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 in the series.[2] The film about Edgar Rice Burroughs' ape-man also features Vera Miles and Jack Elam. It was the last of twelve Tarzan pictures released by RKO.
| Tarzan's Hidden Jungle | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Harold D. Schuster |
| Screenplay by | William Lively |
| Based on | Characters created by Edgar Rice Burroughs |
| Produced by | Sol Lesser |
| Starring | Gordon Scott Vera Miles Jack Elam |
| Cinematography | William Whitney A.S.C. |
| Edited by | Leon Barsha |
| Music by | Paul Sawtell |
| Distributed by | RKO Radio Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 73 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Tarzan's mate, Jane, does not appear in the film. Tarzan at first seems to show more than casual interest in Miles' character Jill Hardy, but ultimately there is no romance. In real life, Scott and Miles were married after the film was completed.[3] Scott eventually played Tarzan in six movies over a five-year span.
Plot
Two hunters come into the jungle intent on killing as many animals as they can in order to get barrels of animal fat, lion skins and elephant tusks. Tarzan tries to help a baby elephant, one of their first victims. He takes the elephant to an animal doctor and his female assistant, who have pitched their tents in the jungle to do business. The hunters turn up and pretend they are photographers and have the doctor escort them to where the animals are. They leave the doctor and start killing animals. His assistant finds out what they're really up to and goes after them but needs Tarzan's help when she stumbles into quicksand. He rescues her, and she says she needs a bath so Tarzan throws her into the river.
They reach a tribe that worships animals and who are Tarzan's friends. However, the tribe hears that animals are being slaughtered and decide to kill the doctor and his assistant, who were responsible for leading the hunters there. Tarzan goes after the villains and they end up getting their just deserts. He arrives back in time to save the doctor and his assistant after they have been thrown into a pit of lions.
Cast
- Gordon Scott as Tarzan
- Vera Miles as Jill Hardy
- Peter van Eyck as Dr. Celliers
- Jack Elam as Burger
- Charles E. Fredericks as DeGroot
- Richard Reeves as Reeves
- Don Beddoe as Mr. Johnson
- Jester Hairston as Witch Doctor
- Rex Ingram as Sukulu Chieftain
- Ike Jones as Malenki
- Maidie Norman as Suma
See also
References
- ^ "Tarzan's Hidden Jungle: Detail View". American Film Institute. Retrieved June 2, 2014.
- ^ Schelly, William (2013). American Comic Book Chronicles: The 1950s. TwoMorrows Publishing. p. 162. ISBN 9781605490540.
- ^ "Tarzan's Hidden Jungle - Trailers, Reviews, Synopsis, Showtimes and Cast - AllMovie". Archived from the original on 2012-07-28. Retrieved 2011-09-03.
External links
- Tarzan's Hidden Jungle at IMDb
- Tarzan's Hidden Jungle at AllMovie
- Tarzan's Hidden Jungle at the TCM Movie Database
- ERBzine Silver Screen: Tarzan's Hidden Jungle