The 20th century needed considerable effort to reach Earth’s most remote and inaccessible parts, and when it finally did, it was thanks to new technology—showcased at the opening of Tarzan’s New York Adventure, the 1942 film directed by Richard Thorpe and the sixth instalment in the Tarzan series starring Johnny Weissmuller. Unlike safaris that had to trek on foot through the difficult Mutia Escarpment to reach Tarzan’s jungle kingdom, the expedition led by circus owner Buck Rand (played by Charles Bickford) uses an aeroplane to land directly in the jungle and hunt lions and other exotic animals. Tarzan (played by Weissmuller), who has had his share of trouble with white intruders, is displeased and tells the expedition they must leave. His adopted son Boy (played by Johnny Sheffield) is thrilled by the aeroplane, just as Rand becomes enthralled by Boy’s ability to handle and teach tricks to jungle elephants. Rand seizes the opportunity to take Boy away and fly him out of the jungle. Tarzan is determined to bring him back, and his companion Jane Parker (played by Maureen O’Sullivan) aids him in a quest that will force him to enter the strange world known as civilisation. The trail leads to New York City, where Tarzan and Jane discover Boy is being held at a circus. Tarzan must free Boy before the villainous circus owner completes legal adoption proceedings.
Tarzan’s New York Adventure was made quickly and on a relatively low budget, but this mattered little to audiences and Tarzan fans, largely thanks to the steady hand of experienced director Richard Thorpe. The key to its success was the interesting decision to deviate from the plot formula of earlier films and, for the first time, have Tarzan having to adapt to the civilised world. This not only saved MGM money that would otherwise have been spent on expensive jungle sets and location shoots, but also allowed for considerable comedy in scenes where Tarzan deals for the first time with modern clothes or indoor plumbing. Weissmuller’s comic efforts are, however, overshadowed by the chimpanzee Cheeta and its pranks, which become increasingly annoying as the film goes on. Thankfully, Tarzan’s New York Adventure has a very short running time, and before the end the film delivers the required action. Weissmuller—whose impressive height and physique stand out even more in clothes and an urban setting than in the jungle—again demonstrates his athletic abilities, particularly in scenes where he does with skyscrapers what he did with jungle trees, showing how Thorpe clearly took inspiration from classics like Safety Last! and King Kong.
Tarzan’s New York Adventure also features some interesting casting choices, such as Virginia Grey as a lounge singer performing “I’m Through with Love” (a song later performed by Kirsten Dunst in Spider-Man 3) and Elmo Lincoln, the first actor to play Tarzan, in a cameo as one of the circus roustabouts. The film became a major hit and is considered one of the more popular entries in the series. Even Tarzan’s creator Edgar Rice Burroughs—not always pleased with adaptations of his work—regarded it as one of his favourites. Maureen O’Sullivan, on the other hand, was growing increasingly tired of the role of Jane and chose not to renew her contract, taking a years-long career hiatus to dedicate herself to her many children. That left MGM without its principal female star and led the studio to sell the film rights to RKO, which continued the series with Weissmuller but on significantly reduced budgets. Tarzan’s New York Adventure is therefore often viewed as the last “proper” Tarzan film of the classic Hollywood era. Its strong impression on audiences was reflected decades later when its plot served as inspiration for the popular Australian film Crocodile Dundee.
RATING: 6/10 (++)
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