Tarzan's New York Adventure (1942)

I love this movie so much

Excellent, Without a doubt!!

As somebody who had not heard any of this before, it became a curious phenomenon to sit and watch a film and slowly have the realities begin to click into place.

Excellent and certainly provocative... If nothing else, the film is a real conversation starter.

Copyright by 20 March 1942 by Loew's Inc. An MGM picture. New York opening at the Capitol: 6 August 1942. U.S. release: May 1942. Australian release: 13 May 1943. 6,362 feet. 70 minutes. SYNOPSIS: Tarzan rescues Boy from an evil circus owner.NOTES: Number 18 of the 45-picture Tarzan series. Elmo Lincoln who starred as the first Tarzan back in 1918 plays one of the roustabouts in the Bickford-Kendall circus.COMMENT: The last of MGM's Weissmuller Tarzans, this entry is rarely seen and consequently has a poor reputation. Fortunately, a recent revival on free-to-air television confirms that the movie's thumbs-down rating is wrong. In fact, the novel story idea is given a great work-out: Tarzan clambers around skyscrapers, jumps from the Brooklyn Bridge and showers in a double-breasted suit!True, the climax is less original but it's still a happy variation of the usual jungle call as the ape man's elephant friends thwart the villains' efforts to escape. Cheeta has a great deal to do too (perhaps too much), as she skittles through a nightclub, shakes hands with Hobart Cavanaugh, dandies herself up in Jane's clothes and telephones gibberish to a startled Mantan Moreland. Even Boy has his moments, particularly at the beginning of the film where he demonstrates his jungle skills to an incredulous Charles Bickford, Chill Wills and Paul Kelly. And as for Maureen O'Sullivan, who is making her last appearance here as Jane, she hasn't looked so sexy since Tarzan and His Mate (1934).All told, a sure-fire crowd-pleaser, pacily directed, glossily produced, and featuring a fine array of character players led by Bickford at his villainous best. Attractive songstress Virginia Grey is also on hand, and, like Miss O'Sullivan, is well treated by Sidney Wagner's sparkling black-and-white cinematography.

Nothing about "Tarzan's New York Adventure" would suggest "Oscar- worthy," though I do enjoy its opening theme song that could be used by folks doing the Wobble Baby Wobble Baby on the dance floor. Here's the scoop: the beautiful Maureen O'Sullivan was a fashionista and had grown very tired of the role of Jane, one who never changed her jungle outfit. MGM had agreed to have Jane die in the previous film but also had filmed an alternate ending for the "just in case ..." In order to get O'Sullivan to do one more, a script was written in which she would have to lead Tarzan - along with their chimp, Cheetah - out of their jungle environs in pursuit of the hunting team that had kidnapped their "adopted" (found in a plane wreckage in an earlier film) son, "Boy." These kidnappers would be found in The Big Apple where Boy's skills with animals were being put to great use. Very little about this movie is believable, and that helps make it great fun. Both Cheetah - "he's like family" says Jane to almost anyone frustrated and/or amused by his antics - and Tarzan exhibit great comic relief. Maureen O'Sullivan would call it quits to the character of Jane with this movie; she had been both brilliant and beguiling. The very best of Tarzan films were the ones in which she was paired with Johnny Weissmuller. The former Olympian Weissmuller remains unmatched in being cast as the King of the Jungle. Talk about typecasting: Weissmuller would never be cast in any movie in which he wasn't playing the part of Tarzan. Who cares?!?! Thanks MGM and thanks Johnny Weissmuller and thanks Maureen O'Sullivan for giving us one more jungle flick featuring your loveliness as Jane!

Some men come to Africa by plane looking for lions for their circus. Despite Tarzan's warnings to stay away from them, Boy is fascinated by the plane and tries to get a closer look. He's kidnapped by the circus owner, hoping to turn Boy into a big attraction back home. Tarzan, Jane, and Cheeta all head to New York to rescue him. Once there, Jane makes Tarzan obey the law and try to get Boy back the legal way. So they have to go to court to gain custody. Weird. Don't worry, this isn't a courtroom drama. There is plenty of action. Tarzan's escape from the police and the circus rescue is exciting stuff. There's also quite a bit of 'fish out of water' humor with Tarzan having to wear a suit and discovering radio and indoor plumbing for the first time. Cheeta's also lots of fun in this. That crazy laugh is something else. The phone call scene with Mantan Moreland will NOT sit well with everybody, so sensitive types be forewarned. Johnny Weissmuller, Maureen O'Sullivan, and Johnny Sheffield are all great, as usual. Good support from Paul Kelly, Charles Bickford, Virginia Grey, Chill Wills, and Cy Kendall. This is the sixth and final Tarzan film from MGM before the series relocated to RKO. It's also the last film with Maureen O'Sullivan, who didn't act again for six years. The subsequent RKO Tarzans are fun but it's hard to beat the MGM series which had, among other attributes, the wonderful chemistry between Weissmuller and O'Sullivan.

Tarzan's New York Adventure finds Johnny Weissmuller and Maureen O'Sullivan invading civilization's capital of New York in search of Johnny Sheffield who was snatched by some unscrupulous white men. Charles Bickford, Chill Wills, and pilot Paul Kelly invade Tarzan's domain in search of wild animals to trap. But when a curious Johnny Sheffield wants to see their airplane, Bickford captures him thinking he'll be a great attraction at Cy Kendall's circus.Kelly has a conscience and he and girl friend Virginia Grey try to help Mr.&Mrs. Tarzan get their kid back. Justice stalls a bit at Judge Russell Hicks's courtroom especially after Bickford and Kendall's attorney Charles Lane gives O'Sullivan a rough cross examination. Weissmuller has to use some of his tried and true methods to get his kid back.This film takes a lot of belief suspension, but it is fast moving and enjoyable. In real life while I don't think any Family Court Judge would entertain Bickford's claim on the kid, I doubt if they would award custody to Weissmuller and O'Sullivan. I see foster care the future of Boy.