Kind of the odd film out in the six Weismuller MGM Tarzan films: no introduction of major characters, no major location difference, no nudity, no legendary behind the scenes kerfuffle. Just all the familiar ingredients expertly rehashed: a safari comprised of good people and nasty people, a few swims, some romantic interludes between Tarzan and Jane (NB these two had the best sex life of any cinema couple - and the strongest relationship, too), Boy gets up to escapades involving wildlife (how cool would it have been as a kid to have your own elephant), the natives try to kill people and Tarzan comes to the rescue.
One gets the feeling the filmmaker's tongue was in their cheek a bit more: there's a scene were Jane tells Boy he doesn't need civilisation then tells him to get the caviar out of the fridge.
Tom Conway is silkily villainous, Barry Fitzgerald's stock stage Irish performance is surprisingly welcome in darkest Africa, and there is a spectacular climax - elephants to the rescue as usual, but in this case they attack natives in canoes.
The little black boy who Boy saves is about the closest thing the series comes to a positive black character - he's scared and a bit useless and needs the brave Boy to save him, but at least he's allowed to be friends with the family (cf all the porters who are either scared or being killed, or the natives who are vicious superstitious killers - mind you the argument could be made that they are simply being militant).
O'Sullivan is a bit perkier in this one than the last time. Watching it one is struck by the genuine warmth between the three leads, especially Weismuller-Sheffield and Weissmuller-O'Sullivan (O'Sullivan-Sheffield is less strong mainly because Jane really just stops Boy's fun) - it is a lovely family feeling. Oh, and Cheetah, too, of course.
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