Tarzan's Magic Fountain
Tarzan seeks a missing aviator and a hidden valley.
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In 1949, Lex Barker first played Edgar Rice Burroughs' ape-man in Tarzan's Magic Fountain, the thirteenth film in the series that started in 1932. Brenda Joyce, who had played Jane opposite Johnny Weissmuller in four earlier movies, returned as Jane. She was one of only two actresses to play Jane opposite two different Tarzans, the other being silent-era actress Karla Schramm.
This was Joyce's last time in the role. The film, directed by Lee Sholem, also starred Albert Dekker and Evelyn Ankers. Elmo Lincoln, the first screen Tarzan from three decades earlier, made an uncredited appearance as a fisherman mending his nets.
Plot
Aviator Gloria James Jessup went missing twenty years ago. Tarzan and Jane hear news of a man back in the United States who is about to be sentenced to life imprisonment; the only way he can be cleared is for Jessup's testimony. Tarzan secretly leaves for the hidden valley where Jessup has secretly been living for almost two decades and brings her back to testify. Jessup looks decades younger than her actual age, and this prompts a pair of men to ponder the rumor of a magic Fountain of Youth and try to find it after she returns from testifying and heads back there.
Critical reception
The New York Times welcomed Lex Barker's new Tarzan as 'A younger, more streamlined apeman with a personable grin and a torso guaranteed to make any lion cringe, he seems to be just what the witch-doctor ordered for this tattered series.' The picture, though, is 'a matter of stale peanuts at the same old jungle stand.' Instead of resorting to new ideas and treatment and a timely overhauling job, the studio has dragged out a mouldy script, the same sheepish-looking extras, and the wheezing chimpanzee, Cheetah, who isn't getting any younger, either.
Did You Know?
- The film was co-written by Curt Siodmak.
- Tarzan's Magic Fountain was followed by Tarzan and the Slave Girl in 1950.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who composed the music for Tarzan's Magic Fountain?
The music for Tarzan's Magic Fountain was composed by Alexander Laszlo.
Who wrote Tarzan's Magic Fountain?
Tarzan's Magic Fountain was written by Curt Siodmak and Harry Chandlee.
How long is Tarzan's Magic Fountain?
Tarzan's Magic Fountain has a running time of 73 minutes.
More in Films Based on European Myths and Legends
Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Tarzan's Magic Fountain (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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