TARZAN'S GREATEST ADVENTURE (1959)

Gordon Scott (Tarzan), Anthony Quayle (Slade), Sara Shane (Angie), Niall MacGinnis (Kruger), Sean Connery (O'Bannion), Al Mulock (Dino), Scilla Gabel (Toni).

Directed by John Guillermin, Story by Les Crutchfield; Screenplay by Berne Giler and John Guillermin; Produced by Harvey Hayutin and Sy Weintraub; Original music Douglas Gamley; Cinematography: Edward Scaife; Film Editing: Bert Rule; Production Design: Michael Stringer; Art Direction: Michael Stringer; Production manager: John Palmer; Camera operator: Nicolas Roeg.
Production began: Mid-February - late march, 1959 in Nairobi, Africa and Shepperton Studios
Release date: July, 1959;
Released by Paramount Pictures
A Solar Film Productions
Running time 88 Minutes
Color by Eastmancolor


      Tarzan leaves his treetop house and his little ape companion, Cheeta, to avenge the wanton killing of two unarmed settlement people by his old enemy, Slade, leader of a group of diamond-hunters, who broke into the storehouse and stole some high explosives. The group includes O'Bannion, Dino, Kruger and Slades's devoted girl, Toni. Slade has been identified as the murderer by beautiful, reckless adventuress Angie, whose plane landed at the settlement with engine trouble.
      On board Slade's fleeing boat the atmosphere is tense with fear, for the killer-leader hears on the drums that the "Apeman" is in pursuit, and knowing Tarzan of old, realizes he will have to face him sooner or later. His companions convince him that they are four against one and that they should drop anchor immediately, wait for Tarzan's inevitable attack, and together dispose of him so that they can freely proceed to the diamond mine they have discovered and for which they needed the stolen explosives.
      Tarzan, in pursuit, is delayed by Angie who has followed him in her plane in search of adventure. Her engine fails and she crashes into the river. She is saved from the jaws of a crocodile by Tarzan who then reluctantly takes her with him in his canoe. "I've never been on a manhunt before!" she tells him. Slade, in a clever manueuver, disposes of Tarzan's canoe, and when Angie must continue with Tarzan on foot through the thick, treacherous jungle, she realizes that this manhunt is no picnic. When she falls from exhaustion, Tarzan finds a safe resting place for her, and continues the chase alone.
      In the meantime, aboard the boat nerves become more and more frayed. The engine breaks down and the killers have to anchor. O'Bannion goes into the jungle to look for Tarzan himself, and Dino, in a murderous rage when he discovers O'Bannion has stolen a precious locket from him, goes in pursuit. Before Dino can kill O'Bannion, he slides into deadly quicksand and O'Bannion returns to the launch.
      Kruger, who hates the others, finds that Toni knows the location of the mine, as well as Slade, and he is determined to have the diamonds and her for himself. They find a tree blocking their path up river; another tree crashes behind them and they are boxed in. Tarzan! When arrows start hurtling in their direction, the killers light some of the explosives and throw them into the trees. Tarzan is badly injured. O'Bannion and Slade go ashore to finish him off, but Tarzan is under cover and he kills O'Bannion with an arrow. Kruger, alone on the boat with Toni, tries to dynamite Slade as he is returning, but fails. Slade lets him live only because he needs him.
      The Kabuki take away O'Bannion's body and start for the injured Tarzan, who fights them off with his dagger. Angie finds him, decides he needs medical help, and steals aboard the launch in search of penicillin. She is caught and Slade ties her up as bait to draw Tarzan. But Kruger releases her so she can send Tarzan after Slade, who has started for the diamond mine. Toni rushes to warn Slade but falls into a trap intended for Tarzan, and perishes. Slade and Kruger continue to the mine alone.
      At the mine Kruger manages to push Slade down a shaft but Slade crawls back and kills Kruger, then waits for Tarzan. After Angie tells Tarzan where he can find Slade, she bids him goodbye and returns to the settlement in Slade's abandoned launch. Tarzan stalks Slade and a terrific fight ensues, with Tarzan finally victorious. The murders avenged, Tarzan watches the launch chug slowly toward the settlement, then goes back to his home in the jungle.



      This was the first film since Herman Brix's The New Adventures Of Tarzan to show Tarzan as a more intelligent character and have him speak perfect English. Jane is nowhere to be found and Sara Shane's role is that of an independant woman flyer who joins Tarzan on his quest. This film is much more mature than most films in the series and is an excellent motion picture in its own right. Too bad Paramount failed to recognize this fact and did little to promote it, releasing it as the second feature with a Jerry Lewis film. But to Tarzan fans everywhere, it is one of the best Tarzan films ever made. I also think the US posters to this movie are among the worst I've ever seen for a Tarzan film! The foreign posters were so much better. The lobby cards should have shown the scenes in color instead of all in red-orange.

Top Of Page