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''Tarzan's Greatest Adventure'' is a 1959
Eastmancolor Eastmancolor is a trade name used by Eastman Kodak for a number of related film and processing technologies associated with color motion picture production and referring to George Eastman, founder of Kodak. Eastmancolor, introduced in 1950, was on ...
adventure film An adventure film is a form of adventure fiction, and is a genre of film. Subgenres of adventure films include swashbuckler films, pirate films, and survival films. Adventure films may also be combined with other film genres such as action, ani ...
directed by
John Guillermin John Guillermin (11 November 192527 September 2015) was a French-British film director, writer and producer who was most active in big-budget, action-adventure films throughout his lengthy career. His more well-known films include ''I Was Monty ...
, produced by
Sy Weintraub Sy Weintraub (May 28, 1923 – April 4, 2000) was an American film and television producer best known for his series of Tarzan films and television episodes between 1959 and 1968. Weintraub broke with the Johnny Weissmuller formula of portraying ...
and Harvey Hayutin, and written by Les Crutchfield, based on the character created by Edgar Rice Burroughs. With a strong supporting cast that included
Anthony Quayle Sir John Anthony Quayle (7 September 1913 – 20 October 1989) was a British actor and theatre director. He was nominated for an Oscar and a Golden Globe for his supporting role as Thomas Wolsey in the film '' Anne of the Thousand Days'' (1969) ...
and
Sean Connery Sir Sean Connery (born Thomas Connery; 25 August 1930 – 31 October 2020) was a Scottish actor. He was the first actor to portray fictional British secret agent James Bond on film, starring in seven Bond films between 1962 and 1983. Origin ...
, and a focus on action and suspense, the film won critical praise as a Tarzan film that appealed to adults as well as children. The film features a literate
Tarzan Tarzan (John Clayton II, Viscount Greystoke) is a fictional character, an archetypal feral child raised in the African jungle by the Mangani great apes; he later experiences civilization, only to reject it and return to the wild as a heroic adv ...
portrayed by
Gordon Scott Gordon Scott (born Gordon Merrill Werschkul; August 3, 1926 – April 30, 2007) was an American film and television actor known for his portrayal of the fictional character Tarzan in five films (and one compilation of three made-as-a ...
. The character of Jane, Tarzan's wife, does not appear and is not mentioned. At one point, Tarzan briefly romances a female character, suggesting that he is a loner, not a family man.
Cheeta Cheeta (sometimes billed as Cheetah, Cheta, and Chita) is a chimpanzee character that appeared in numerous Hollywood Tarzan films of the 1930s–1960s, as well as the 1966–1968 television series, as the ape sidekick of the title character, Tarza ...
, Tarzan's chimp companion in many films, appears only a few times near the start of the film, and the kind of comic relief that Cheeta represents is generally absent from the film.


