Welcome to this new series on Burroughs films. My name is Calvin Bowes and I look forward to this journey as we look at the various films based on the works of Edgar Rice Burroughs.

Each week I will randomly pick a film from the vault as our ERB movie of the week. Then, in the following week I shall play movie critic and give my thoughts on the film. I also invite you to submit your thoughts as well.

I feel this could be a fun new feature for ERBzine and if you have any ERB movie that you want featured in this section, please let us know and we will work hard to incorporate that film as well.

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CALVIN'S ERB MOVIE OF THE WEEK I
TARZAN'S PERIL 

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Before we begin let me first point out what this series is and what it is not. It is a series to review the films for what they are -- without an emphasis on how they depart from the actual stories and characters in the original Edgar Rice Burroughs books. We will not discuss what is better, but only treat the films as totally separate entities, which I feel is the only way to enjoy the films.

This week's film is TARZAN'S PERIL starring  Lex Barker as Tarzan and Virginia Houston as Jane. The story involves Tarzan's old enemy, who has escaped from prison and is smuggling guns to the African natives -- he is also guilty of having murdered an old friend of Tarzan's.

When Tarzan finds a lost watch of his friend he knows something is wrong, so he goes to the authorities who tell him that they would look like fools if they do a big search and find that Tarzan's friend is not in danger. Tarzan replies,"If Tarzan is wrong Tarzan's sorry, but if Tarzan is right then everybody is sorry."

So Tarzan goes off on his own to search for the truth. The film has a great performance from Lex Barker as Tarzan but a mediocre performance from Virginia Houston, which is not her fault. She is given very little to do except stand around and look pretty and get menaced by Radacheck. She and Barker don't have much chemistry together.

Now the main villain Radicheck, played by George Macready, is another matter. He gives a wonderful performance and he is a great villain. He is so evil he will even kill his own people to achieve his goals. He has a great scene where he is holding Jane hostage and asks Tarzan if he should he shoot him or her.

Another great performance is by Frederick Oneal, playing King Balum who has a great fight with Tarzan.

Dorothy Dandridge as Queen Melemendy who is just adorable in the role.

This film is loaded with lots of action, so from a scale of 1 to 5 TARZAN'S PERIL gets 4 JUNGLE KNIVES. If they had a better Jane in this film it would have gotten 5, but it is still very entertaining.

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For background on Tarzan's Peril go the ERBzine Silver Screen entry at:
TARZAN'S PERIL
starring Lex Barker
www.erbzine.com/mag19/1951.html
Plus
GALLERY ONE
Visit our display of large-image lobby cards with four colour photos of Dorothy Dandridge at:
www.ERBzine.com/mag19/1951a.html
and
GALLERY TWO
Photos of Lex Barker's Tarzan's Peril co-star Virginia Huston
www.ERBzine.com/mag19/1951b.html

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Next week our film will be TARZAN OF THE APES starring Elmo Lincoln.
www.erbzine.com/mag5/0502.html

So get out your video or DVD and watch this film and come back next week when I shall give you my thoughts. So, until next time -- the THE JUNGLE IS CLOSED.

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 I can't believe you guys have had a weekly fan page web thing and you never had a weekly article about the movies. I really enjoyed the thing you did about Tarzan's Triumph .  You made me have to watch it again and you're right it is super violent. 

Now about the Tarzan flick of this week - I agree that Miss Houston is a lousy Jane but Barker is my favorite Tarzan. Now I have a request. Will you ever do a review of my favorite Tarzan flick? I want to know when you will review the Bo Derek one, also when will you review a Johnny Weissmuller flick? I would like to see Tarzan and the Leopard Woman or my favorite Tarzan Finds a Son or the New York one. Hope you will take what I ask under consideration.

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CALVIN'S MOVIE OF THE WEEK II
TARZAN OF THE APES 

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Well here we are back in the jungle vault again and pulling out another film based on the works of Edgar Rice Burroughs. This week's feature film is TARZAN OF THE APES starring Elmo Lincoln as Tarzan and Enid Markey as Jane. It's also the first Tarzan movie ever made.

