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 XII
TARZAN AND THE LOST CITY

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Welcome to the jungle - "we got what it takes," Oops. . . Sorry wrong column. This week we are going into the jungle vault and pulling out another film based on the work of Edgar Rice Burroughs. We've watched TARZAN AND THE LOST CITY starring Casper Van Dien and Jane Marsh (wow, in almost 100 years we finally have a Jane named Jane). When I first saw this film I felt as though it could be a sequel to Greystoke. It's not as good a film as that but I find it still quite entertaining. 

The story involves Lord John Clayton AKA Tarzan, who is planning to marry Jane. He has a vision that native friends of his are in danger in Africa and so he must postpone the marriage to help his friends. Jane, however, disapproves so Tarzan goes off on his own, but Jane still follows him anyway. The villain, Nigel Ravens (Steven Waddington), plans to first poach animals and sell them and then use that money to find the lost city of Opar. He plans to kidnap Jane in the bargain. 

I'm ashamed to say it but I really enjoyed this film. I feel that Jane Marsh is the best Jane since Maureen O Sullivan. She is beautiful and strong but still has a real vulnerability that makes her quite appealing. Casper Van Dien is an OK Tarzan but nothing to write home to Cheetah about. Even so, he and Jane Marsh have a very strong chemistry about them. The bad dude in this film is Raven played by Steven Waddington and he is a very creepy and evil guy. In one scene when he captures Jane she slaps him and he hauls off and slugs her in the face. He certainly is no gentleman, which makes it even nicer when he gets his come up-ins in the end. 

One of my favorite moments is when Tarzan is bitten by a cobra and he hides behind a tree. He is very weak from the poison and the bees from the hive in the tree fly all over him to hide his body. As I said, I happen to like this film a lot, so it gets 3 1/2 Jungle Knives. It would get 4 with a better Tarzan. 

Next week we are going into the animated world as we watch Disney's TARZAN so watch this film with us and be with us 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
DISNEY'S TARZAN

ERBzine Refs:
ERBzine Silver Screen
ERBzine 0181: Quest For Tarzan On The Disney Lot
ERBzine 0099 TARAK'S DISNEY TARZAN PREVIEW REVIEW
ERBzine 0257: Wayne James' Presents: Q & A Session on Disney Lot

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

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CALVIN'S ERB MOVIE OF THE WEEK XIII

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DISNEY'S TARZAN
ERBzine Refs:
ERBzine 0181: Quest For Tarzan On The Disney Lot
ERBzine 0099 TARAK'S DISNEY TARZAN PREVIEW REVIEW
ERBzine 0257: Wayne James' Presents: Q & A Session on Disney Lot It's jungle time again my friends and this week we are seeing the animated side of the ape man for we have been watching DISNEY'S TARZAN and what a delightful film it is. The story is about how Lord and Lady Greystoke were stranded in Africa and died leaving their child to be raised by Kala (voiced by Glen Close). Close is the only woman to voice the two most important women in Tarzan's life. She voiced Jane in Greystoke. Now all she has to do someday is to provide the voice of Lady Alice and her Tarzan career will be complete. 

Tarzan (voiced by Alex D. Linz as a boy and Tony Goodman as a man) must cope with living as an ape while being different. Kerchak (voiced by Lance Hendrickson) allows Tarzan to stay with the ape tribe but is determined that he will never be his son.  Tarzan's best friend is Terk (voiced by Rosie O'Donnell) who is there strictly for comic relief. As Tarzan gets older he eventually discovers people who are like him, especially a pretty girl named Jane Porter (Minnie Driver) and her father (Nigel Hawthorne) and the evil Clayton (Brian Blessed). Jane and her father are in Africa to discover and observe gorillas, but Clayton plans to capture them for money. 

What is fun in this film is the wayTarzan swings through the jungle. It is like a roller coaster ride and it feels like the way his swinging was described in the original books.  The animation in this film is wonderful. But the best part for me in this film is the music by Phil Collins. I remember when I first saw this film with my mom when it came out and I heard the song "You'll Be In My Heart." I told my mom that this song would win best song at the Oscars and I was right. 

This film has a wonderful message about how even though you are different you still are important in life. So I judge, Disney's Tarzan to be fully armed with 5 JUNGLE KNIFES and a bow and arrow. 

