Tarzan's New York Adventure (1942)

Director:

Richard Thorpe

Writers:

Edgar Rice Burroughs (characters)
Myles Connolly (screenplay)
(more)

Release Date:

May 1942 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure

Tagline:

In All The World No Thrill Like This!

Plot:

Tarzan and Jane go to New York to rescue Boy after he is kidnapped into a circus.

Plot Keywords:

Pilot | Jungle | Elephant | Airplane | New York City

Cast

Johnny Weissmuller	...	Tarzan
Maureen O'Sullivan	...	Jane Parker
Johnny Sheffield	...	Boy
Virginia Grey	...	Connie Beach
Charles Bickford	...	Buck Rand
Paul Kelly	...	Jimmie Shields, Pilot
Chill Wills	...	Manchester Montford
Cy Kendall	...	Col. Ralph Sergeant
Russell Hicks	...	Judge Abbotson
Howard C. Hickman	...	Blake Norton, Tarzan's Lawyer (as Howard Hickman)
Charles Lane	...	Gould Beaton, Sargent's Lawyer
Miles Mander	...	Portmaster
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Matthew Boulton	...	Portmaster (scenes deleted)
Wade Boteler	...	First Police Sergeant (uncredited)
Bill Cartledge	...	Messenger with Cablegram (uncredited)
Hobart Cavanaugh	...	Hotel Desk Clerk (uncredited)
Eddy Chandler	...	Bailiff (uncredited)
Ken Christy	...	Second Police Sergeant (uncredited)
Inez Cooper	...	Young Woman (uncredited)
Jules Cowles	...	Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)
Marjorie Deanne	...	Cigarette Girl (uncredited)
Dudley Dickerson	...	Porter (uncredited)
John Dilson	...	Court Clerk (uncredited)
James Dime	...	Circus Roustabout (uncredited)
Mike Donovan	...	Courthouse Elevator Operator (uncredited)
William Forrest	...	Inspector at Airport (uncredited)
Willie Fung	...	Sun Lee, the Chinese Tailor (uncredited)
Anne Jeffreys	...	Young Woman (uncredited)
Darby Jones	...	Swahili Chief (uncredited)
Eddie Kane	...	Eddie, the Headwaiter (uncredited)
Milton Kibbee	...	Hotel Doorman (uncredited)
Paul Kruger	...	Circus Roustabout (uncredited)
Eddie Lee	...	Sun Lee's Assistant (uncredited)
James B. Leong	...	Sun Lee's Measuring Assistant (uncredited)
Elmo Lincoln	...	Circus Roustabout (uncredited)
Jack Low	...	Circus Roustabout (uncredited)
George Magrill	...	Circus Roustabout (uncredited)
Frank Marlowe	...	Second Cab Driver (uncredited)
Patrick McVey	...	Policeman (uncredited)
Harry Monty	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Mantan Moreland	...	Sam, the Nightclub Janitor (uncredited)
Dorothy Morris	...	Hat Check Girl (uncredited)
Philip Morris	...	Bailiff (uncredited)
Frank O'Connor	...	Bailiff (uncredited)
George Offerman Jr.	...	Bellboy (uncredited)
Ted Oliver	...	Policeman in Patrol Car (uncredited)
Harry Semels	...	Circus Roustabout (uncredited)
William Tannen	...	Mike, an Airport Clerk (uncredited)
Harry Tenbrook	...	Circus Roustabout Driving Car (uncredited)
Natalie Thompson	...	Telephone Operator (uncredited)
Emmett Vogan	...	Policeman Telephoning (uncredited)
Jasper Weldon	...	Janitor (uncredited)
Dick Wessel	...	First Cab Driver (uncredited)
Harry Wilson	...	Circus Roustabout (uncredited)
Florence Wright	...	Young Woman (uncredited)
Victor Zimmerman	...	Policeman (uncredited)