This film tells the story of Lord and Lady Greystoke and how they were the victims of a mutiny, which stranded them in Africa. They are killed by apes and their baby is taken by ape named Kala, who raises it as her own -- thus the legend of Tarzan begins.

There are three good performances, one of which is by Gordon Griffith as the young Tarzan. He is very convincing in his role and he portrays the young curiosity very well.

George B. French plays Binns, who is also very good and the addition of Binns puts a little more credibility as to why Tarzan's family ends up coming to Africa.

Enid Markey is a very good Jane. She portrays a sweet innocent girl who is thrown into a world that frightens her and she is unsure about what she wants in life. That is, until she meets Tarzan.

Now that brings us to Elmo Lincoln, who  -- and I know darts are gonna start flying, but in this column I must be honest and say what I feel -- is totally wrong for the part.  He looks more like a weightlifter and I feel that Tarzan should look like a gymnast. Unfortunately there is absolutely no real chemistry between him and Markey.

But, for a first film, it is quite good and I do enjoy the story -- and this film is filled with lots of action. So on a scale of 1 - 5 TARZAN OF THE APES gets 3 JUNGLE KNIFES.

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Next join us for TARZAN THE APE MAN with Bo Derek and Miles O'Keefe.

Since the ERBzine editor will be attending the Dayton Dum-Dum and places beyond for three weeks
I've asked him to put my Movie of the Week feature on hold until he gets back. ~ Calvin

So get out your videos or DVDs and watch this very sexy Tarzan movie and come back in three weeks and I shall give you my thoughts on this film. Until next time THE JUNGLE IS CLOSED

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Visit the ERBzine Silver Screen Archives for background on Tarzan the Ape Man 1981:
http://www.erbzine.com/mag21/2150.html
plus two PHOTO GALLERIES
1. Bo Meets Tarzan
2. All of Bo

Send your comments to Calvin at:
vampirellasbite@yahoo.com

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CALVIN'S MOVIE OF THE WEEK III
TARZAN THE APE MAN 1981

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Hello again and welcome back to the Jungle vault as we pull out another film based on the the works of Edgar Rice Burroughs. This week we  have watched the  1981 film, TARZAN THE APE MAN, starring Bo Derek and Miles O'Keeffe. This is by absolutely the most erotic of all the Tarzan films and it is one of the worst, but the also most beautiful to look at. I know you may feel I'm contradicting myself but this film is full of reasons to love it and hate it at the same time.

The movie opens with the MGM lion giving the Tarzan yell, which produces laughter from the audiences that view this film. The story features Jane Parker [Bo Derek] who comes to Africa to see her father [Richard Harris] who abandoned her when she was a baby. Since he has been away and out of contact, he is unaware that Jane's mother has died. He is leading an expedition to the great Escarpment to find the fabled elephants graveyard. Jane decides to go with him and on that trek she finally meets Tarzan.

Bo Derek is a terrible actress. The only reason she is worth watching is because she takes her clothes off in this film. She also always wears white dresses so she can constantly fall into the water to show off her body. But the amazing thing is that she is constantly surrounded in this film with A+ actors who give very good performances in this film. Richard Harris is of fun to watch in this film and John Phillip Law is very good as well.

Now as you've noticed I have mentioned all the main actors except the title character, Tarzan. The reason is this is not Tarzan's story at all -- it's all about Jane. Miles O'Keeffe plays Tarzan and he looks just right for the role and even though Bo Derek is a lousy actress, when they are together they light up the screen because they have a strong sexual chemistry.

The film, directed by John Derek, is beautifully photographed and is quite beautiful to watch. The action sequences, however, are not very exciting as they are filmed in slow motion and this makes the action drag. The film also has some of the worst dialog. For example, when Jane is being painted to be sacrificed by the natives she yells, "They're painting me! They're painting my hair! They're painting it white!"

This film though very bad is also a lot of fun as well. As I've said, this is a big contradiction, but true. I very much likethe way that the closing credits are shown to us with Tarzan, Jane, and an orangutan frolicking around together. They have found it can be fun to be in the jungle.