Next week Johnny Weissmuller is back in our jungle vault as I invite you to watch TARZAN AND THE AMAZONS with me. 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 AMAZONS

ERBzine Ref:
http://www.erbzine.com/mag6/0625.html

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

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CALVIN'S ERB MOVIE OF THE WEEK XIV
TARZAN AND THE AMAZONS

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We are back as we look into our jungle vault and pull out another film based on the works of Edgar Rice Burroughs. This week's film is TARZAN AND THE AMAZONS starring Johnny Weissmuller and Brenda Joyce.  Now before I begin this review I have a little trivia question to ask that I will answer at the end of the review. What is not in this film that has been in every Tarzan film before this one -- in some form all through the talking era? As I said I shall answer at the end of the review.

The story of this film centers on a civilization of women. Tarzan (Johnny Weissmuller) rescues a girl from their city and brings her back, unaware that Boy (Johnny Sheffield) has followed him. This place is a closely guarded secret. 

Later Tarzan and Boy meet Jane (Brenda Joyce) in Randini. She has just returned from  England. Cheetah,who has taken a bracelet from the girl, gives it to Jane who thinks it is a gift from Tarzan. Her friends look at the engravings on the bracelet and are convinced it is from a lost civilization and they are going to try to get Tarzan to take them there. Tarzan, however, refuses saying, "Not good for man to look into the sun." Because Tarzan refuses to help them Boy takes it upon himself to help the explorers, only to find that the main goal of all but one of them is to steal the treasures of this city. Boy ends up being sentenced to death but is rescued by Tarzan.

This is a very enjoyable film. It was the third film put out by RKO. Johnny Weissmuller is a lot of fun as Tarzan but Brenda Joyce is a little bit of a disappointment after Maureen O'Sullivan. She is just too wholesome with no real sex appeal and she has very little chemistry with Weissmuller. Sheffield is really good as Boy. The bad guys in this film are not very memorable, but the Amazon Queen played by Maria Ouspenskaya, is very good.

This film is my personal favorite of the Weissmuller RKO period. So on a scale of 1 to 5 this film brings in 4 JUNGLE KNIVES.   By the way, the answer to the question is that there is no Tarzan yell in this film. 

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Visit the ERBzine Silver Screen Archives for background on next week's film
when Brenda Joyce will get another chance as she joins Lex Barker in:
TARZAN'S MAGIC FOUNTAIN

ERBzine Ref:
http://www.erbzine.com/mag6/0629.html

So watch this film with us and I will be back next week with my opinion 
But until then, the THE JUNGLE IS CLOSED!

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

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CALVIN'S ERB MOVIE OF THE WEEK XV
TARZAN'S MAGIC FOUNTAIN

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Hello again and welcome back to our movie jungle vault as we pull out another film based on the works of YOU KNOW WHO. This week's film is TARZAN'S MAGIC FOUNTAIN starring Lex Barker in his first Tarzan film and Brenda Joyce in her last one.  I must admit that this film is one of my favorites, even though it is the least action packed, but it has a very good story.

Tarzan finds a diary of a long lost pilot named Gloria James (Evelyn Ankers) who has been missing for over 20 years. He also is informed that a man has been sitting in prison for 20 years for a crime he didn't commit. So he goes to a lost city and brings the pilot back. When Jane meets her she hasn't aged at all. Jane asks how this is and Tarzan refuses to tell her. 

Meanwhile, two unscrupulous men played by Albert Decker and Charles Drake become very interested -- thinking that the valley she came from is the fountain of youth.  Later Gloria James comes back married to Douglas Jessep played by Alan Napier and asks Tarzan to take her and her husband back to the valley. Tarzan refuses so Jane decides to take them herself and finds she's not good at jungle survival. Even though Jane has spent several years living in the jungle  she still doesn't know basic jungle survival.  I find this hard to believe. 

I find this film very entertaining. I feel Brenda Joyce has a better chemistry with Lex Barker than she did with Johnny Weissmuller. This film also made me wonder, though. How is it  that Tarzan was able to make friends with the people in this lost city and come and go as he pleases, yet anyone else who visits must be killed?  But even with this question being a mystery I still feel TARZAN'S MAGIC FOUNTAIN brings in 3 1/2 JUNGLE KNIVES. 

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Next week we scrape the bottom of the barrel and bring you 
TARZAN THE APE MAN starring Denny Miller.

ERBzine Reference:  http://www.erbzine.com/mag19/1959.html
so watch it next week with us and I will bring you my thoughts on the film. 
Until next week THE JUNGLE IS CLOSED.

