciting action sequences, and gleeful doses of eroticism and sadism made for great (if somewhat repetitive) fun. Johnny Weissmuller and Maureen O' Sullivan created a wonderful (and spontaneous) rapport and generally inhabited their roles very nicely, making them the screen's definitive incarnations of these characters.

TARZAN AND HIS MATE (1934; ***1/2) edges the original slightly because of the former's (necessary) tendency towards exposition: the sequel dives straight into action (though, curiously enough, it still takes quite a bit before Tarzan makes an appearance!) but also features lecherous villainy from Paul Cavanaugh and even takes time to develop the lovable personality of Cheetah (especially in a lengthy sequence where it is beset by assorted creatures while journeying through the jungle to alert Tarzan of the [invariably] impending danger)…and then, of course, there's that famous nude swimming scene! The lion-infested finale, too, is every bit as remarkable as the pygmy sequences at the climax of TARZAN THE APE MAN (1932; ***) – if anything, it's even more ambitious.

It's a pity, therefore, that the special effects (once considered ground-breaking) have not withstood the test of time: innumerable back-projection shots, the conveniently-placed (and thinly-disguised) series of trapeze which allow Tarzan to swing from one tree to the other, all-too-fake snakes and alligators, the rotoscoping of lions into a scene to make them appear as if they were fighting elephants, etc. Unfortunately TARZAN AND HIS MATE (and probably all the others that follow) took a ridiculous turn by having Jane mimic the famous Tarzan cry/yodel, which I felt to be an unwise decision on the part of the studio! Still, I do look forward to the rest of the series, hoping that they're at least as entertaining (even if reviews claim production values got progressively more lavish, and thus unrealistic, and the plots cornier).

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