Tarzan and His Mate

TARZAN AND HIS MATE (Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1934), directed by Jack Conway (credited to MGM art director Cedric Gibbons), a sequel to the successful TARZAN THE APE MAN (1932), remains a highly acclaimed entry in the series. As with its predecessor, the character of Tarzan (and now Jane) do not appear until late into the story, in this instance 23 minutes from the start of the movie. Hailed by many as the best of the entire series, it's noted solely not only for its action and adventure, but for its sexual innuendos, Jane's two-piece jungle wear, as well as the most eye-opening sequence of all, the underwater swimming of Tarzan (still sporting his loincloth) with Jane, in long shot and shown from her back, completely in the nude. This now famous sequence which was later removed, especially from commercial television, has amazingly survived over the years and now restored, elevating the standard 93 minute print back up to its near theatrical length of 105 minutes. Johnny Weissmuller, the Olympic swimming champion chosen to play Edgar Rice Burrough's literary jungle hero, reprises his role, with an added bonus with mono-syllable ideologue. Unlike his co-star, Maureen O'Sullivan, Weissmuller's movie career became limited solely to playing Tarzan while O'Sullivan ventured in other screen roles without losing her identity as Jane.

In the conclusion of TARZAN THE APE MAN, Jane's father (C. Aubrey Smith) dies in Mutia Escartment, Harry Holt (Neil Hamilton) returns to England without his love, Jane, who has chosen to remain in the jungle with Tarzan. The sequel opens with Harry returning to Africa, accompanied by his assistant, Marlin Arlington (Paul Cavanaugh), to secure the ivory fortune at the elephant burial ground. En-route through the jungle, their safari meets up with danger as they are attacked by murderous natives and gorilla tribes. In time the safari is saved by the jungle call of Tarzan, who then escorts Harry to his mate, Jane. While Harry's intentions are honorable, with the hope of having Jane return home to England with him, Arlington's is not, plotting to do away with Tarzan and causing trouble for everyone concerned.

The supporting players consist of Forrester Harvey reprising his role as Beamish; Doris Lloyd, who also appeared in TARZAN THE APE MAN, assuming another part, that of Madame Feronde; Paul Porcasi as Monsieur Gironde; Desmond Roberts as Henry Van Ness; William Stack as Pierce; and Nathan Curry as Saidi.

The behind the scenes look to the making of TARZAN AND HIS MATE is as interesting as the movie itself. According to sources, there were complications during production, former silent screen matinée idol Rod LaRocque was replaced by Paul Cavanaugh, Jack Conway took over for Cedric Gibbons in the director's chair, having to film much of the movie all over again, as well as technical problems and script revisions. In spite of everything, it finally was completed, being the classic is has become.

A pre-code movie if ever there was one, TARZAN AND HIS MATE was obviously made for the adult masses. It would be another decade before the Tarzan films reverted more to the appeal of children like a Saturday afternoon matinée. Villains are the main factor in much of the series, and Paul Cavanaugh's performance, which might have gone to resident MGM bad guy John Miljan, plays a convincing one. His evilness speaks through his shifty eyes, especially on how he looks at the carefree Jane in her most abbreviated jungle attire as she sucks out snake poison from his forearm. He even forces his intentions on Jane by kissing her on the lips. Another interesting mention is the death of Tarzan's pet monkey, Cheta, midway through the story, while attempting to save Tarzan from a vicious rhinoceros. However, Cheta's offspring, mourning for its mother, is then adopted by Jane, who calls this one Cheta, too.

Action scenes are plentiful, bringing out many highlights, including some well constructed ones including Tarzan's battle against a 14-foot crocodile, he defeating the natives, and leading elephant stampedes. Jane also shows off her courage and skill while facing the dangers of the jungle as she plays dead while being surrounded by lions. Besides the recognized Tarzan yell, Jane gives out her jungle call as well, normally as a distress signal, in the more operatic sounding level, along with Jane's leap from the tree-top into the arms of Tarzan below - acrobatic style. With much of these ingredients and fast pace action, TARZAN AND HIS MATE is in many ways close to being superior to TARZAN THE APE MAN.