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

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CALVIN'S ERB MOVIE OF THE WEEK XVI
TARZAN THE APE MAN

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It's jungle time again as we look at a film based on the works of Edgar Rice Burroughs and this week is spring cleaning in the winter as we take out the trash. For this week unfortunately we watched the 1959 remake of TARZAN THE APE MAN starring Denny Miller and Joanna Barnes. And as you can see I'm not going to call this film a masterpiece. It is not the 'Gone with the Wind' of Tarzan flicks - it's more like the 'Plan 9 from Outer Space' one. It's that bad . The story is about how Jane Parker comes to Africa to find her father and he takes her to find the Elephants' Graveyard. In this journey Jane meets Tarzan. Now from what I'm telling you, you may say this has the makings of a good movie - which the original was. But this film is so cheaply made even by 1959 standards. For example when Tarzan goes swimming and we see him in close-up it is obviously superimposed. Also when he swings through the vines or fights crocodiles the filmmakers choose to insert footage from the Johnny Weissmuller films that were shot in black and white, so they give it an ugly green tint.  Now is there anything good in this film? Well fortunately there is and that is Denny Miller and Joanna Barnes. They are very good as Tarzan and Jane, I only wish they had better material to work with. So the truth is if you didn't watch this film with us you were fortunate and if you did I'm sorry. 

On a scale of 1 to 5 this film comes in completely disarmed with 1/2 A BROKEN JUNGLE KNIFE. Well, next week I promise something better, for next week is TARZAN THE MAGNIFICENT with Gordon Scott so watch this film with us. Until next week THE JUNGLE IS CLOSED.

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

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CALVIN'S ERB MOVIE OF THE WEEK XVII
TARZAN THE MAGNIFICENT

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Welcome back to the Jungle as I pull out another film from our Jungle Vault and this week we spotlight a real gem. TARZAN THE MAGNIFICENT starring Gordon Scott. This film is a real bargain - a 2-for-1 sale. Buy one Tarzan and get one free because the villain Coy Banton is played by Jock Mahoney who would play Tarzan in the very next film. 

The plot is simple. Tarzan must escort Coy Banton and a group of others across the jungle so that Coy Banton can face trial. But they are being pursued by Able Banton John Caradine) and his sons, who are determined to get him back. 

This film truly lives up to its title because it is Magnificent. Not only is there a lot of action, but it's a very good drama as well. For example we have a great performance by John Carradine as he is trying to retrieve his favorite  son and will risk even his other sons' lives to get him back. One of my favorite parts is when Ames (Lionel Jeffries), who is very much a racist, was saved by Tate (Earl Cameron) who is a black man. He tries to understand why he would save him after he has treated him like dirt. A very good moment. This film is a very dramatic film indeed, but it also has one of the great stunts from any Tarzan picture as well -- a huge dive off  beautiful waterfalls. 

Now Gordon Scott is very good in this movie. He is a very good actor, although I still contend he is too bulky to play Tarzan. I feel that Tarzan should be leaner in muscle tone.  When advertising this film they said it was the first to not have a Tarzan yell which is not true. Tarzan and the Amazons was the first. But I do believe this was the first one to not have it in the film on purpose because in many ways the yell had become a joke because it was parodied a lot. But not being in this film does not detract from our enjoyment of it. So TARZAN THE MAGNIFICENT comes in fully armed with 5 JUNGLE KNIVES. 

Next week Flash Gordon himself will take a crack at playing the Apeman as we all watch TARZAN THE FEARLESS starring Buster Crabbe. So join us next week after watching this film . . . and until then, THE JUNGLE IS CLOSED!

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CALVIN'S ERB MOVIE OF THE WEEK XVIII
TARZAN THE FEARLESS

It's Jungle Time again as we pull out a movie from our Jungle Vault. This week we view TARZAN THE FEARLESS starring Buster Crabbe. The story concerns Mary Brooks played by Jacqueline Wells, who comes to Africa to find her father played by E. Alyn Warren. She is accompanied by her fiance (Edward Woods) and two unsavory villains (Philo McCullough and Matthew Betz). The bag guys have two options to make money -- one: find a mysterious lost city and take its riches or, two: bring in the head of Tarzan. But Jeff Herbert decides he will force Mary to marry him and take the riches instead.

In the meantime, Mary meets and falls in love with Tarzan and is almost sold into slavery by some Arab slave traders. As you can see a lot happens in the film even though it is only 80 minutes long. I must confess I really enjoyed this film -- it's great fun and a guilty pleasure. It's a film you are almost ashamed to say you like, but I do. The film has many good performances, especially by Philo McCullough, and Wells is pretty sexy as Mary. Buster Crabbe is very good as well as Tarzan, despite having the worst Tarzan yell of all time, but that's not his fault. And he and Wells have great chemistry together. 

