Tarzan the Ape Man * (1981, Bo Derek, Richard Harris, Miles O’Keeffe, John Phillip Law) – Classic Movie Review 8084

Director John Derek remakes the 1932 and 1959 Tarzan, the Ape Man movies as a vehicle for the undraped charms of his lovely wife Bo Derek as Jane, who in this version of the story sets out to find her adventurer dad, James Parker (Richard Harris). What is blatantly on offer here is ‘The most beautiful woman of our time in the most erotic adventure of all time’, as advertised, not a real Tarzan movie at all.

The 1981 adventure Tarzan, the Ape Man is a cheerless, boring film that does not deliver any of the goods expected from a Tarzan picture, and a splendidly muscular Miles O’Keefe is uncomfortable as the Ape Man. He is absent till half time and sidelined throughout the film. John Phillip Law plays the other main character, Harry Holt.

The dialogue by Tom Rowe and Gary Goddard and acting let each other down. It delivers on the extended sexy nude scenes front, with female full frontal nudity, cleavage, topless female nudity, breasts and bare breasts, but this is not what is expected from a Tarzan picture.

It gives the 1959 effort Tarzan, the Ape Man close competition as the worst Tarzan movie ever. Of course the 1932 Tarzan, the Ape Man remains a vintage classic.

Also in the cast are Steven Strong, Leonard Bailey, Maxime Philoe and Akushula Selayah.

The voices of Wilfrid Hyde White, Laurie Main and Harold Ayer are heard as Club Members.

The screenplay by Tom Rowe and Gary Goddard is based on the characters by Edgar Rice Burroughs.

Filming took place early in 1981 in Sri Lanka and the Seychelles.

It is Bo Derek’s first movie as a producer. John Derek is the cinematographer, with Wolfgang Dickmann as camera associate.

Former Tarzan Jock Mahoney is the stunt coordinator. The stunts are performed by Tony Longo. C J the Orangutan is the Orangutan. 

It runs 115 minutes but CBS cut it by 17 minutes for its 1983 network TV premiere.

The movie takes place in 1910, but Harris sings the English hymn Jerusalem, whose music was not written until 1916 by C Hubert H Parry.

© Derek Winnert 2019 Classic Movie Review 8084

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