So on a scale of one to five TARZAN THE APE MAN pulls in 2 1/2 Jungle Knives because of the beautiful photography. The story is pretty forgettable. But a wet Bo Derek is hot.

Next week's film is 

TARZAN FINDS A SON!  starring Johnny Weissmuller and Maureen O'Sullivan, 
so get out your video DVD and watch this classic Tarzan film with us. 
Until next week The jungle is closed.

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Visit the ERBzine Silver Screen Archives for background on next week's film
Tarzan Finds A Son!:
http://www.erbzine.com/mag6/0620.html
along with the article reprint at:
 http://www.erbzine.com/mag16/1658.html

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CALVIN'S MOVIE OF THE WEEK IV
TARZAN FINDS A SON!

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Welcome back to our Jungle Vault as we pull out another film based on the works of Burroughs. This week's film is TARZAN FINDS A SON! starring Johnny Weissmuller and Maureen O'Sullivan. This film is the fourth starring the two and it is the first to introduce us to Boy played by Johnny Sheffield.

The story concerns Mr. and Mrs. Richard Lansing (Morton Lowry and Laraine Day) who are killed in a plane crash. Their baby boy is found by Tarzan, and he and Jane decide to raise the child on their own. They name him Boy. 

Years later when the baby is five years old, the Lansing family come to search for their lost family members. They know that they will inherit a fortune if they bring Boy back with them. Tarzan does not want this, but Jane agrees, feeling it is in the best interest of Boy. She tricks Tarzan into letting the party take Boy away by stranding him. Jane soon learns, however, that  these people don't care about Boy at all -- they just want the cash. Finally when Tarzan is released he rescues Jane via an elephant stampede. 

This is a very exciting film and has a great story as well. Johnny Weissmuller and Maureen O'Sullivan have a great chemistry together and Johnny Sheffield is absolutely fabulous as Boy. All three of them make a great team. The last scene with the elephant stampede is particularly exciting. 

So, on a scale of one to four, TARZAN FINDS A SON! gets FIVE JUNGLE KNIVES. 

Next week our film will be 

TARZAN AND THE TRAPPERS 
starring Gordon Scott and Eve Brent 
so fire up those VCRs or DVD players and watch this film with us. 
I will be back next week with my thoughts on this film. . .  but until then THE JUNGLE IS CLOSED 

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Visit the ERBzine Silver Screen Archives for background on next week's film
Tarzan and the Trappers:
http://www.erbzine.com/mag19/1956.html

Send your comments to Calvin at:
vampirellasbite@yahoo.com

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CALVIN'S MOVIE OF THE WEEK V
Tarzan and the Trappers

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Here we are back in the jungle vault again pulling out another film and this week we have Tarzan and the Trappers starring Gordon Scott and Eve Brent. 

Now the hard part in discussing this film is that you must treat it as two films because this film has two stories. The reason is that this was originally going to be a TV show and they already had filmed thestories but the TV show never happened. 

The first story is were this movie gets its title. The natives are angry because people are coming into the jungle and stealing the animals and they want to start a war with the trappers, but Tarzan promises he will take care of it himself. One of my favorite scenes is when Tarzan finds two natives who say they are from neighboring villages and Tarzan tells them to show him how they dance. Then, after watching them he tells them, "You should speak with feet. They tell truth." He knew that they were not doing the dances of their tribes they said they belonged to. The villain in this story is Schroeder played by Leslie Bradley and he is OK as a villain, but does not seem too threatening, even when he kidnaps Tartu also known as boy (Ricky Sorensen) and Cheetah. But this story ends pretty well with a big elephant stampede. 

The second story is the best one. When an evil man named Sikes (Sol Gorss) wants to hunt the ultimate game -- Tarzan himself -- he teams up with Lapin (William Keene). Lapin wants to find the treasure of a lost city only to find there is no gold at all. They even use Tarzan's friend, Tyana (Scatman Cruthers) as bait. 

