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Tarzan's Secret Treasure

  • 1941
  • Approved
  • 1h 21m
IMDb RATING
6.4/10
3.3K
YOUR RATING
Maureen O'Sullivan and Johnny Weissmuller in Tarzan's Secret Treasure (1941)
Tarzan's jungle home, and his family, Jane and Boy, are threatened by men greedy for gold.
Play trailer2:27
1 Video
43 Photos
Jungle AdventureActionAdventureRomance

Tarzan's jungle home, and his family, Jane and Boy, are threatened by men greedy for gold.Tarzan's jungle home, and his family, Jane and Boy, are threatened by men greedy for gold.Tarzan's jungle home, and his family, Jane and Boy, are threatened by men greedy for gold.

  • Director
    • Richard Thorpe
  • Writers
    • Myles Connolly
    • Paul Gangelin
    • Edgar Rice Burroughs
  • Stars
    • Johnny Weissmuller
    • Maureen O'Sullivan
    • Johnny Sheffield
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    6.4/10
    3.3K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Richard Thorpe
    • Writers
      • Myles Connolly
      • Paul Gangelin
      • Edgar Rice Burroughs
    • Stars
      • Johnny Weissmuller
      • Maureen O'Sullivan
      • Johnny Sheffield
    • 23User reviews
    • 21Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 1 nomination total

    Videos1

    Official Trailer
    Trailer 2:27
    Official Trailer

    Photos43

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    Top cast27

    Edit
    Johnny Weissmuller
    Johnny Weissmuller
    • Tarzan
    Maureen O'Sullivan
    Maureen O'Sullivan
    • Jane Parker
    Johnny Sheffield
    Johnny Sheffield
    • Boy
    • (as John Sheffield)
    Reginald Owen
    Reginald Owen
    • Professor Elliott
    Barry Fitzgerald
    Barry Fitzgerald
    • Dennis O'Doul
    Tom Conway
    Tom Conway
    • Medford
    Philip Dorn
    Philip Dorn
    • Vandermeer
    Cordell Hickman
    Cordell Hickman
    • Tumbo
    Ed Allen
    • Native
    • (uncredited)
    Joe Bacon
    • Native
    • (uncredited)
    Lens Benjamin
    • Native
    • (uncredited)
    Wesley Bly
    • Native
    • (uncredited)
    Everett Brown
    Everett Brown
    • Native in Boat
    • (uncredited)
    DeForest Covan
    DeForest Covan
    • Native
    • (uncredited)
    Jim Davis
    • Native
    • (uncredited)
    Johnny Eck
    Johnny Eck
    • Bird
    • (uncredited)
    Art Ellis
    • Native
    • (uncredited)
    Sam Jackson
    • Native
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • Richard Thorpe
    • Writers
      • Myles Connolly
      • Paul Gangelin
      • Edgar Rice Burroughs
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews23

    6.43.2K
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    Featured reviews

    jimbo-38

    A good movie!

    Nasty, great white hunters trick Boy and Jane into helping them steal Tarzan's secret cache of gold. During the getaway, they're captured by the even nastier Gaboni tribe who have some rather unpleasant activities planned for their captives. Tarzan to the rescue with the help of his elephant friends. This is one of my favorite Tarzan movies. Tom Conway is the epitome of debonair sleaziness and Barry Fitzgerald is great as a lovable Irishman who refers to the Ape Man as Mr. Tarzan.
    5wes-connors

    Tarzan's Stock Treatment

    Curly-haired Johnny Sheffield (as Boy) and chimp "Cheeta" are the main attractions in this fifth MGM "Tarzan" adventure. Beautiful jungle mate Maureen O'Sullivan (as Jane), who wanted to leave the film series after "Tarzan Finds a Son!" (1939), still tends the tree-house. The plot gets going when a swimming Sheffield finds gold in the jungle king's pool. Greedy white people and spear-chucking natives threaten young Sheffield, bringing Johnny Weissmuller (as Tarzan) into action. Whisky-soaked Barry Fitzgerald (as O'Doul) swings ahead of the guest stars. Watch "Cheeta" get drunk on Mr. Fitzgerald's Irish blend. Yes, a drunken monkey can walk a straight line on his hands. This one's nicely photographed, but obviously heavy on borrowed plots, reaction shots and stock footage.

    ***** Tarzan's Secret Treasure (12/1/41) Richard Thorpe ~ Johnny Weissmuller, Maureen O'Sullivan, Johnny Sheffield, Barry Fitzgerald
    7haristas

    Fun old movies, but....

    I love the old Johnny Weissmuller/MGM "Tarzan" movies of the 1930s and 40s. I have them all six of them on laserdisc from the 1990s, but I have to wonder in what form they will arrive on DVD -- if ever? Watching "Tarzan's Secret Treasure" (1941) today I was amazed to hear for the first time, after many viewings, Barry Fitzgerald's O'Doul character refer to a little black native boy as a "pickaninny." In the earlier Tarzan movies the blacks are constantly called "boy" and other derogatory terms and often casually shot by white men for disobeying orders. I'm not sure, but I think there may be a problem with this being released on DVD today, but my point is that I DON'T want to see these films edited in any way. They're time capsules of entertainment from an earlier era, and they should be preserved.
    7ma-cortes

    Nice adventure movie in which Jane and Boy are kidnapped and Tarzan heads out to rescue them

