TARZAN THE APE MAN (1932)TARZAN AND HIS MATE (1934)
Directors: W.S. Van Dyke (Ape Man) and Cedric Gibbons (Mate)
Stars: Johnny Weissmuller, Maureen O'Sullivan, Jiggs, Neil Hamilton
Tarzan the Ape Man wasn't the first Tarzan film, or even the first Sound Tarzan film, but it is the one that has become the most iconic. Starring Olympic Gold Medalist Johnny Weissmuller in a role which he would make his own (Weissmuller became as merged with Tarzan as Bela Lugosi was with Dracula), and featuring incredible stunts (both animal and human), the film became a massive success. Weissmuller would go on to play Tarzan in a dozen films, often with co-star Maureen O'Sullivan appearing as his one true love, Jane. The first film is a good double feature with it's direct sequel, Tarzan and His Mate, since a lot of the themes addressed in Ape Man are brought up and paralleled in the second, as if answering it's own questions.
Tarzan the Ape Man is about an expedition heading into the African jungle, in search of the legendary elephant's graveyard; which, in the explorer's eyes, is just a giant pile of ivory waiting to be pillaged. The expedition is lead by Harry Holt and James Parker, with Parker's daughter Jane along for the ride. Holt, quite smitten by Jane, proposes marriage to her, and she finds herself intrigued by the idea, if a bit wary of being pinned down. That is, until she meets a man that she is more than willing to be pinned down by; Tarzan, Lord of the Apes.
Unlike in the novels by Edgar Rice Burroughs, there is no explanation of Tarzan's "origin" here; he simply swings out of the trees, bellowing his iconic cry (which henceforth is solidified as THE Tarzan yell). There are several differences from the novels, actually. In the books, Tarzan is quite the jabberjaw, being a genius who can learn a new language in a day or two. Here, in a similar fashion to the reduction of Frankenstein's creation, he's reduced to average intelligence, and communicates with Jane mostly through physical expression.
In many ways, the film is quite progressive. In regards to white women, at least. Being a bit of an Anti-Dracula, this film portrays the bestial, sexual foreigner as the protagonist, while the "civilized" British play the role of reactionary repressors. In many ways, Jane is actually the central character of both of these films, and it's about her growth from a society girl into a truly free woman, embracing both her own untamed sexuality, and the jungle that surrounds her. She is someone who is fought over, but it's Tarzan, her near mute lover, who ends up truly objectified.
Where the films are most certainly not progressive are in their depictions of the black Africans. In Tarzan and His Mate, explorer Marlin Arlington shoots one of his black porters for "cowardice". Now, Marlin is an antagonist, but the movie implies that him doing this doesn't make him "evil", so much as just kind of a dick. Marlin's traveling companion Holt reprimands him afterwards, saying something along the lines of "A whip would work just as well". Tarzan himself isn't portrayed as racist (though he certainly seems to be in the novels), and Jane's ignorance of prejudice could be explained away as a symptom of her being blinded by society, before freeing herself from it's shackles. There you go; two protagonists, pure as snow.
So, as you may guess, she ends up staying in the jungle with Tarzan at the end of the first film, but promising to help Harry cart back his ivory upon his return to the jungle. This is the set-up for Tarzan and His Mate; it's one year later, and Holt heads back into the jungle with the aforementioned Mr. Arlington (Mr. Parker is indisposed at this point). His intentions are two-fold; to retrieve the ivory, and, with a little luck, to woo Miss Parker back to civilization. But he's underestimated the degree to which Jane has immersed herself in the wild, and the degree to which Tarzan will help him make his fortune. Though the series goes on for several more installments (eventually, Tarzan "finds" a son), the ending of His Mate feels dramatically satisfying, tying up several loose ends from the original.
The action and production here are top notch. Jaded modern viewers may find the use of obvious blue screen for certain parts to be distracting or laughable, but these movies have a secret weapon that modern audiences are unfamiliar with; stunts. Now, I'm not talking about Tom Cruise hanging off a cliff from a wire; I'm talking about dudes swinging from vines, wrestling lions, and riding hippos. There are some crazy, brilliant and phrenetic action scenes in these two films, and you barely get a chance to catch your breath at times. You've got gorillas pummeling explorers with boulders, lions fighting elephants (don't worry animal lovers; it's all the magic of editing and special fx), and an ape man vs a giant crocodile. The climax of Tarzan and His Mate is one of the most insane action scenes I've ever watched, and that alone would make it a must see.
Tarzan has a chimp companion named, oddly enough, Cheeta, who becomes a new addition to the Tarzan mythology (though there is a similar character in the novels; a monkey named Nkima). As played by trained chimpanzee Jiggs, the character practically steals both films. He's the Robin to Tarzan's Batman, and when not saving everyone's butt, finds ways to get himself into mischief.
So, if you have even a passing interest in Tarzan or old serial type adventures, these are well worth a watch. Just be aware that there is some blatant racism (which decreases my rating a bit), and that these films are highly sexually charged, so they might be inappropriate for young children. And by "sexually charged", I mean the two leads swing around in skimpy clothing, and Jane has an extended, butt-ass naked swimming scene in the second film. Otherwise, classic and essential, and a very different experience from later Tarzan adaptations like Greystoke, or Disney's Tarzan. There's nothing here about the Mangani, or Kerchak, or Kala. It's just a simple story, free from the convoluted continuity of the novels, and very fun in it's own right.
FREDERICK OPINES:
TARZAN THE APE MAN: GOOD
TARZAN AND HIS MATE: GREAT
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