Tarzan and the Huntress (1947)

Director:

Kurt Neumann

Writers:

Edgar Rice Burroughs (characters)
Jerry Gruskin (screenplay)

Release Date:

5 April 1947 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Romance

Tagline:

Adventure Crashes To The Screen . . . Romance, Plus! Action, Plus! . . . Amid the Teeming Jungle!

Plot:

A shortage of zoo animals after World War II brings beautiful animal trainer Tanya, her financial backer and her cruel trail boss to the jungle...

Plot Keywords:

Tarzan | Jungle | King | Lion | Python

Cast

Johnny Weissmuller	...	Tarzan
Brenda Joyce	...	Jane
Johnny Sheffield	...	Boy
Patricia Morison	...	Tanya Rawlins
Barton MacLane	...	Paul Weir (as Barton Maclane)
John Warburton	...	Carl Marley
Charles Trowbridge	...	King Farrod
Ted Hecht	...	Prince Ozira
Wallace Scott	...	'Smitty' Smithers

Also Known As:

Edgar Rice Burroughs' Tarzan and the Huntress (USA) (complete title)

Runtime:

72 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

West Germany:12 (nf) | Austria:6 | Taiwan:GP | Finland:K-8 | Norway:7 | UK:PG | USA:Approved (PCA #12057)

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles County Arboretum & Botanic Garden - 301 N. Baldwin Avenue, Arcadia, California, USA

Company:

Sol Lesser Productions

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: Tarzan's knife has the ability to appear and disappear between shots. In one scene, he throws his knife at a hunter on the ground, hitting him in the back. A moment later, he goes to attack another man, and lo and behold, the knife has returned to its sheath. A second later, when the shot changes, the knife is gone again. And, after he defeats the man in the tree and runs off to save everyone else, the knife is back in its sheath again without Tarzan going to retrieve it from the man he threw it at!

Movie Connections:

Followed by Tarzan and the Trappers (1958)

Monak's Attack

Already in agreement with the other comments about the place of this film in the tradition of Tarzan movies, I would like to concentrate on one sub-plot, the animosity between Tarzan (played by Johnny Weissmuller) and Monak (played by ex-prize fighter Mickey Simpson), loyal servant to the scheming, evil Ozira (yes, my namesake; I am a major Tarzan fan).

Ozira stands to receive generous bounties for helping a safari catch African animals to re-stock the zoos after the Second World War. Since his uncle, King Farad, won't cooperate, Ozira stages the shooting of Farad (by Monak) to look like an accident and Farad's teenage son Suli is also believed killed, pushed into a pool of crocodiles, again by Monak.

As Monak leads the gun bearers and safari hands to help the hunters get their animals, he has a number of brushes with Tarzan. Tarzan liberates captured animals, knocks out several of Monak's guards and, when other bearers are sent back to the city for help, one safari hand is killed by a lion. Monak seethes to get revenge and tangle with Tarzan.

In one scene, after Tarzan and Boy steal the guns and rifles, Cheetah the Chimp tries to steal the compact of the female hunter (the Huntress of the movie, Tanya, Patricia Morrison's character). Monak hurls his knife, almost getting Cheetah. We are also treated to a closeup of Monak, a big man, proud, powerful, commanding, a large, smooth chest, fine belly, wide, deep jungle navel. Certainly, he would never miss with a knife again.

The guns retrieved, the safari continues to collect animals and Tarzan and Boy find Prince Suli very much alive. The city of Toronga must know the truth about this and Ozira's treachery unmasked.

As Tarzan attempts to lead Suli to safety, Monak, rifle in hand, bandoleer across his powerful, commanding chest, knife stuck in his sarong-like wraparound, spies him and, along with two gun bearers, bandoleers crisscrossing their majestic chests also, Monak goes after them, pausing to take a few unsuccessful shots. Tarzan takes to the trees and the three separate to get at him and to finish off Suli.

Weissmuller sharpens a vine to use as a spear and hurls it into the bare belly of one of the gun bearers who topples to the jungle ground. Tarzan then flings his knife into the back of a second gun bearer, who falls onto the ground, the bullets framing his brave chest, his life lost for Monak and Ozira.

Monak has climbed a tree to direct the battle. Tarzan is in that same tree and so is Suli. Monak, smiling with confidence, slyly pulls his knife out and it flies through the air but inexplicably misses Suli. Monak then sees Tarzan approach and the battle is on. Monak pulls off his bandoleer and tries to hit Tarzan with it. The two actors are now side by side and it is clear what a formidable man Simpson was. Then thirty-four, he was at least fifteen to twenty years younger than Weissmuller, depending upon the uncertain birth date of the former Olympic swimmer. Monak almost takes Tarzan, but Tarzan jumps down to a lower branch. Monak tries to push Tarzan off the tree with his foot. Tarzan catches hold of Monak's foot and twists it. Monak grimaces in pain as he realizes the tide of battle has turned. Losing his balance, he falls, attempts to grab onto a branch but, not able to hold on, tumbles down many feet, past a smiling Suli, and rolls over onto his back as he hits the jungle ground. His arms spreadeagled, his broad, expansive, brave, adventurous, daring, bold, jungle leader chest is splayed on the jungle floor.

Monak has given his life for Ozira. (Ozira and some of the hunters will soon die in one of the most exciting elephant stampedes ever brought to the screen). Monak's death is the turning point of the story for now, following the stampede, Prince Suli will be restored to his people. Ozira will die by being driven over a cliff in the ensuing confusion of the elephant stampede and hitting his head on a rock. Ozira will never know that only a short distance away, the fine body of his "most trusted servant" lies still, having risked everything to serve his greedy, malevolent master.