Other than the hip musical score which seemed out of place for another Tarzan adventure flick even for 1966, Mike Henry did more than an admirable job in playing a modern day Tarzan who gets attacked by planes, helicopters and even army tanks! After retiring from a successful career in the National Football League (NFL) as a buff and bruising linebacker for the Pittsburgh Steelers (1959-1961) and then the Los Angeles Rams (1962-1964), Mike Henry thought it would be an easier gig playing the tree swinging Tarzan in a trio of films starting with the 1966 film Tarzan and the Valley Of Gold. But boy oh boy was he wrong.
Although the film was made under the hot sun of Mexico, he appeared to be running through the dense jungles of Africa. Mike Henry as Tarzan also showed no fear when he opened the cage of a fierce leopard and he put a chain around the leopard's neck before releasing him in an effort to hunt down his little friend Ramel (Manuel Padilla Jr.) who was captured to lead the greedy villain named Augustus Vinero (David Opatoshu) into the valley of gold.
Tarzan is going to face the villain Augustus Vinero and his army of planes, helicopters and army tanks with his three (3) animal friends, a monkey, a leopard and a lion. You can visibly see the sculptured thirty (30) year old body of retired professional athlete and now film star is in great shape, but what the silver screen does not tell you how hard Mike Henry worked whislt filming in Mexico. After his third feature Tarzan film, Mike Henry sued film produce Sy Weintraub after suffering animal bites, food poisoning, infections, and severe working conditions in both Mexico and Brazil. During his short tenure as Tarzan, Mike was bitten in the face by a chimp and had to have his chin sewn up with twenty stitches. In addition he suffered from dysentery, an ear infection, and a liver ailment. Just watching Tarzan (Mike Henry) running in just his bare feet and a thong suit through those woods had me shouting "ouch"...'"ouch" ... and "ouch" again.
This is in my humble opinion a better than average Tarzan film and Mike Henry's physique is more fit than the best known film Tarzan former Olympic swimmer Johnny Weissmuller's physique. Tarzan and the Valley of Gold also has its own "Jane" in the lovely actress Nancy Kovack who plays the lady in distress in the jungle Sophia Renault.
I give it an exceptional 7 out of 10 IMDB rating.