Plot

At night, the village of Mantu is raided for its supply of
dynamite Dynamite is an explosive made of nitroglycerin, sorbents (such as powdered shells or clay), and stabilizers. It was invented by the Swedish chemist and engineer Alfred Nobel in Geesthacht, Northern Germany, and patented in 1867. It rapidly g ...
. The village doctor and radio operator interrupt the robbery and are fatally shot. Before dying, the operator gasps, "Slade" over the
shortwave radio Shortwave radio is radio transmission using shortwave (SW) radio frequencies. There is no official definition of the band, but the range always includes all of the high frequency band (HF), which extends from 3 to 30 MHz (100 to 10 me ...
. The next morning, Tarzan is awakened by African drums that alert him to something wrong. He arrives at Mantu, where a funeral is held for the fallen villagers. British police inspector Colonel Sundley informs Tarzan of what happened and that root dye was found. This leads Tarzan to believe that the robbers were "white men painted black". Tarzan meets Angie, an American model and pilot. Angie tells him that she overheard the name "Slade" on her airplane radio. Tarzan remembers a Slade, a ruthless criminal who once sacrificed three men rather than lose the hunt for a prized rogue elephant. After dropping off his pet
chimpanzee The chimpanzee (''Pan troglodytes''), also known as simply the chimp, is a species of great ape native to the forest and savannah of tropical Africa. It has four confirmed subspecies and a fifth proposed subspecies. When its close relative the ...
Cheeta at his treehouse, Tarzan travels by canoe to catch Slade and his gang. Along the way he sees Angie's plane. She taunts him with low flyovers. However, her engine stalls, and she crashes into the river. Tarzan saves her from a crocodile. Being unable to leave her stranded, he brings Angie to the hunt. Meanwhile, Slade and his quartet of thieves (consisting of the sullen ex-con Dino, the drunkard O'Bannion, the German Kreiger, and Slade's girlfriend, Toni) continue by riverboat towards what is revealed to be a secret
diamond Diamond is a solid form of the element carbon with its atoms arranged in a crystal structure called diamond cubic. Another solid form of carbon known as graphite is the chemically stable form of carbon at room temperature and pressure, ...
mine. The dynamite was stolen for excavating the gems. When their riverboat malfunctions, the thieves begin to quarrel among themselves, allowing Tarzan and Angie to catch up. O'Bannion's teases Dino, who tries to kill him. In the ensuing chase, Dino stumbles into quicksand and drowns. The criminals find their boat riddled with arrows, a signal that Tarzan has tracked them down. Slade and O'Bannion disembark, while Kreiger hurls dynamite at Tarzan, wounding him. Tarzan manages to kill O'Bannion, but Slade closes in. With Slade gone, Kreiger believes he can coerce Toni into telling him where the diamond mine is. Slade comes back, pummels Kreiger into submission, and continues the journey towards the mine. Tarzan's injuries require Angie to tend to him, she comforts him and risks her life to steal medical supplies from Slade's boat. She is captured by Slade, who uses her to lure Tarzan into a trap. With Slade absent, Kreiger sees another chance, he frees Angie and tells her to inform Tarzan where they are. Toni overhears Kreiger and flees to warn Slade, but accidentally falls to her death through a trap door pit meant for Tarzan. Kreiger convinces Slade that Toni was frightened by a passing lion, and the men continue toward the mine. Once inside, Kreiger confirms that it is a mother lode of diamonds. However, Slade is more interested in killing Tarzan than in the gems. Kreiger tries to kill Slade, but fails. Slade confronts Kreiger, who offers him all the diamonds he has collected if he lets him go. Unmoved, Slade kills Kreiger. Tarzan is nursed back to health by Angie. He continues to be obsessed with capturing Slade, much to her displeasure. Tarzan thanks Angie for her help, and swings away for a final confrontation with Slade. From high atop a river bluff, Slade fires rifle shots at Tarzan, who reaches him despite this. At first Slade gets the upper hand by lassoing Tarzan with his wire noose. However, Tarzan's superior strength and endurance wins out, and he pushes Slade over the edge of the cliff onto the rocks below. Tarzan bellows his famous yell, runs to a pool, and gazes upon his reflection triumphantly. He sees Angie below, steering the boat back to Mantu. Tarzan hesitates, considering joining her. But he looks back at the jungle, realizes that is where he belongs, and returns instead to his treehouse and Cheeta.


Cast

*
Gordon Scott Gordon Scott (born Gordon Merrill Werschkul; August 3, 1926 – April 30, 2007) was an American film and television actor known for his portrayal of the fictional character Tarzan in five films (and one compilation of three made-as-a ...
as Tarzan *
Anthony Quayle Sir John Anthony Quayle (7 September 1913 – 20 October 1989) was a British actor and theatre director. He was nominated for an Oscar and a Golden Globe for his supporting role as Thomas Wolsey in the film '' Anne of the Thousand Days'' (1969) ...
as Slade * Sara Shane as Angie Loring *
Sean Connery Sir Sean Connery (born Thomas Connery; 25 August 1930 – 31 October 2020) was a Scottish actor. He was the first actor to portray fictional British secret agent James Bond on film, starring in seven Bond films between 1962 and 1983. Origin ...
as O'Bannion *
Niall MacGinnis Patrick Niall MacGinnis (29 March 1913 – 6 January 1977) was an Irish actor who made around 80 screen appearances. Early life MacGinnis was born in Dublin in 1913.
as Kreiger *
Al Mulock Alfred Mulock Rogers (June 30, 1926 – May 1968), better known as Al Mulock or Al Mulloch, was a Canadian character actor. Early life Alfred Mulock Rogers was born on June 30, 1926 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He was the only child of Adèle ...
as Dino *
Scilla Gabel Scilla Gabel (born Gianfranca Gabellini; 4 January 1938) is an Italian film, television and stage actress. She appeared in 50 films between 1954 and 1982. Career Born in Rimini, Italy, one of five children, Gabel entered the cinema industry a ...
as Toni


