Tarzan's Fight for Life (1958)

Dr. Sturdy is trying to establish a modern hospital in the jungle. His efforts are strongly opposed by Futa, the witch doctor, and Ramo, a native warrior. There are kidnappings, a race ... See full summary »

Director:

H. Bruce Humberstone (as Bruce Humberstone)

Writers:

Edgar Rice Burroughs (characters), Thomas Hal Phillips

Stars:

Gordon Scott, Eve Brent, Rickie Sorensen

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Gordon Scott	...	Tarzan
Eve Brent	...	Jane
Rickie Sorensen	...	Tartu, Tarzan's Adopted Son
Jil Jarmyn	...	Ann Sturdy
James Edwards	...	Futa
Carl Benton Reid	...	Dr. Sturdy
Harry Lauter	...	Dr. Ken Warwick
Woody Strode	...	Ramo
Cheta	...	Herself

Storyline

Dr. Sturdy is trying to establish a modern hospital in the jungle. His efforts are strongly opposed by Futa, the witch doctor, and Ramo, a native warrior. There are kidnappings, a race against time for serum, capture of Tarzan, the struggle of modern medicine against magic, etc.

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Plot Keywords:

drum | manipulation | wrestling with a snake | 1950s | tarzan character | 

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Taglines:

Calling All Action Fans! Tarzan in Danger!

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Genres:

Action | Adventure

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

July 1958 (USA)

Also Known As:

Tarzán lucha por su vida

Filming Locations:

Burney Falls, McArthur-Burney Falls Memorial State Park - Highway 89, Burney, California, USA

Box Office

Gross USA:

$1,569,600

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$4,458,100

Company Credits

Production Co:

Sol Lesser Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

86 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

All three of this film's principal actors (Gordon Scott as Tarzan, Eve Brent as Jane and Rickie Sorensen as Boy) would later reprise their roles in a failed 1960 attempt to feature Edgar Rice Burroughs' character in a television series. Three episodes were filmed, but when none of the TV networks at the time picked up the project, M-G-M spliced all three episodes together and they eventually aired as the TV movie Tarzan and the Trappers.

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Goofs

Tartu is hacking away at a dugout canoe with a machete as though he has been building it and is just finishing it up. Only problem is, the canoe appears finished and is very weathered and gray in color, but on the very end where Tartu is shaving some wood off with his machete, he is revealing fresh pale wood color that stands out against the rest of the weathered wood. So he is clearly just pretending to be working on an old finished canoe.

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Quotes

Tarzan: If you do not let me go, young chief will die.

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Connections

Follows Tarzan and the Mermaids (1948)

User Reviews

Minor but colorful

True, the use of studio sets rather than on-location filming is pretty obvious, but what handsome sets, and how brightly photographed! That 1950s color seems stronger and more vivid than most of the color work seen today.

Gordon Scott, one of the better Tarzans, is in fine form here and his physical power is shown off in an arresting way. Rather than simply showing him performing feats of strength, this movie's last reel has him captured and in bondage. First he's hauled up river to a jungle village while spreadeagled face-down between two canoes. (Face-up would have been even better.) Then he's hauled through the village with his arms outstretched and tied to a wooden pole. Finally, still bound to that pole, he's tied between two posts inside a cave-like chamber where he's due to have his heart cut out. Contrasting his physical strength with the trappings of bondage somehow emphasizes rather than diminishes his aura of power.

(MGM apparently thought along similar lines. Virtually all the ads for this movie showed Gordon Scott with outstretched arms tied to a pole.)

Of course, it must be pointed out that the plot here is "Rama of the Jungle" stuff and all the scenes with Jane and Boy are pretty laughable. The fact that Cheetah wears a loincloth is beyond camp. And seeing a fine actor such as Roy Glenn wasted in a bit part is sad, sad, sad.