''Tarzan's Peril'' is a 1951 film directed by

Byron Haskin Byron Conrad Haskin (April 22, 1899 – April 16, 1984) was an American film and television director, special effects creator and cinematographer. He is best known for directing '' The War of the Worlds'' (1953), one of many films where he ...

and starring Lex Barker as

Tarzan Tarzan (John Clayton, Viscount Greystoke) is a fictional character, a 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 adventurer. Creat ...

and Virginia Huston as Jane, and featuring

Dorothy Dandridge Dorothy Jean Dandridge (November 9, 1922 – September 8, 1965) was an American actress and singer. She was the first African-American film star to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress for '' Carmen Jones'' (1954). Dandridge had a ...

as "Melmendi, Queen of the Ashuba." The fifteenth film of the ''Tarzan'' film series that began with 1932's '' Tarzan the Ape Man'', some of it was shot in

Kenya Kenya, officially the Republic of Kenya, is a country located in East Africa. With an estimated population of more than 52.4 million as of mid-2024, Kenya is the 27th-most-populous country in the world and the 7th most populous in Africa. ...

, making it the first ''Tarzan'' film to be filmed in Africa, though the majority of its location shooting was done in the United States. Critics praised the convincing integration of the African and American footage. The film is frequently shown under the alternative titles ''Jungle Queen'' and ''Tarzan and the Jungle Queen'', and was followed by '' Tarzan's Savage Fury'' in 1952.

Plot

District Commissioner Peters delays his retirement when confronted with Radijeck, an escaped criminal resuming his gunrunning on behalf on an unnamed foreign power. When Peters and his replacement Connors discover the gunrunning, Radijeck murders the two men. Radijeck sells the weapons to King Bulam who arms his men to revenge himself against Melmendi, Queen of a rival tribe who spurns his offer of marriage. With Melmendi and her people held captive, only Tarzan can stop them.

Cast

Critical reception

A contemporary review of the film in ''

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

'' reported that it "has the familiar ingredients of jungle adventure, plus good background footage actually lensed in Africa," and "Lex Barker is a capable hero in his Tarzan character. Script could have made him even more of a superman, but otherwise does not let down the fans of the Edgar Rice Burroughs creation." Writing in

Turner Classic Movies Turner Classic Movies (TCM) is an American movie channel, movie-oriented pay television, pay-TV television network, network owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. Launched in 1994, Turner Classic Movies is headquartered at Turner's Techwood broadcas ...

, critic John Miller described the film as "perhaps the best of Barker's five Tarzan pictures," noting that "the effort to capture genuine scenes in Africa give the film a sense of scope and verisimilitude that previous Tarzan pictures could not approach."

References

External links

* * *
ERBzine Silver Screen: ''Tarzan's Peril''
1951 films 1950s fantasy adventure films American black-and-white films American fantasy films American sequel films Films scored by Michel Michelet Films shot in Kenya Films shot in the United States

Peril Imminent peril, or imminent danger, is an American legal concept that defines the term as "certain danger, immediate, and impending; menacingly close at hand, and threatening." In many states in the US, a mere necessity for quick action does not co ...

Films produced by Sol Lesser RKO Pictures films 1950s English-language films Films directed by Byron Haskin 1950s American films English-language fantasy adventure films {{1950s-adventure-film-stub