Tarzan the Ape Man (1932 film) - Alchetron, the free social encyclopedia

Tarzan the ape man official trailer 1 c aubrey smith movie 1932 hd

Ivory-seeking explorers Harry Holt (Neil Hamilton) and James Parker (C. Aubrey Smith) arrive in a remote jungle to search for a mythical elephant graveyard. Accompanied by Parkers lovely daughter, Jane (Maureen OSullivan), the men are at odds with their dangerous environment. When the virile Tarzan (Johnny Weissmuller) and his primate companions abduct Jane, it creates conflict between the jungle dwellers and the outsiders. As Jane spends time with Tarzan, however, she begins to fall for him.

Tarzan the Ape Man is a 1932 pre-Code American action adventure film featuring Edgar Rice Burroughs famous jungle hero Tarzan and starring Johnny Weissmuller, Neil Hamilton, C. Aubrey Smith and Maureen OSullivan. It was Weissmullers first of 12 Tarzan films. The film is loosely based on Burroughs novel Tarzan of the Apes, with the dialogue written by Ivor Novello. The film was directed by W. S. Van Dyke. It was remade in 1959 and in 1981 with the same title but each was a different adaptation of Rice Burroughs novel.

Tarzan the Ape Man (1932 film) movie scenes

James Parker and Harry Holt are on an expedition in Africa in search of the elephant burial grounds that will provide enough ivory to make them rich. Parker's beautiful daughter Jane arrives unexpectedly to join them. Jane is terrified when Tarzan and his ape friends first abduct her, but when she returns to her father's expedition she has second thoughts about leaving Tarzan.

Tarzan the ape man trailer 1932

Plot

James Parker (C. Aubrey Smith) and Harry Holt (Neil Hamilton), in Africa on a quest for the legendary elephant burial grounds (and their ivory), are joined by Parkers daughter Jane (Maureen OSullivan). Holt, attracted to her, tries somewhat ineffectively to protect her from the jungles dangers, notably failing to prevent her abduction by the jungles guardian, the mysterious Tarzan (Johnny Weissmuller) and his ape allies.

Tarzan the Ape Man (1932 film) movie scenes Production Credits Courtesy Internet Movie Data Base Tarzan the Ape Man 1932 MGM Metro Goldwyn Mayer

The experience is terrifying to Jane at first, but as their relationship develops, she finds herself happy: "Not a bit afraid, not a bit sorry." As she returns to her father, her feelings are brought to a test. She wants Tarzan to come with her to London, to be part of her world, but Tarzan turns his back on her and returns to the jungle. Her father tells her thats where Tarzan belongs, she cries, "No dad, he belongs to me." The expedition is captured by a tribe of violent pygmies. Jane sends Tarzans ape friend Cheeta (Jiggs) for help, bringing Tarzan to their rescue. Janes father dies and she decides to stay in the jungle with Tarzan. In the end-scene, to the music of Tchaikovskys Romeo and Juliet, the happy couple appears on a rock below the heavens, Jane holding Cheeta like a baby.

Cast

Neil Hamilton as Harry Holt

Maureen OSullivan as Jane Parker

C. Aubrey Smith as James Parker

Doris Lloyd as Mrs Cutten

Forrester Harvey as Beamish

Ivory Williams as Riano

Johnny Weissmuller as Tarzan

Ray Corrigan as Ape

Johnny Eck as Bird Creature

Firsts

Tarzan the Ape Man was the first Tarzan film to star Weissmuller and OSullivan, and marked the first appearance of the character of Cheeta the chimpanzee, and the animal actor who created it, Jiggs. The character of Cheeta was created for this film, never having appeared in the original Burroughs novels.

The film was the first of a long series of franchised Tarzan films running from 1932 into the 1970s, initially starring Weissmuller and later other actors.

Tarzans distinctive call was first heard in this film; it was reportedly created by sound recordist Douglas Shearer using special audio effects, including an Austrian yodel played backwards at quickened speed. Weissmuller himself always claimed he had created the trademark Tarzan yell in a yodeling contest he won while he was a boy. He later learned to mimic the famous call so well people assumed that he was the one doing the yell in the films.

Production

Like other Weissmuller Tarzan films, the elephants were Indian, which have smaller ears, and not African. Large fake ears, and fake tusks, were fitted onto the animals in an attempt to make them look authentic.

The tribe of African pygmies (all males) portrayed in the film was actually a cast of several white little people wearing blackface.

The stock footage was added to location work shot in the then-undeveloped Toluca Lake region north of Los Angeles.