TARZAN AND HIS MATE, along with the remaining post 1934 MGM films in the series, were distributed on video cassette during the 1990s, then onto DVD in 2004. This along with the other Tarzan adventures played on the American Movie Classics cable channel from 1997 to 2000, and beginning in 2004, Turner Classic Movies picked up the option in airing the duration of the MGM/ Weissmuller series (1934-1942), making this second entry the most televised thus far. (***1/2) Next installment: TARZAN ESCAPES (1936).

The second of the MGM Tarzan movies should be heralded as one of the finest adventure films in cinematic history. A sequel to Tarzan the Ape Man (1932), it brings back Johnny Weissmuller and Maureen O'Sullivan as Tarzan and Jane respectively, and then runs through scene after scene of pre-code and pre-computer effects excellence.

Plot line is weak, but it doesn't matter in the grand scheme of entertainment things. Basically greedy ivory hunter Martin Arlington (Paul Cavanagh) and Harry Holt (Neil Hamilton as Jane's one time beau who has lost her to Lord of the Apes) travel into the jungle in search of Mutia Escarpment - the elephant burial grounds. Tarzan and Jane arrive on the scene after 20 minutes of film, which is the cue for Jane to make the two Khaki Fatigue wearing lads hot under the collar, and for Tarzan to literally have to fight for his woman - the animals - and his life!

What unfolds in 105 minutes of film is a tale of simmering sexuality, raw animal instincts, brutal battles and some Simian scene stealing. Cedric Gibbons originally directed the picture, well he was there until MGM realised he wasn't up to the task and replaced him with a criminally uncredited Jack Conway, and Conway (The Easiest Way) was just the man to curl the toes of those waiting in the wings at censorship city.

OK! The sexy angle is hard to ignore, and why anyone with a pulse would want to is anyone's guess! O'Sullivan is barely covered and Weismuller is in such fine shape he makes me wish I had never discovered booze and junk food! There is rumble in the jungle as Tarzan and Jane go for a swim, as he blows on her hair to wake her up (oh she sleeps in the raw by the way), and as the city boys revel in getting Jane to once again wear a "city" dress. This is just a point of reference to make us aware that the one time city girl has thrown off her sexual inhibitions and gone natural up in the tree tops. And did I mention a sexy silhouette scene? No? Well I have now.

So, casting aside the wonderful eroticism of it all, as an action film it's also superb. The technical tools available in the early 1930s are used to the max here, it matters not about dummies being flung about the place, or that men in monkey suits fill in while Cheetah is off having a smoke! Or even that the back projection work will appear crude to the X-Box generation, this is film making craft that enchanted those film lovers queueing at the theatre to see this back in 1934. Watching it now demands the utmost respect and admiration.

So, get ready for a native army who during their attacks specialise in firing arrows into the heads of the enemy. For Gorilla's who love to use boulders as weapons. For Tarzan to fight a lion, a crocodile and a rhinoceros. Watch in awe as there is Pachyderm Pandemonium, a pride of lions menacing our Jane, classy chimps proving smarter than your average human, and of course there are high grade gymnastics evident as well.

The Hays Code would soon come into play and dilute the Tarzan series, but still being able to see these early MGM Tarzan movies is akin to going to a film museum where only the open minded are invited. Wonderful. 10/10

Never before and never since has there been a more wonderful Tarzan movie than this one. While the first Weismuller Tarzan movie, "Tarzan The Ape Man" is required viewing before seeing this one, "Tarzan And His Mate" is the only one to watch if you have to pick just one Tarzan movie. The film delivers in action, excitement and romance on a grand level with Maureen O'Sullivan looking absolutely sexy in her abbreviated costume as Jane. Unfortunately, the iron hand of the Hays Office forced all subsequent Weismuller-O'Sullivan Tarzan films to be toned down in the romance department (with O'Sullivan getting more conservative wardrobe) and the series never came close to this film again. Highly recommended.

