A strange entry in the MGM series, 'Tarzan Escapes' eschews a predictable plot and at times wants to be a serious melodrama about Tarzan and Jane's relationship. Well, as serious as any such plot could be, anyway. The film reportedly was re-shot extensively because of excessive gore, and there are hints of such in the released version, both in the way certain natives are killed and in a cave where large, deadly lizards dwell. Perhaps all of this and more contribute to the weird way the film progresses, alternating between the aforementioned Tarzan/Jane soap opera and much jungle violence. There is also excessive comic relief provided by Herbert Mundin. Over the course of the series, particularly the episodes with Johnny Weismuller and Maureen O'Sullivan, it's made clear time and again that Tarzan and Jane are madly in love. One can certainly see why the Apeman is ape over Jane, but why on earth Jane feels the same for him is never adequately explained. No matter how many times she tries to explain it, it just doesn't make sense that a beautiful, sophisticated English woman should prefer living in a tree, barefoot and wearing a skimpy animal skin, with a monkey and a guy who has a vocabulary of about twenty words. It is hinted at, sometimes pretty heavy-handedly, that the jungle love they share beats a one-night stand in London any day, so maybe that's it. In any event, their unbreakable if inexplicable bond is tested in 'Tarzan Escapes,' when Jane agrees to return to England briefly with her two cousins to deal with some legal matters regarding a will. Tarzan doesn't take it well at all; he's convinced she's dumping him for good and will never return. He mopes around the jungle while Cheetah tries to cheer him up. Meanwhile, Captain Fry (John Buckler), leader of the safari, has plans to kidnap Tarzan and take him back to England as a circus attraction. Yeah, right. Give up that crazy dream. Fry eventually runs afoul of a dangerous tribe; Tarzan comes to the rescue and saves them all but realizing Fry's treachery, forces him back into a cave where those killer lizards reside, and that's the end of Fry. Though things were not nearly as standardized as they would be in later MGM films, we see the beginnings of recurring ideas and situations, such as the elaborate treehouse and its Flintstones-style amenities, like the elephant-operated elevator. (Why Tarzan needs an elevator when he can just run up the tree ten times as fast is another good question. It must be for Jane.) The production still bears the creakiness of early 30's film-making, despite an impressive use of varied sets and locales; there was a very noticeable change starting with the next film in the series. From then on, the MGM polish became unmistakable and would remain for the rest of the run. 'Tarzan Escapes', perhaps because of its extensive reworking, stands apart from other entries in the series and taken on its own terms, is very much worth seeing.
Review of Tarzan Escapes