TARZAN THE FEARLESS brings in 3 JUNGLE KNIVES for being a very fun film to watch. 

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Next week Jock Mahoney swings into action in the Far East as we watch the first Tarzan film I ever saw on the screen: TARZAN'S THREE CHALLENGES. So watch this film with us and join us next week. Until that time, THE JUNGLE IS CLOSED.

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CALVIN'S ERB MOVIE OF THE WEEK XIX
TARZAN'S THREE CHALLENGES Well, as I go through our JUNGLE VAULT to pull out another film I've found one this week that I have real affection for. The reason is that when I was six years old I used to go every Saturday to the kiddie matinee and this film was the very first Tarzan film I ever saw -- and it is one of the reasons I became a Tarzan fan to begin with. The film is TARZAN'S THREE CHALLENGES starring Jock Mahoney. 

Now I'll try to remove the rose-colored glasses of childhood to give this film a proper review. In this story Tarzan goes to Thailand to protect a young boy and help him to assume the throne of their people. An evil man named Khan (Woody Strode) is plotting to do whatever is possible to prevent him from becoming their king.

The Three challenges Tarzan faces are to 1) Prove he is worthy to bring back the child, 2) Escort the child back to his home and 3) Fight a duel-to-the-death that ends up on a net that is strung over pots of boiling oil. Even as an adult watching this film I find that it is just as exiting as when I watched it as a child. Jock Mahoney is very good as Tarzan, but the best performance goes to Woody Strode, who is a very good villain. The scene I remember most as a kid and thought was so cool then just doesn't work as well for me as an adult. This is the fight on the nets. Tarzan is so thin in that scene that I find it hard to believe that his bouncing up and down on the net would be enough to throw a truly big man like Woody Strode off balance. But I do understand that this was because Jock Mahoney had gotten real sick while making this flick and that he lost a lot of weight -- so it wasn't his fault.

But all of this aside, TARZAN'S THREE CHALLENGES is entertaining enough to garner 4 JUNGLE KNIVES. I know if I had written this review when I was six it would have gotten five, for this is the film that made me a TARZAN FAN. 

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Next week our film will be TARZAN'S REVENGE starring Glen Morris so fire up that DVD player and watch this film with us. Until then, THE JUNGLE IS CLOSED! 

ERBzine Reference for 
TARZAN'S REVENGE

www.erbzine.com/mag6/0619.html

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CALVIN'S ERB MOVIE OF THE WEEK XX
TARZAN'S REVENGE We are now back in our Jungle Vault pulling out another feature based on the work of Edgar Rice Burroughs. This weeks film is Tarzan's Revenge starring Glenn Morris and Eleanor Holm. This film was made at the time when we had too many Tarzans. We also had Buster Crabbe in Tarzan the Fearless, Johnny Weissmuller had just released Tarzan Escapes and Bruce Bennet was in The New Adventures of Tarzan. This movie, TARZAN'S REVENGE, proves it is possible to have too much of a good thing. TOO MANY TARZANS SPOIL THE MOVIES.

This film is the worst of them. The story concerns Eleanor Reed (Eleanor Holm) who accompanies her wimpy fiance, George Meeker, and her family on a hunting expedition in Africa. She finds that an Arabian Sheik (George Barbier) wants her as one of his 100 wives, but Tarzan steals her for himself. The film is very slow moving and very dull. There is only one action scene in the whole movie that is memorable. That is the scene where Tarzan fights some natives on a suspension bridge and they throw a spear at him, which he catches and throws back.

This film also stars the worst Tarzan of all time, in my opinion.  Glenn Morris is terrible as Tarzan. I think Tarzan should not have a big nose and when he speaks he sounds like an idiot more than a person who is just sort of learning how Weissmuller and Crabbe played the role. Now Eleanor Holm, on the other hand, is pretty good in the role and she is very sexy and feisty as well. But she and Morris have absolutely no chemistry between each other.

So in rating this film I give it only 1 JUNGLE KNIFE.

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Next week Johnny Weissmuller is back in TARZAN'S NEW YORK ADVENTURE.
So watch this film with us and next week Ill give you my thoughts.
Until then, the THE JUNGLE IS CLOSED

ERBzine Reference for Tarzan's New York Adventure

http://www.erbzine.com/mag6/0622.html