Directed by
Richard Thorpe

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Edgar Rice Burroughs		characters
Myles Connolly		screenplay
Myles Connolly		story
Gordon Kahn		uncredited
William R. Lipman

Produced by
Frederick Stephani	....	producer

Original Music by
David Snell

Cinematography by
Sidney Wagner

Film Editing by
Gene Ruggiero

Art Direction by
Cedric Gibbons

Set Decoration by
Edwin B. Willis

Costume Design by
Howard Shoup		(gowns) (as Shoup)

Production Management
Art Smith	....	unit manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Dolph Zimmer	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Howard Campbell	....	associate art director

Sound Department
Douglas Shearer	....	recording director

Special Effects by
A. Arnold Gillespie	....	special effects (as Arnold Gillespie)
Warren Newcombe	....	special effects

Stunts
Paul Stader	....	stunts (uncredited)

Other crew
George Emerson	....	animal trainer (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (controlled by Loew's Incorporated)

Distributors

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1942) (USA) (theatrical) (controlled by Loew's Incorporated)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1943) (UK) (theatrical)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1944) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1950) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Chapel Distribution (1997) (Australia) (theatrical) (16mm print)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1948) (France) (theatrical)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1971) (France) (theatrical) (re-release)
• ClassicLine (2002) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Continental Home Vídeo (19??) (Brazil) (VHS)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1991) (USA) (VHS)
• Mainostelevisio (MTV3) (1979) (1987) (1997) (Finland) (TV)
• Sandrew Metronome Distribution (2004) (Finland) (DVD)
• Warner Bros. Entertainment Finland Oy (2006) (Finland) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2004) (Germany) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (19??) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2006) (USA) (DVD)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

71 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

Australia:G | Finland:S | Sweden:Btl | USA:Approved (PCA #8090) | Norway:7 | West Germany:6

Filming Locations:

Brooklyn Bridge, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

Cameo: [Elmo Lincoln]the first movie Tarzan, as a circus roustabout.

Goofs:

Continuity: Tarzan gives the spear to Boy handle up and blade down. When Boy takes it, next shot, it is reversed.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Boy:Cheetah! What is it?
Jane:Cheetah must be seeing things. What is it, Tarzan? What is it?
Tarzan:Uguna. Strange sound in sky. Big. Far off.
Jane:I don't hear anything.
Tarzan:Tarzan hear. Cheetah hear. Elephant hear.
Boy:Now I hear it. Like a great wind coming.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in El crimen del cine Oriente (1997)

Soundtrack:

I'm Thru with Love

Will New York Ever Be the Same after Tarzan?

This is the last of the six great "Tarzan classics" with Johnny Weismuller and Maureen O'Sullivan. And I frankly didn't think I would like it: who, after all, wants to see Tarzan anywhere but in the jungle?

But this turned out to be a delightful tale after all. We are given enough of Tarzan, Jane, Boy, and the animals in the jungle to set the stage; and then are whisked to New York for a story full of situational humor, social commentary, and adventure.

Cheetah perhaps plays a bigger role in this movie than in any of the others. Cheetah provides us with great scenes of fun and good humor, opening the movie at the beginning and closing it at the end in the jungle. In both scenes, Cheetah opens with the elephants with delightful playfulness. In between, we have Cheetah going to New York with Tarzan and Jane for a series of easy-going, hilarious romps that help to really provide this movie with a special humor to offset what is I'll admit I really didn't like Boy's "tricks" with the baby elephants at the beginning of the movie. This all seemed very unnatural, and that really undermines the movies depiction of Boy in the Jungle.

However, the perhaps predictable but mordant social commentary contrasting "civilization" and Tarzan's jungle was to me a very good fit for a movie that really more than usual emphasizes environmental contrasts. The adventure/action scenes of Tarzan high above the streets of New York, and far above the Brooklyn Bridge, were wonderful.

The cinematography was excellent, crisply precise. The pace occasionally lagged, but in general, was good. All in all, this is a very worthwhile addition to the great Tarzan canon, and I would recommend it to anyone.