Production notes

The
Tarzan films Tarzan (John Clayton II, Viscount Greystoke) is a fictional character, an archetypal feral child raised in the African jungle by the Mangani great apes; he later experiences civilization, only to reject it and return to the wild as a heroic adv ...
had been produced by
Sol Lesser Sol Lesser (February 17, 1890 – September 19, 1980) was an American film producer. He received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1960 and was awarded the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award in 1961. Biography In 1913, while living in San F ...
since '' Tarzan Triumphs'' (1943). In April 1958 Lesser sold his company, including the rights to the Tarzan films, to
Sy Weintraub Sy Weintraub (May 28, 1923 – April 4, 2000) was an American film and television producer best known for his series of Tarzan films and television episodes between 1959 and 1968. Weintraub broke with the Johnny Weissmuller formula of portraying ...
for a reported $3.5 million.
Gordon Scott Gordon Scott (born Gordon Merrill Werschkul; August 3, 1926 – April 30, 2007) was an American film and television actor known for his portrayal of the fictional character Tarzan in five films (and one compilation of three made-as-a ...
had played Tarzan for the four previous films in the series under Lesser: ''
Tarzan's Hidden Jungle ''Tarzan's Hidden Jungle'' is a 1955 black-and-white film from RKO Pictures directed by Harold D. Schuster and starring Gordon Scott in his first film as Tarzan, taking over the role from Lex Barker, who had in turn followed Johnny Weissmuller ...
'' (1955), ''
Tarzan and the Lost Safari ''Tarzan and the Lost Safari'' is a 1957 action adventure film featuring Edgar Rice Burroughs' famous jungle hero Tarzan and starring Gordon Scott, Robert Beatty, Yolande Donlan and Betta St. John. Directed by H. Bruce Humberstone, it was the f ...
'' (1957), '' Tarzan and the Trappers'' (1958), and ''
Tarzan's Fight for Life ''Tarzan's Fight for Life'' is a 1958 Metrocolor action adventure film featuring Edgar Rice Burroughs' famous jungle hero Tarzan and starring Gordon Scott, Eve Brent, Rickie Sorensen, Jil Jarmyn, and Cheeta the chimpanzee. The film was directed ...
'' (1958). In July 1958 he announced he would not return as Tarzan, refusing to sign an exclusive contract. Weintraub said he would find a new Tarzan. In September 1958 Weintraub announced he had signed a two picture deal with
Paramount Pictures Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film and television production and distribution company and the main namesake division of Paramount Global (formerly ViacomCBS). It is the fifth-oldest film studio in the world, the second-oldest ...
to make two Tarzan films. The films would be shot on location and the first one would be called ''Tarzan's World Adventure''. They were still looking for an actor to replace Scott. In October the producers announced Theodore B. Sillis had signed to direct. In November
Hedda Hopper Hedda Hopper (born Elda Furry; May 2, 1885February 1, 1966) was an American gossip columnist and actress. At the height of her influence in the 1940s, her readership was 35 million. A strong supporter of the House Un-American Activities Committee ...
reported that Weintraub, unable to find a new Tarzan, has signed a seven year deal with Scott to play the role. The producer decided to make a different style of film. ''Tarzan's Greatest Adventure'' would present a grittier, more realistic Tarzan. A loner who could be as savage as his opponents, but could also speak eloquently and politely to allies. Tarzan would also be made vulnerable and not as invincible as previous incarnations. "Tarzan has grown up," said Scott in 1959. "I speak clearly understandable, everyday English." He also said "Lesser saw Tarzan as part of a family unit, but if you read Burroughs' books, the bastard reystokereally knew what to do. I always wanted to play it with some scars on me; he used to battle the bull apes, you know, and get a couple of lumps. I wanted to pursue that, but they wouldn't buy it. It may seem like a minor thing, but those minor things really add up." This vision of Tarzan heralded a new direction for the character and the series. He became more like the original Edgar Rice Burroughs creation (that is, articulate and intuitive) and even occasionally traveled abroad to make other wilderness regions safe—as in '' Tarzan Goes to India'' (1962) and ''
Tarzan and the Valley of Gold ''Tarzan and the Valley of Gold'' is a 1966 Eastmancolor adventure film starring Mike Henry in his debut as Tarzan. The Panavision film, produced by Sy Weintraub, written by Clair Huffaker, and directed by Robert Day, is remembered for its v ...
'' (1966). Filming started 9 February 1959. The film was shot on location in
Kenya ) , national_anthem = " Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Nairobi , coordinates = , largest_city = Nairobi ...
and at
Shepperton Studios Shepperton Studios is a film studio located in Shepperton, Surrey, England, with a history dating back to 1931. It is now part of the Pinewood Studios Group. During its early existence, the studio was branded as Sound City (not to be confused ...
in London. Stock safari footage was used to portray wildlife, especially animal attacks. Paramount did a deal with Sol Lesser Productions with a guarantee of $600,000 in turn for the releasing rights; the deal also gave Paramount 50% of the ownership of the negative. The film cost $750,000. Paramount agreed to pay for prints and advertising.
John Guillermin John Guillermin (11 November 192527 September 2015) was a French-British film director, writer and producer who was most active in big-budget, action-adventure films throughout his lengthy career. His more well-known films include ''I Was Monty ...
later said "For a short schedule, fairly low-budget picture, the whole affair really got me quite excited." Scott said "
Connery Connery (anglicization of the Gaelic ''Ó Conaire'') is a surname and may refer to: * Edward Connery (born 1933), Canadian politician * Gary Connery (born 1970), British skydiver and stuntman * Jason Connery (born 1963), English actor, son of S ...
was marvelous... He and I had some good giggles, when we got back to Shepperton. They wanted to use him in the next Tarzan, even though he gets killed in this one because he was very good. He said OK. but he had to do this thing for roducers Albert
Broccoli Broccoli (''Brassica oleracea'' var. ''italica'') is an edible green plant in the cabbage family (family Brassicaceae, genus ''Brassica'') whose large flowering head, stalk and small associated leaves are eaten as a vegetable. Broccoli is cl ...
and
arry Arry is the name of the following communes in France: * Arry, Moselle, in the Moselle department * Arry, Somme, in the Somme department 'Arry is also a nickname, an example of H dropping in the name Harry. Those with such a nickname include: * ...
Saltzman — and that was '' Dr. No''. We couldn't touch him after that." While the film was being made,
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and abbreviated as MGM, is an American film, television production, distribution and media company owned by Amazon through MGM Holdings, founded on April 17, 1924 a ...
made their own Tarzan film, '' Tarzan, the Ape Man'' (1959). They were able to do this because they retained remake rights for the 1932 film of the same name.HOLLYWOOD DOSSIER: Cukor's Western Style -- 'Tarzan' Entries By THOMAS McDONALDHOLLYWOOD. New York Times 29 Mar 1959: X7.


