TARZAN AND THE LEOPARD WOMAN

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TARZAN AND THE LEOPARD WOMAN (director: Kurt Neumann; screenwriter: story by Carroll Young/Carroll Young/based on the characters of Edgar Rice Burroughs; cinematographer: Karl Struss; editor: Robert O. Crandall; music: Paul Sawrell; cast: Johnny Weissmuller (Tarzan), Brenda Joyce (Jane), Johnny Sheffield (Boy), Acquanetta (Lea, the High Priestess), Edgar Barrier (Dr. Ameer Lazar), Dennis Hoey (Commissioner), Tommy Cook (Kimba), Anthony Caruso (Mongo), King Kong Kashey (“Tongolo the Terrible”); Runtime: 72; MPAA Rating: NR; producer: Sol Lesser; RKO; 1946)


“Silly but amusing Tarzan adventure.”

Reviewed by Dennis Schwartz

German-born film director, a specialist for ‘quota quickies’ and second features, Kurt Neumann (“Mohawk”/”The Fly”/”Kronos”), is just fine directing this silly but amusing Tarzan adventure. The 41-year-old Johnny Weissmuller in his tenth Tarzan pic, is still fit to be the Ape Man but not as fit as the younger Weissmuller. This was Brenda Joyce’s second chance as Jane, and she’s fine. The nonsensical story and screenplay is byCarroll Young.

Brainwashed with hate tribal men belong to a belligerent cult jungle group in Bagandi, serving under the pitiless High Priestess Lea (Acquanetta) and their angry evil demagogic native doctor leader Dr. Ameer Lazar (Edgar Barrier). They dress up in leopard skins and use their iron claws to massacre their caravan victimsin the hopes of stopping the white men from expanding and exploiting the native territories and bringing white man’s civilization to their homeland.The pompous white District Commissioner (Dennis Hoey) doesn’t believe Tarzan’s opinion that leopards are not doing the killing and thereby places in great danger a caravan transporting young white teachers from the civilized city of Zambesi to their teaching mission in Bagandi.

The Leopard cult slaughter the caravan soldiers and capture the maidens in an ambush, and then capture their would-be rescuer Tarzan and then Tarzan’s old lady Jane (Brenda Joyce) and their adopted son Boy (Johnny Sheffield). But they never captured the pet chimp Cheeta, who frees Tarzan from imprisonment and you can hear the ‘fat lady singing,’ because the end is near for the baddies.

I enjoyed this hokum pic despite its lack of imagination and its routine nature,as I can’t seem to get enough of Weissmuller’s Tarzan and cheeta’s playful antics to satisfy my sweet tooth.

REVIEWED ON 8/11/2012 GRADE: B-

Dennis Schwartz: “Ozus’ World Movie Reviews”

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