Thursday, January 18, 2007

Movie review - Tarzan #12 - "Tarzan and the Mermaids" (1948) **

Johnny Weismuller was getting on a bit now and looking a bit flabby in the old loin cloth - although in a way this does bring an extra element of realism. This was his last Tarzan film and its a decent enough effort, helped by some location filming in Mexico, most notably some spectacular cliffs. (The film starts with a documentary like montage about the ficticious civilisation). Linda Christian, who later married Tyrone Power, is the damsel in distress - why didn't Tarzan have a crack, he didn't seem that interested in Jane? (As played by Joyce its like she's his second wife who he doesn't like as much as the first).

There's no Boy here, he'd left the series, so instead there is a singing mailman to give some comic relief. The local District Commissioner is sympathetically portrayed - the most sympathetic in a Tarzan film yet (although the film's endorse protective colonialism at this stage, usually officials are shown to be buffoons). Despite lots of cliff dives and sacrifices and a fight with an Octopus, there is a lack of excitement. It's all a bit too easy for Tarzan.

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