Tarzan, the Ape Man * (1959, Denny Miller, Cesare Danova, Joanna Barnes, Robert Douglas) – Classic Movie Review 8085

This 1959 MGM quickie effort Tarzan, the Ape Man is an outlandish example of low-budget ingenuity featuring the 6′ 4″ university basketball star Denny Miller, who later appeared as a regular on TV’s Wagon Train series as Duke Shannon. Thus Miller became the first blond Tarzan.

Lots of recycled excerpts from old Tarzan adventures, including the 1932 original Tarzan, the Ape Man, are tinted to give them that late Fifties up-to-date look. The ‘pygmies’ appear courtesy of the Los Angeles school system as children from Fairfax High School.

It re-uses the name of the classic 1932 Johnny Weissmuller version Tarzan, the Ape Man, taking its name in vain, and, despite having a capable cult director in Joseph Newman, is generally known in infamy as the worst Tarzan movie ever!

Costumes come from King Solomon’s Mines (1950) and the crocodile fight is taken from Tarzan and his Mate (1934).

This low-budget recycling ploy was enormously profitable. Costing only $1,438,800, it grossed $3,727,800 worldwide.

Also in the cast are Joanna Barnes as Jane Parker, Cesare Danova as Harry Holt, Robert Douglas as Colonel James Parker, Thomas Yangha as Riano and Leon Anderson.

Tarzan, the Ape Man is directed by Joseph M Newman, runs 82 minutes, is made and released by MGM, is written by Robert Hill, is shot in Technicolor by Paul C Vogel, is produced by Al Zimbalist and is scored by Shorty Rogers, with art direction by Malcolm Brown and Hans Peters.

The score by jazz musician Shorty Rogers often bears no relation to what is on screen.

It was remade again in 1981 as Tarzan, the Ape Man, with Bo Derek, Richard Harris and Miles O’Keefe as Tarzan, a film which gives the 1959 effort close competition as the worst Tarzan movie ever.

Denny was discovered on Sunset Boulevard by a talent agent, who signed him with MGM, which had him under contract for 20 months, working only eight weeks as Tarzan.

© Derek Winnert 2019 Classic Movie Review 8085

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