RATHER THAN CHOOSING the title of "Tarzan's Greatest......". perhaps something like "Tarzan's Most Adult Picture". That would apply, at least up to this release in 1959.
NOW BY THE use of terms like "Adult", we are not suggesting that this Gordon Scott entry into the Jungle Lord's lengthy resume of motion pictures is in any way akin to "porn" or to the X Rated categorization. It does, however have much to recommend it to those who have grown past the age bracket of the "Saturday Afternoon Matinee Crowd."
THE MOST STRIKING bit of evidence that would support our assertion would be the relationship between Tarzan and the character of African Bush Pilot (and maybe medic), Angie-as portrayed by Sara Shane. After helping to nurse the Ape-man back to a reasonable facsimile of his former fighting trim, the two have a scene together that cuts away very quickly. In the fade out, Angie is rushing toward Tarzan with great expression of passion on her face. When the screen action returns to the pair, it shows Miss Angie adjusting, closing and tying her blouse.
NOW WE ADMIT that is not very much, but this was 1959 and a small dose of implication went a long way; especially when compared to the explicit sex portrayed in today's cinema. Any pretense of subtlety or allowing the audience to draw its own conclusion have log ago vanished.
ONE THING THAT was a sort of borrowed bit of on screen business from so many of our Westerns; be they "B" or otherwise. was the opening sequence. In it a group of 4 Black men in native dress approach a local village Hospital and manage to kill at least two men, while in the progress of robbing the institution of some explosives. We are soon made aware (if we hadn't already surmised) that the renegade African tribesmen were in reality renegade Whites, masquerading as locals. It was a matter of using a slight variation the old "Outlaws disguised as Indians" that we've seen so many times in the "Oaters."
AS FOR THE CAST, it was small, but very effective. It featured Anthony Quayle and Sean Connery; both of whom would be moving up the cinematic ladder with roles in some big, big films. For Mr. Quayle it was as Colonel Harry Brighton in LAWRENCE OF ARABIA and for Sean it was that of James Bond, 007 in DR. NO.
ROUNDING OUT the very international cast were: Niall MacGuiness (Ireland), Al Mullock (Canada) and the very lovely,Scilla Gabel (Italy).
ONE THING THAT makes this entry into the Tarzan saga is its return to the basics. There is very little to the screenplay and scenario. It is essentially the story of two very disparate factions, the bad guys vs. Tarzan and his lovely companion. Both groups are desperately trying to get somewhere, with both getting in the other's way.
IN THE END, as we all thought, it was Tarzan and Angie, who triumphed before going their own, separate ways. She wanted her airplanes and Modern Western Civilization, he said he preferred living in his Jungle home.
WITH REGARD TO Tarzan' s seeming indiscretion with Sara Shane's character of Angie, what would we or should we tell Jane ? Well, we think this happened before Lord John Greystoke (Tarzan) met Jane Porter, his future spouse.
NOW BY THE use of terms like "Adult", we are not suggesting that this Gordon Scott entry into the Jungle Lord's lengthy resume of motion pictures is in any way akin to "porn" or to the X Rated categorization. It does, however have much to recommend it to those who have grown past the age bracket of the "Saturday Afternoon Matinee Crowd."
THE MOST STRIKING bit of evidence that would support our assertion would be the relationship between Tarzan and the character of African Bush Pilot (and maybe medic), Angie-as portrayed by Sara Shane. After helping to nurse the Ape-man back to a reasonable facsimile of his former fighting trim, the two have a scene together that cuts away very quickly. In the fade out, Angie is rushing toward Tarzan with great expression of passion on her face. When the screen action returns to the pair, it shows Miss Angie adjusting, closing and tying her blouse.
NOW WE ADMIT that is not very much, but this was 1959 and a small dose of implication went a long way; especially when compared to the explicit sex portrayed in today's cinema. Any pretense of subtlety or allowing the audience to draw its own conclusion have log ago vanished.
ONE THING THAT was a sort of borrowed bit of on screen business from so many of our Westerns; be they "B" or otherwise. was the opening sequence. In it a group of 4 Black men in native dress approach a local village Hospital and manage to kill at least two men, while in the progress of robbing the institution of some explosives. We are soon made aware (if we hadn't already surmised) that the renegade African tribesmen were in reality renegade Whites, masquerading as locals. It was a matter of using a slight variation the old "Outlaws disguised as Indians" that we've seen so many times in the "Oaters."
AS FOR THE CAST, it was small, but very effective. It featured Anthony Quayle and Sean Connery; both of whom would be moving up the cinematic ladder with roles in some big, big films. For Mr. Quayle it was as Colonel Harry Brighton in LAWRENCE OF ARABIA and for Sean it was that of James Bond, 007 in DR. NO.
ROUNDING OUT the very international cast were: Niall MacGuiness (Ireland), Al Mullock (Canada) and the very lovely,Scilla Gabel (Italy).
ONE THING THAT makes this entry into the Tarzan saga is its return to the basics. There is very little to the screenplay and scenario. It is essentially the story of two very disparate factions, the bad guys vs. Tarzan and his lovely companion. Both groups are desperately trying to get somewhere, with both getting in the other's way.
IN THE END, as we all thought, it was Tarzan and Angie, who triumphed before going their own, separate ways. She wanted her airplanes and Modern Western Civilization, he said he preferred living in his Jungle home.
WITH REGARD TO Tarzan' s seeming indiscretion with Sara Shane's character of Angie, what would we or should we tell Jane ? Well, we think this happened before Lord John Greystoke (Tarzan) met Jane Porter, his future spouse.