Tarzan's Desert Mystery (1943)

User Rating:

7.0/10   

Director:

Wilhelm Thiele

Writers:

Edgar Rice Burroughs (characters)
Edward T. Lowe Jr. (writer)

Release Date:

15 April 1944 (Sweden)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | War

Tagline:

Tarzan Defies Enemy Agents . . . in a hot-bed of Intrigue and Danger !

Plot:

A letter from Jane, who is nursing British troops, asks Tarzan's help in obtaining a malaria serum extractable from jungle plants...

Plot Keywords:

Tarzan | Desert | Letter | Horse | Nazi

Cast

Johnny Weissmuller	...	Tarzan
Nancy Kelly	...	Connie Bryce
Johnny Sheffield	...	Boy
Otto Kruger	...	Paul Hendrix
Joe Sawyer	...	Karl Straeder
Lloyd Corrigan	...	Sheik Abdul El Khim
Robert Lowery	...	Prince Selim
Frank Puglia	...	Magistrate
Philip Van Zandt	...	Kushmet

Also Known As:

Edgar Rice Burroughs' Tarzan's Desert Mystery (USA) (complete title)
Tarzan Against the Sahara (USA) (working title)
Tarzan and the Sheik (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

70 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

West Germany:6 (nf) | Finland:K-12 | Sweden:Btl | Norway:7 (1970)

Filming Locations:

Alabama Hills, Lone Pine, California, USA

Company:

Sol Lesser Productions

Goofs:

Continuity: During the sandstorm after their escape from the city, Tarzan and Boy can be seen wearing footwear of some kind, yet a moment later when they leave to seek shelter, they are both barefoot again.

Movie Connections:

Edited from Tarzan Triumphs (1943)

Weakest So Far

Tarzan's Desert Mystery (1943)

** (out of 4)

Jane, who once again sends Tarzan a letter saying she isn't coming home, also asks her boyfriend to get a secret formula that can cure troops fighting in the war. Tarzan, Boy and Cheetah set out to do this but end up fighting Arabs. I found it incredibly difficult to stay awake while watching this film and it took several viewings to be able to do so. I thought the first forty-minutes of this thing were deadly dull and lacked any nice comedy or action. The female lead also wasn't very interesting, which hurt matters. The film eventually picks up at the end when Tarzan must enter a mysterious jungle full of living vines, prehistoric creatures and a huge spider. If only the entire film had taken place here. This is the first Tarzan I've actually been disappointed in to the point where I probably won't watch it again.