Search - Tarzan's Revenge on DVD

Olympic decathalon champion Glenn Morris' one Tarzan film

Lawrance M. Bernabo | The Zenith City, Duluth, Minnesota | 11/16/2003

(2 out of 5 stars)

""Tarzan's Revenge" is a minor 1938 Tarzan feature that would have been a major footnote in the cinematic career of the Ape-Man if producer Sol Lesser had gone with his original idea of casting New York Yankees baseball immortal Lou Gehrig as Tarzan. But apparently the Iron Horse's legs were not as imposing as his upper torso, and the role went instead to Glenn Morris, who was the fourth Olympic athlete to play Tarzan (following Johnny Weismuller, Buster Crabbe, and Herman Brix). Morris was the 1936 Olympic champion in the decathlon and won the Sullivan Award as the outstanding amateur athelete of the year (beating out Jesse Owens, which immediately begs the question when did an African-American athlete finally win the Sullivan Award? Answer: middle distance runner Mal Whitfield in 1954). Lester cast Morris for this tarzan film filmed on the back lots of Twentieth Century-Fox with lots of stock footage of wild animals thrown into the mix. In terms of Tarzan adventures "Tarzan's Revenge" is pretty much in keeping with the novels of Edgar Rice Burroughs, which is a way of saying that it is not based on any particular one but has elements that often pop up. Lovely Eleanor Reed (Eleanor Holm) is on a safari with her parents (George Barbier and Hedda Hopper) and her spineless fiance, Nev Potter (George Meeker). When Eleanor gets the attention of the evil Ben Alleu Bey (C. Henry Gordon), who wants to add her to his harem, it is up to Tarzan to rescue her. Furthermore, Tarzan is clearly single and able to respond to be looking for a little romance. This particular heresy aside, if you want to know how bad this 70 minute film is, the only thing you need to know is that the reviews were so bad that Morris never made another film. When the female lead upstages Tarzan, you know that is not a good sign. Watching "Tarzan's Revenge" will only make you admire Weismuller's limited acting ability. This one is only for the Tarzan fan who wants to say they have seen everything that is out there."

Just great

Hannah Vengared | Seattle, WA USA | 02/21/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I,like my brother Ace have always like Tarzan movies, We watched them on AMC until those fools took them off the air. I hope they'll bring them back on soon because I like taping the so I can watch them over and over again.My favorites are Tarzan and his Mate(very romantic and errotic) Tarzan the Fearless(I love Buster Grabbe) and the other Johnny Weismuller movies, like Tarzan and Huntress, Tarzan and the Amazons, and Tarzan Triumphs(That Johnny Sheffield is so cute in his spedo-like lioncloth). And then theres this one Tarzan's Revenge. Where this Tarzan (Glen Morris)saves his new lover Elanor from an wicked Rich african leader. It's sort of like Tarzan the Ape Man except his loves an Elanor and he saves her from that leader instead of killer pygmies, but it's still good."