Reception

'' FilmInk'' called it "a masterpiece in the series, the best Tarzan film since ''
Tarzan and His Mate ''Tarzan and His Mate'' is a 1934 American pre-Code action adventure film based on the Tarzan character created by Edgar Rice Burroughs. Directed by Cedric Gibbons, it ...
'' (1934), and perhaps the most remarkable “turnaround of a franchise” in Hollywood history... the leap in quality after what had been over a decade of steady decline is remarkable." Gordon Scott stayed for one more Tarzan film, ''
Tarzan the Magnificent ''Tarzan the Magnificent'' is a 1960 British Eastmancolor film, the follow-up to '' Tarzan's Greatest Adventure'' (1959). Its plot bears no relation to that of the 1939 Edgar Rice Burroughs novel of the same name. The film was directed by R ...
'' (1960), before being replaced by
Jock Mahoney Jacques Joseph O'Mahoney (February 7, 1919 – December 14, 1989), known professionally as Jock Mahoney, was an American actor and stuntman. He starred in two Action/Adventure television series, '' The Range Rider'' and ''Yancy Derringer''. H ...
in '' Tarzan Goes to India'' (1962) which was also directed by Guillermin.


References


Notes

* Essoe, Gabe, ''Tarzan of the Movies'', 1968, The Citadel Press * Fury, David, ''Kings of the jungle : an illustrated reference to "Tarzan" on screen and television'', 1994, McFarland & Co.


External links

* * *
Tazan's Greatest Adventure
at Letterbox DVD
Tarzan's Greatest Adventure
at BFI * *
Al Mulock
Aveleyman)

{{John Guillermin 1959 films American fantasy adventure films 1950s fantasy adventure films American sequel films British fantasy adventure films British sequel films Films directed by John Guillermin Films scored by Douglas Gamley Paramount Pictures films Tarzan films Films shot in Kenya Films shot at Shepperton Studios Films produced by Sy Weintraub 1950s English-language films 1950s American films 1950s British films