Tarzan Triumphs (1943)

it is finally so absorbing because it plays like a lyrical road odyssey that’s also a detective story.

A film with more than the usual spoiler issues. Talking about it in any detail feels akin to handing you a gift-wrapped present and saying, "I hope you like it -- It's a thriller about a diabolical secret experiment."

The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

***SPOILERS*** Unintentionally hilarious WWII propaganda flick done in all seriousness, which makes it so funny, with the peace loving ani-gun and isolationist jungle man Tarzan, Johnny Weismuller, throwing away his pacifist ideas and taking the fight to the Nazis together with his jungle friends , lions elephants and chimpanzees, with all the fury of a summer monsoon.Like the famous Jimmy Durante quote "Everybody wants to get inta the Act" it was only a matter of time that Tarzan who was completely natural in the war between the allies and Nazi Germany would ends up joining the allies not because of anything what the Nazis were doing in Europe and North Africa but in his home ground darkest Africa! The evil Nazis lead by paratroop commander Col.Von Reichart, Stanley Ridges, had taken over the lost city of Palandrya and enslaved it's peace loving population to do the heavy lifting in mining and drilling the areas rich oil and mineral reserves. It's Tarzan's new girlfriend, with Jane now in London caring for her sick mom, Zandra, Frances Gifford, who gets the jungle man to take on the Nazis after they kidnapped his son Boy "The Boy Wonder", Johnny Sheffield.Tarzan as mad as a raging cape buffalo in that his private world, as well as son Boy, were being abused by the Nazis really goes bananas as he swings into action against them. In no time at all Tarzan has all the jungle animals as well as the now liberated and both now armed and non-passive Palandryans go on the warpath against the hated Nazi scum who thought that they could pull over them what they've been pulling over the occupied European population for the last three years. I noticed in the film that even though it was supposed to take place in darkest Africa there was not a single African or African/American actor in its entire cast?***SPOILERS***Memerable finale sequence with Tarzan chasing the now on the run, from the wild animals in the jungle, Col. Von Reichart taunting him by calling Col. Von Reichart "Nazi" which in Tarzan not being quite able to pronoun the world correctly sounded as if he was calling for ride by saying "Taxi". As things turned out it was one of Tarzan's jungle friends, a 500 pond lion, who ended up doing the colonel in by having him for lunch. We of course can't forget the real hero in the film, like he's in all Tarzan movies, Cheeta the friendly and mischievous chimpanzee who steals the show with both his crazy and monkey-like antics as well as his imitation of the Nazi German Fuhrer Adolph Hitler!

Tarzan has to make war against The Third Reich, when the Nazis enter the jungle looking for some mineral resources of the lost city of Palandria.The white princess Zandra manages to escape and asks Tarzan to help the enslaved people of her city.He refuses at first, but then Boy gets kidnapped.Tarzan Triumphs (1943) is directed by Wilhelm Thiele.This film was made after U.S. State Department contacted the producer to tell him that a Tarzan film was an ideal way to spread the message of democracy's battle against Fascism to the American public.Johnny Weissmuller portrays the character once again famously.Weissmuller had portrayed the character six times with MGM, but this was his first one with the producer Sol Lesser at RKO pictures.Johnny Sheffield reprises his role as Boy.And naturally Cheetah is there.Jane is missing, since she is visiting her sick mother in England.Maureen O'Sullivan was unable to reprise her role due to her pregnancy.A couple of pictures later Brenda Joyce, who sadly passed away last month, took the part.The beautiful Frances Gifford plays Zandra.There is something going on between Tarzan and Zandra, that seems almost romantic, like when they're swimming together.But of course Tarzan couldn't cheat on Jane.Stanley Ridges plays Colonel Von Reichart.Sig Ruman is the somewhat comical Nazi Sergeant.Philip Van Zandt portrays Captain Bausch.This Tarzan movie is a great adventure flick that has a darker tone.Of course we all know what kind of damage The Third Reich caused back then, and now Tarzan gets to have his own battle against them.He shows them who the king of the jungle is.It's all very thrilling when Cheetah is chased by a Nazi and Boy is being captured.Cheetah brings some light comedy into the picture.In one funny scene he steals a fruit from smaller monkeys, and he gets thrown by a fruit by them on his face.And in the end he speaks to the Nazis in Berlin through the radio, and they believe it's Hitler that speaks.It should be an offense to Cheetah to be mistaken for such a man.This is a great Tarzan film that has a message.And that message is: In jungle, strong always win.

The first of the RKO Tarzans and quite an enjoyable entry. Tarzan (Johnny Weissmuller) finds himself involved in battling the Nazis when they invade the peaceful nearby village of Palandria and try to make slaves out of its citizens. For this film, Tarzan's partner Jane is absent while doing business in London, so we have the gorgeous Frances Gifford subbing for the feminine interest of the story as a princess of Palandria who makes contact with Tarzan and his son Boy (Johnny Sheffield). Gifford would have made a stunning and perfect Jane. A fun, fast, and entertaining installment with an occasional display of violence, with good actors like Sig Ruman, Stanley Ridges, and Philip Van Zandt playing the Nazi bad guys. *** out of ****

I haven't seen this film in over twenty years, but I remember it vividly. I remember laughing all the way through. In its day of course, Tarzan defeating a bunch of bumbling nazi idiots was seen as a proper patriotic display. Now it is a wonderful example of propaganda and laughable in its lack of subtlety. The part that I remember most clearly is where Cheetah (the chimpanzee) gets hold of a Nazi radio and begins to chatter away on it. The Nazis on the receiving end assume it is the fuhrer and do the full Heil Hitler bit. Hilarious. If I could get a copy of this film I would use it in my film classes as an example of its era.