Tarzan and the Green Goddess ** (1938, Bruce Bennett, Ula Holt, Frank Baker) – Classic Movie Review 8086

Director Edward A Kull’s 1938 black and white adventure Tarzan and the Green Goddess stars Bruce Bennett as Tarzan, who this time is out to find a secret formula, with the villains hot on his trail.

This jungle jape uses re-edited footage from the film serial The New Adventures of Tarzan (1935), edited from parts of the serial’s chapters two to 12, with some added extra footage. Cinema owners had the choice of showing the serial as 12 episodes or the film edited into single feature films, Tarzan and the Green Goddess and (confusingly) The New Adventures of Tarzan (1935).

Bruce Bennett (aka Herman Brix) is good as the hero, portraying an authentic version of the character with Tarzan as a cultured and well educated gentleman, as in the original novels. But the tale far removed from Edgar Rice Burroughs’s original stories, though it is made by his company, with him as one of the producers, so it must have got his approval. The Green Goddess is the lost city whose guards the Ape Man has to battle.

Tarzan and the Green Goddess has its interest and charms, especially through the partial filming in Guatemala in Central America, but it is held back by the results of various problems and troubles confronted while making the film, starting with the low budget, the major financial difficulties of the production company, and the difficulties with the Guatemalan government while on location.

This story takes place in Guatemala, and was partly filmed there, but stock footage of African animals such as rhinos and giraffes is seen.

This film is in the public domain.

Also in the cast are Ula Holt as Ula Vale, Frank Baker, Don Castello [aka Ashton Dearholt], Lewis [Lew] Sargent, Jack Mower, Earl Dwire and Merrill McCormick.

Tarzan and the Green Goddess is directed by Edward A Kull, runs 72 minutes, is made by Burroughs-Tarzan Enterprises Inc and Ashton Dearholt Expedition Picture, is released by Principal Distributing (US) and Associated British Picture Corporation (UK), is written by Charles F Royal, based on a story by Charles F Royal and Basil Dickey, is shot in black and white by Ernest F Smith and Edward A Kull, is produced by George W Stout, Ashton Dearholt, Edgar Rice Burroughs and Bennett Cohen, scored by Mischa Bakaleinikoff (composer stock music) and Abe Meyer (musical director), and designed by Charles Clague.

Douglas Fairbanks Jr suggested Bennett to MGM to play Tarzan, but
Bennett broke his shoulder filming Touchdown so MGM cast Johnny Weissmuller in Tarzan, the Ape Man (1932).

After World War Two, Herman Brix changed his name to Bruce Bennett to sound all American and less German, escape typecasting and work in quality projects.

© Derek Winnert 2019 Classic Movie Review 8086

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