    Enjoyable Tarzan movie , plenty of action , adventures and quite entertaining . It starts with the following preface : ¨Beyond the last outpost of civilization , a mighty escarpment towers the skies of Africa -uncharted on maps- a strange world , a place of mystery¨ . The picture concerns a naive Tarzan (Johnny Weissmuller) in his loincloth , living his fairy tale with Jane Parker (Maureen O'Sullivan) and cohabiting in unmarried bliss , this situation being really criticized by Hays Code . Tarzan , then , saves an expedition from a savage tribe , only to be repaid by having the mean hunters (Tom Conway , Philip Dorn , Reginald Owen) hold Jane and spunky ten-year-old Boy (Johnny Sheffield) hostage . As Boy is tricked by evil hunters and abandoning his parents . As the greedy explorers scheme heinous plans and want Boy's help in finding a secret cache of gold . Thus , Tarzan -helped by O'Doul (Barry FitzGerald) and Cheeta- , now heads to jungle in order to save the boy and gets into trouble with bad guys and cannibal tribes . But Tarzan doesn't take kindly to threat and kidnap to his family and executes against the evil-doers an extreme lesson .

    The movie is dubiously faithful to Edgar Rice Borroughs story . It contains noisy action , sensational adventures , many angry natives , nasty white hunters , hungry lions and wonderful outdoors , though mostly shot in Hollywood studios . Well starred by Johnny Weissmuller , Maureen O'Sullivan Johnny Sheffield , both of them bring wit and style to their classic characters . However , Johnny Weissmuller is better Olympic swimmer than actor . Here stands out Johnny Sheffield whose first role was in ¨Tarzan finds a son¨ (1939) as an orphan whose ambitious relatives hope he stays lost so they can collect an inheritance . And , of course , special mention for the likable Chimpanzee Cheeta that steals the show , giving some humorous moments with his antics , frolics and mayhem . As usual , there are the obvious uses of stock footage due to many budget cutbacks following the death of Irving Thalberg many stock shots regarding wild animal sequences from former movies were used , such as intervention of a well trained Lion and a Chimpanzee ex-professed for the film . The sets and production design are visually appealing , including a brilliant cinematography by Clyde De Vinna . The motion picture was decently directed by Richard Thorpe .

    First Tarzan/Johhny Weissmuller was ¨Tarzan , the ape man¨ (1932) by W.S. Van Dyke , this one being the definitive Tarzan movie , the original of the long series . Followed by ¨Tarzan and his mate¨ (1934) by Jack Conway . Richard Thorpe continued the following sequels : ¨Tarzan escapes¨(1936) , ¨Tarzan finds a son¨ (1939) with the addition of the five-year-old Johnny Sheffield as Boy , ¨Tarzan's secret Treasure¨ (1941) , and ¨Tarzan's New York adventure¨ (1942) where Boy is abducted by an evil circus owner , then Tarzan goes to rescue him and he meets N.Y. big city , being Maureen O'Sullivan's final appearance and in which Elmo Lincoln's , the screen's first Tarzan, had a cameo . These stories were lavishly produced by M.G.M. and R.K.O. Subsequently , to be appeared other Tarzans produced by independent producers as Sol Lesser ; the latter being replaced by Sy Weintraub , these movies were interpreted by Lex Barker and Gordon Scott : ¨Tarzan the Magnificent¨ and ¨The greatest adventure¨ directed by John Guillermin . Furthermore , Mike Henry starred as Tarzan in ¨Tarzan and the jungle boy ¨ , ¨ Tarzan and the great river¨ , and ¨Tarzan 66¨ directed by Robert Day . Besides , two performed by Jock Mahoney : ¨Three challenges¨ and ¨Tarzan goes to India¨ directed by John Guillermin , among others . Plus , other TV Tarzan as Ron Ely , Wolf Larsen , Joe Lara ...
    PIMannix

    More evil white guys invade jungle.

    Well-paced and -produced jungle adventure with an heroic Weissmuller, a fetching O'Sullivan and a better-than-average supporting cast. I could have done without seeing the stock footage of Weissmuller battling that croc for the third time though. Not one of the best Tarzan adventures, but you could do a lot worse.

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    Related interests

    Jack Black, Kevin Hart, Dwayne Johnson, and Karen Gillan in Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017)
    Jungle Adventure
    Bruce Willis in Die Hard (1988)
    Action
    Still frame
    Adventure
    Ingrid Bergman and Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca (1942)
    Romance

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Due to many budget cutbacks following the death of Irving Thalberg many stock shots from former movies were used.
    • Goofs
      The fish the Jane prepares for dinner is covered in lemon slices. What few lemons there are in Africa are only grown in South Africa, a distance of almost 3000 miles from the isolated area that was most likely Tarzan's escarpment.
    • Quotes

      [first title card]

      Title Card: DEEP IN AFRICA, BEYOND ALL THE TRAILS KNOWN TO WHITE HUNTERS THERE IS AN ESCARPMENT - A SHEER CLIFF, WHICH LEGEND SAYS "RISES FROM THE PLAINS TO SUPPORT THE STARS".

    • Connections
      Edited from Tarzan Escapes (1936)
    • Soundtracks
      Maisie Theme
      (uncredited)

      Music by David Snell

      Played during main titles

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    FAQ14

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • December 1, 1941 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Tarzans geheimer Schatz
    • Filming locations
      • Silver Springs - 5656 E. Silver Springs Boulevard, Ocala, Florida, USA
    • Production company
      • Loew's
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 1h 21m(81 min)
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.37 : 1

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