All in all, this is a fun film with lots of action. Gordon Scott, although a pretty good actor, is too muscular for the role. He looks more like a body builder and he doesn't move very gracefully, as I feel Tarzan should. Eve Brent as Jane is totally wrong for the role. She looks more like a Las Vegas show girl than a woman who has lived in the jungle all these years. Ricky Sorensen as Tartu or Boy is too clean-cut for the part and I feel it's strange that someone who always lived in the jungle would not like a story about pirates because he thinks the jungle is more exiting -- he must have found some of this jungle life boring some of the time.

So, in summing up this film TARZAN AND THE TRAPPERS brings in 3 JUNGLE KNIVES.

Next week we will be watching TARZAN AND THE GREEN GODDESS with Bruce Bennet so get out your video or DVD and watch this film with us. Until next week THE JUNGLE IS CLOSED!

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Visit the ERBzine Silver Screen Archives for background on next week's film

Tarzan and the Green Goddess:
http://www.erbzine.com/mag5/0584.html

Send your comments to Calvin at:
vampirellasbite@yahoo.com

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CALVIN'S MOVIE OF THE WEEK VI
TARZAN AND THE GREEN GODDESS

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Welcome to the jungle again and this week we pull out of the jungle vault TARZAN AND THE GREEN GODDESS starring Herman Brix aka Bruce Bennett. This film is a one-hour version of the last two hours of a 4-hour serial. Maybe that's why the film feels so jumbled. 

The story begins with Tarzan and the Martling expedition in Guatemala. They have defeated Raglan (Don Castello) and have recovered the Green Goddess statue in which is hidden priceless jewels and the formula for a powerful explosive. To open the Goddess safely you must have a secret code that is in Major Marting's (Frank Baker) book. At times the film is hard to follow as the book and the idol go back and forth between the good guys and the bad guys. 

It does have a few good action scenes like when Tarzan is tied up in a room with a hungry lion and also when Tarzan must jump into a raging river and over a waterfall to retrieve the code book. Bruce Bennett looks very good as Tarzan and performs the action well, although his acting is not up to speed. But Don Castello is very good as Raglen, the man determined to get the formula. Frank Baker is good as Major Martling, but Ula Holt, who plays Ula Vale, although very pretty, is quite forgettable. Last is the person this film could truly do without -- Lewis Sargent as George, who is the type of character who would only appeal to an immature five-year-old as he chases a monkey who stole his yo-yo and at one point is attacked by snapping turtles.

As you all know I must be honest so I must confess that this is one of my least favorite Tarzan films, although there are some impressive action scenes. So, on a scale of 1 to 5, TARZAN AND THE GREEN GODDESS gets 2 JUNGLE KNIVES.

For next week's film we will all view the 'Gone with the Wind' of all Tarzan films -- the 'Ben Hur' and 'Laurence of Arabia' of all the Ape Man movies.   That's right it's not Denny Miller's film -- it is 

GREYSTOKE: THE LEGEND OF TARZAN, LORD OF THE APES 

So watch this film with us and next week we shall talk about it. 
Until that time THE JUNGLE IS CLOSED.

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Send your comments to Calvin at:
vampirellasbite@yahoo.com

 

CALVIN'S MOVIE OF THE WEEK VII
GREYSTOKE THE LEGEND OF TARZAN LORD OF THE APES

Welcome back to the jungle as we pull out another film from our jungle vault and this week is GREYSTOKE THE LEGEND OF TARZAN LORD OF THE APES starring Christopher Lambert and Andy McDowell.  This film is truly the 'Gone with the Wind' of Tarzan films. It is truly an epic.The film tells the story of Lord and Lady Greystoke (Paul Geoffrey and Cheryl Campell) as they become victims of a shipwreck and are stranded in  Africa . They have a child who, after their deaths, is raised by apes. Later he is found by a man named D'Arnot (Ian Holm) and brought to England to take up his place as the Earl of Greystoke.This film has very good performances -- believe it or not even by the actors playing the apes. One nice moment is when Tarzan as a baby is being watched by his foster mother Kala Alisa Berk) you can see real love in her eyes. The ape makeup is amazing.

