Tarzan goes to... Guatemala?
NEW ADVENTURES OF TARZAN is something unique, in that Edgar Rice Burroughs himself had input into the project. He slammed out a story which served as a basis for the screenplay, he selected the actor to play Tarzan, and he saw that the character was presented as literate, articulate and yet savagely violent when appropriate. It's the dichotomy of the sophisticated Lord Greystoke and the feral Apeman which gives Tarzan so much of his appeal to me.
As much as I really wanted to like this serial, it's still a mixed bag of good and bad. On the one hand, it remains a film interpretation of Tarzan nearer to Burroughs' original vision than any other (Gordon Scott's version is also pretty faithful and my personal favorite movie Tarzan). Herman Brix (later Bruce Bennett) is visually perfect, lean and muscular in an athletic rather than bulked-up weightlifter way. He had been in the 1928 Olympics and obviously did not sit around with donuts and beer all day. This Tarzan also acts intelligent, speaks normal English and looks comfortable in a formal dinner jacket or white tropical trousers and shirt (although he spends most of his time in a ragged loincloth, of course). Brix can wrestle several men at a time or rush up a tree and it's convincing because he actually WAS fit enough to do it.
The mandatory lion-fighting scene is led up to with some suspense as Tarzan finds himself tied up in a small chamber with the big cat chained near at hand. It's a question of whether the Apeman will be cut free by gal pal Ula (helpfully reaching in through a hole in the wall with a knife) before the lion breaks loose. In the books, Burroughs always had Tarzan try to land behind the lion, wrap himself around the beast and stab it furiously in the chest before those claws and fangs would shred him. Here, as in most movie versions, Brix literally wrestles with the lion the way you'd tangle with a human opponent. Maybe this would work for someone like Hercules or Samson, but a mortal man trying this approach would certainly be killed in a few seconds. Still, it's a tradition of the series.
The serial was shot on location in Guatemala, so the scenery is often stunning (like the rushing river going over waterfalls) or miserably hot and filthy like real jungles are. (Stock footage seems to be telling us that there are rhinos and giraffes in Central America, which is kind of a shock to learn.) The actors are obviously sweaty, grimy and uncomfortable in most shots, which seems more authentic than the usual Hollywood backlot emoting. Unfortunately, this location shooting also means the sound recording is atrocious. Dialogue is hard to follow, and the lack of normal noises sometimes gives the impression of watching a silent movie but without the benefit of constant musical scoring. Money spent on a decent Foley artist or dubbing in some of spoken lines would have helped immensely.
Also, the editing is usually so choppy and incoherent that it reminds me of today's split-second MTV-style style. The fights are sped up way too much; you expect a little discreet undercranking but these guys go overboard. I much prefer the Republic approach, where the action is clear and exciting. Brix is so good in the role, it's a shame he wasn't given a better vehicle to show his approach. (Check out FIGHTING DEVIL DOGS to see him in a better light as an action hero.) My copy of the feature version is rather grainy and murky, but that's not necessarily how the original twelve chapters looked in theatres as I'm relying on cut-rate fly-by-night modern DVD companies.
The story itself is nothing special, just the usual tug of war over a hot potato. In this case, the knick-knack everyone is desperately trying to snatch from one another is the Green Goddess, a rather unattractive slab of stone. The Mayan-descent natives of a ruined city in the jungle worship the Green Goddess and naturally want it back, while archaeologist Major Martling is contending with ratfink Raglan. These intruders from the world outside know that inside the idol is the secret formula to a new super-powerful explosive that every European nation would gladly drop a bundle to buy. So there follows the series of brawls, kidnappings and escapes, deathtraps, encounters with wild animals etc that normally take place in serials. In NEW ADVENTURES OF TARZAN, though, the pacing is slack and I had the distinct impression that many times no one involved was sure what was supposed to happen next. Improv is fine for comedy, for adventure not so much.
My favorite scene took me by surprise with its goofiness. Comic relief George is sitting on a log, fooling around with a snapping turtle for no good reason. Another turtle sees him and (wait for it) calls for help. Half a dozen of the large beasts swarm up rather quickly behind George and one clamps its beak hard right where you would expect. As George howls and prances around, bouncing off trees with a turtle hanging down from the seat of his pants, I had to smile at this unexpected tomfoolery. I especially like the way Tarzan rolls his eyes disgustedly when he examines the panicky man and is told he was attacked by "thousands and thousands" of turtles.
Along with expedition for no apparent reason is shady lady Ula Vale (played by the rather attractive Ula Holt), who turns out to have motives of her own and is a bigger help to Tarzan than the others in the party. As in several Burroughs stories, the woman of mystery always is revealed to be a spy or something similar. The other character with a distinctive look is the high priest of the lost tribe. With his neatly trimmed white beard, headband and wild staring eyes, he reminds of this guy I used to see loitering around gas stations near the Thruway exit.
Dir: Edward Kull (not of Valusian descent, as far as I know)