Tarzan the Tiger (1929)

Tarzan the Tiger (1929). 4h 26m | Passed

“TARZAN THE TIGER is certainly not in a class with the FLASH GORDON or SUPERMAN serials of the 30s and 40s, but it does hold some distinctions; filmed as a silent, to capitalize on the growing popularity of sound, a music track and sound effects were added (most memorably, the first recorded u0026#39;Tarzan yellu0026#39;), making this the first u0026#39;soundu0026#39; Tarzan; 36-year-old gymnastics champion Frank Merrill as u0026#39;Tarzan the Tigeru0026#39;, would introduce acrobatics, such as rope-climbing and vine-swinging, which would remain fixtures in all subsequent Tarzan films; Natalie Kingston, 24, as u0026#39;Lady Janeu0026#39;, Tarzanu0026#39;s wife, would don a costume very similar to the one Maureen Ou0026#39;Sullivan wore starting with TARZAN ESCAPES, through the remainder of her MGM films; AND Kingston would perform a breast-baring swim, five YEARS before the famous TARZAN AND HIS MATE nude underwater romp. u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eWhile Merrillu0026#39;s u0026#39;actingu0026#39; is embarrassing (he seems to be limited to three expressions: happy, dazed, and angry), his character is fairly faithful to the vision of author Edgar Rice Burroughs; educated, a sophisticate, as comfortable in a dinner jacket as in his (unintentionally funny) jungle u0026#39;wardrobeu0026#39; of a leopard-skin headband and half-bib shorts, with moccasins…why he would cover up his Herculean chest is anybodyu0026#39;s guess! Of course, after he gets conked on the head after u0026#39;liberatingu0026#39; some priceless jewels in the Lost City of Opar, he forgets his u0026#39;Lord Greystokeu0026#39; persona, reverting to a more Weissmuller-type Tarzan (albeit more loquacious), through most episodes of the serial.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eAs with all serials, cliffhanger endings abound. Will poor Lady Jane, prisoner of Arab slavers, then of a false friend (sleazy Al Ferguson), be sold on the block to the highest bidder, or suffer the indignity of a u0026quot;fate worse than deathu0026quot;? will La (Kithnou), the rather u0026#39;butchu0026#39; Queen of the eternally dancing (and mentally-challenged) Opar tribe, win the heart of the man she loves, Tarzan? Will our Hero survive even ONE cliffhanger WITHOUT the aid of the local elephant, u0026quot;Tantar, the Terribleu0026quot;?u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eWhile the plot is silly and repetitious, the serial does offer some impressive views of Merrillu0026#39;s brawny arms and back, and equally impressive views of Kingstonu0026#39;s u0026#39;charmsu0026#39;, as well as a guy in an ape suit (uh, I mean a gorilla) that gives Tarzan the best fight of the fifteen chapters.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eAll in all, TARZAN THE TIGER isnu0026#39;t bad, as a u0026#39;popcorn flicku0026#39;!”