Other great performances are by Ralph Richardson as the sixth Earl of Greystoke and Ian Holm as D'Arnot. Now what about Tarzan - a name never spoken once in the entire film. Christopher Lambert is the perfect Tarzan. He moves very well and does not have an overly muscular body. Andy McDowell is a very stunning Jane although her voice was dubbed by Glen Close. (The only woman to provide the voices of the two closest women in Tarzan's life: Jane in this one and Kala, Tarzan's mom, in Disney's Tarzan.) There is very good chemistry between Lambert and McDowell.

I must point out that this is a very emotional film and it is more about emotions than action. My favorite scene is towards the end when Tarzan's daddy ape is killed in Hyde park and he yells "He was my father!' Very emotional and very depressing because the film is mostly about loss and Tarzan trying to discover who he is in this world.

I would truly say if in your lifetime you only see one Tarzan movie this one should be it. That's why, on a scale of 1 to 5, GREYSTOKE THE LEGEND OF TARZAN LORD OF THE APES is fully armed with a wopping 5 JUNGLE KNIVES.

Next week our film is TARZAN GOES TO INDIA starring Jock Mahoney, so get out that film and watch it with us and I will be back to discuss it next week. Until then THE JUNGLE IS CLOSED.

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Visit the ERBzine Silver Screen Archives for background on next week's film
TARZAN GOES TO INDIA


Send your comments to Calvin at:
vampirellasbite@yahoo.com

CALVIN'S MOVIE OF THE WEEK VIII
TARZAN GOES TO INDIA Well, here we are back in the jungle again pulling out another film and this one is a really great one. TARZAN GOES TO INDIA. This film I must say is one of my favorites even though it stars my least favorite Tarzan (Jock Mahoney) who I feel looks too old to be the lord of the jungle. But this film is so damn good I am willing to forgive that small infraction.

The story concerns Tarzan who is summoned to India to help prevent the animals from being drowned when a new dam is being built. He must also kill a rogue elephant who is leading the elephants in a stampede. He is helped by a local boy named Jai who has a large elephant that is responsible for the demise of the rogue elephant. Tarzan tells Jai that, "A boy becomes a man when he kills his first lion." The rogue elephant will be Jai's lion.

The best part is when the Tarzan leads the elephants to destroy a wall and keeps the animals from being drowned.

Even though I feel Jock Mahoney is too old he still gives a fine performance and he works well with Jai who is played by himself. Other great performances are Leo Gordon whom you really love to hate and also Mark Dana who struggles with what is the right thing to do. Kamara is very good as Simi.

This film is full of action from start to finish and it has a very adult story with no cheeta or boy stuff. This is a great film and so TARZAN GOES TO INDIA brings in 4 1/2 JUNGLE KNIFES. It would have gotten 5 with a younger Tarzan, but it'sstill a great film to watch.

Next week Tarzan meets James Bond and I am very serious because next week we shall watch TARZAN AND THE VALLEY OF GOLD starring Mike Henry. So get out your VHS or DVD and watch this film with us. I will be back next week to talk about this very unusual film, but until the THE JUNGLE IS CLOSED.

Visit the ERBzine Silver Screen Archives for background on next week's film
TARZAN AND THE VALLEY OF GOLD

 http://www.erbzine.com/mag2/0210.html

Send your comments to Calvin at:
vampirellasbite@yahoo.com

 

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CALVIN'S MOVIE OF THE WEEK X
THE LAND THAT TIME FORGOT

Welcome back to our Jungle Vault as we pull out another film based on the work of Edgar Rice Burroughs. But for this week we have left Tarzan's Jungle for an altogether different one.

This week's feature is the 1975 film THE LAND THAT TIME FORGOT starring Doug McClure. Remember, my friends, that Burroughs wrote other things besides Tarzan so this was an attempt to bring some of his other works to the screen.

