Is there really any doubt who the screen’s greatest Tarzan is? Not in my mind and I would think the majority of film buffs. Tarzan films offer old fashioned adventure and Cheetah the chimp. Films I never tire of.
And was there a better Jane than Maureen O’Sullivan?
Weissmuller played the role a total of 12 times including a hilarious stop in New York. The classic fish out of water story long before anyone had ever heard of Crocodile Dundee.
With the world at war, Tarzan joined other famed movie heroes like Sherlock Holmes in the battle against the Nazis. “Now Tarzan make war!”
Johnny’s run came to an end 16 years after first tackling both the role and scores of alligators.
Paging Lex Barker. Assuming the role for a run of five films, Barker took over the loin cloth duties.
When Barker exited, muscleman Gordon Scott proved up to the challenge for six films including one of the best in the series, Tarzan’s Greatest Adventure facing off against a young Sean Connery.
Jock Mahoney moved in for a short stop making just two films but I should point out, two of the better adventures.
Mike Henry stepped up to the vine for a swing at immorality in the next three modernized “takes” on the legendary jungle man.
I vividly recall the Christopher Lambert film hitting screens and Ralph Richardson delivering a posthumously Oscar Nominated performance in this high class version of the original story. I still can’t believe Rick Baker’s amazing make-up design lost out to Amadeus that year.
Now I have to add that if you were just about the right age in 1981 and starting to discover girls, than Bo Derek was definitely on your mind. So a couple years back I was given the chance to acquire her original one sheet where the focus was much less on the Ape Man than it was on Bo’s “performance” as Jane. Sure it’s high camp but with a drunken Richard Harris along for the ride mixed with plenty of Bo with very little on it makes for an entertaining example of cheezy cinema.
Mike's Take On the Movies 