Maureen O'Sullivan turns in a stunning performance as "Jane", Tarzan's love interest. O'Sullivan's Jane set a new standard for female lead characters - strong, independent, intelligent, and not afraid to accept new challenges and face new dangers. This is remarkable given that, at the time the film was made, the typical American view was that a woman's place was in the kitchen, yet here we see an attractive, diminutive, well-bred Englishwoman living in the jungle under harsh conditions and loving every minute of it. Several times during the film, a band of explorers try to convince Jane to return to civilization and conform to society's standards, and part of the film's plot revolves around her decision as to whether or not she should leave Tarzan and the jungle life and return to America, which has led some to draw parallels between women deciding between the workplace (a man's world at the time) and the home (a woman's world at the time) and the film's world of the jungle and then-modern society.

Johnny Weismuller is cast perfectly for this role. The fact that he's an Olympic swimmer lends credibility to his role as a muscular he-man living with the apes. While some people have criticized his lack of acting ability (confusing his limited lines to be equivalent with limited acting ability), I've come to the conclusion that he's a natural actor - one who can express a range of emotion with very few words - which is exactly what Tarzan should be. As an athlete, Weismuller is used to expressing himself physically - Weismuller's Tarzan is a man of few words and limited grammar, but his eyes and body language express exactly what he's feeling and thinking. While Jane is the speaker who does, Tarzan is the doer who speaks. Jane is the civilized communicator who is not afraid to dive into a crocodile-infested river. Tarzan is the noble savage who dives into a river and only speaks to clarify what his eyes and hands are saying.

The plot is basically this: a band of explorers venture into the jungle to search for the legendary elephant graveyard to find their fortune in ivory elephant tusks. They meet Jane and befriend her, hoping that she and Tarzan will help them in their search. She convinces Tarzan to guide the hunters, although Tarzan does not feel comfortable with the venture, believing that the hunters should not be violating the sanctity of the animals' graveyards (and the unspoken law of the jungle). Indeed, at one point the hunters wound an innocent animal to track it to a grave. Tarzan decides that the hunters are evil and leaves their safari, though Jane continues on as the hunters provide her with a taste of the civilized life she left behind.

We see the conflict in Tarzan between his love for Jane and his love for the animals. We see the conflict in Jane between her love of Tarzan and her memories of civilization. The decisions that the two must make as the movie progresses have been interpreted by some as having hidden meanings and that the film producers were using the Tarzan vehicle to make statements about modern society. But I'll let you watch the film yourself and make your own decisions.

One last thing: this is the only film in the series (other than the "Tarzan" film made by John Derek and starring Bo Derek) in which Jane wears a two-piece leather costume. It's also the only installment (other than the "Tarzan" film by the Dereks) in which Jane becomes nude (but in a non-sexual scene). Trying to persuade Jane to return to civilization, the hunters give Jane a formal evening gown, which she wears to dinner and all through the night. The next morning, as she climbs out of bed still wearing it, Tarzan picks her up and carries her out onto a tree limb over the river. He dumps her into the water while holding onto the dress, so that she falls into the river naked. Tarzan makes no long soliloquy here - he's just expressed his opinion on the whole matter of civilized society quite succinctly.

See the film. It's the only "Tarzan" film worth watching (well, in addition to "Greystoke" with Christopher Lambert).

It feels weird saying this as a young black man of 29, but Maureen O'Sullivan engenders/embodies a flirty sexuality unequaled in today's movies. She plays tomboyish, but is so flirty at the same time that renders her simply irresistible as Jane. I'm also surprised that Tarzan is still so rough with her and that that was acceptable back in the day. I mean, it's cute, but a tad ungentlemanly.

Since I need to write at least ten lines, I'll continue on...

It's actually really refreshing, the irrelevance of the shame of nudity in this film. Here we are, in 1934, with a man undressing for a bath in the same room with his friend. Jane's naked silhouette tempting the imaginations of every red-blooded American. It's just so natural and alluring in its unabashedness. The skinny-dipping scene is a beautiful ballet of light, water, and skin. It's not pornographic, simply playful and free.

As a black man, I'd love if there was some way the treatment of blacks in this film weren't so harsh, as though all they are are beasts of burden, but I suppose it was a sign of the times. It's darned near slavery. But then again, I never traveled on safari in Africa in the 30s.