The story takes place during World War One. A German submarine torpedoes a British passenger ship and only a few survive. Among the survivors are Bowen Tyler (Doug McClure) and Lisa Clayton (Susan Penhaligon). At first they take over the German sub to try to force them to go back to an English port. They are foiled in this by the Germans as they sabotage the compass but ironically their success in this causes the crew to become lost. Eventually they find themselves in a place called Caprona, an uncharted island in the Antarctic. Here they find a world filled with prehistoric dinosaurs and people who, in the course of their lives, go through an entire evolutionary stage. As they try to cope with the events the former enemies decide that the war in Europe is meaningless in their present situation. They realize that they must all work together to survive.

I like how this film does not take sides with World War One -- clearly both the English and German perspective is valid. I also find it fascinating that I am more interested in the human interactions than the dinosaurs. I even find I enjoy the action sequences involving the humans more then the ones involving dinosaurs, which is funny because this is a dinosaur movie.

The special effects involving the dinosaurs are not very good but are adequate, as is the volcano eruption at the end of the film. Although I do remember when I saw this film as a kid of 15 I believed the dinosaurs more then than I do now. This is probably because now we have seen films like Jurassic Park that really do a great job on the dinosaurs and we must remember there was no CGI then. But even at that time I was still more fascinated by the human story than the dinosaurs.

Some of the best performances feature John McEnery as Captain Von Schoenvorts, who plays the role on several layers -- allowing us to see even the humanity in our enemies as well. Bobby Parr as Ahm is also very enjoyable as the cave man who shows them the secret of the evolutionary path of his people and Susan Penhaligon is also great as Lisa. Doug McClure, however, is pretty boring as Bowen Tyler. He pretty much is a one-dimensional actor.

But all in all this is still an enjoyable film that brings in 2 1/2 JUNGLE KNIVES. It might have gotten more if the dinosaur sequences had been better.

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Now next week we go far back in time to a film from the silent era: TARZAN AND THE GOLDEN LION starring James H. Pierce and Dorothy Dunbar. So watch this film with us and next week I shall give you my thoughts on it. Until we meet again next week THE JUNGLE IS CLOSED.

Visit the ERBzine Silver Screen Archives for background on next week's film
TARZAN AND THE GOLDEN LION
 http://www.erbzine.com/mag5/0591.html
To see the screen captures plus French translations accompanying the above text visit:
Tarzan and the Golden Lion: ERBzine 0640  and ERBzine 0641
 

Read the James Pierce Autobiography at
http://www.erbzine.com/mag27/2729.html

Send your comments to Calvin at:
vampirellasbite@yahoo.com

CALVIN'S ARCHIVE
Comments on 

www.erbzine.com/mag6/0623.html

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THE MOST VIOLENT OF ALL TARZAN FILMS?
by Calvin Bowes

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The body count in Tarzan Triumphs is 14. This has to be the most violent of all the Tarzan films. In this I am only counting those killed by Tarzan or his friends, not the people of Polandria. 

1. Two are killed as birds deliberately fly into their plane. 
2. The next two are brutally killed as Tarzan leads them into a lake filled with cannibal fish.
3. One more is killed by Bully the elephant as he pushes a Nazi off a cliff. 
4. The next one Tarzan kills in cold blood, as he jumps out of a tree and throws a Nazi off a cliff 
5. Another Nazi is killed by Tarzan lowering a rope behind him and pulling him into a tree high above. He then lets go of the rope and the Nazi falls to his death. This death is in cold blood.
6. The next death is in self defense. As a Nazi is about to shoot Tarzan, he throws a knife into the Nazi's chest 
7. Tarzan then approaches a Nazi from behind and throws him off a building. 
8. As a Nazi walks below Tarzan throws his knife into the man's head 
9.  Cheeta has to get into the act as she shoots one Nazi on a roof top. She shoots him with a machine gun, then starts chuckling.
10. Now it's Boy's turn as he takes out a pistol and shoots a Nazi in the street below. 
11. The last Nazi is killed when Tarzan leads him to a lion pit and the Nazi is eaten alive.

Now this film is only 78 minutes long, which means for every 7 1/2 minutes someone dies at the hands of Tarzan  or one of his friends. And I can bet if the villains were not Nazis this film would never have passed the Hayes office review board. This is still one of my favorite Tarzan flicks, but I feel you must agree this is the most gratuitously violent of all of them.