Tarzan Triumphs
Tarzan fights Nazis in a World War II jungle adventure.
Tarzan Triumphs is a 1943 adventure film where the ape-man takes on German forces during World War II. This was Johnny Weissmuller’s second Tarzan movie under producer Sol Lesser at RKO Pictures, following *Tarzan's New York Adventure*, after he had played the character six times for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Lesser had previously produced *Tarzan the Fearless* and *Tarzan’s Revenge*.
Weissmuller was joined again by two of his frequent co-stars from earlier films: Johnny Sheffield and Cheeta. However, Maureen O’Sullivan could not return as Jane because the franchise moved from MGM to RKO, and she was under contract with MGM. In her place, Frances Gifford played Zandra, a princess from the lost city of Palandrya, which falls to German invaders.
**Plot** During World War II, Tarzan and his son Boy live on the Great Escarpment, while Jane has gone back to the United Kingdom to care for her sick mother. A letter from Jane describes the fight against Nazi Germany. A small group of German paratroopers lands in Sub-Saharan Africa to gather raw materials, taking over the lost city of Palandrya as a base and enslaving its people. Lieutenant Schmidt, separated from the others, carries a shortwave radio to contact Berlin. He recuperates at Tarzan’s camp, claiming to be English.
After Germans kill her brother Achmet, Zandra escapes and tells Tarzan about the invaders. Tarzan realizes Schmidt is a German. Tarzan causes Schmidt's death by triggering a rockfall. Zandra asks Tarzan to aid her people, but he refuses, saying, “Jungle people fight to live, civilized people live to fight.” She tries to return home, but Tarzan stops her.
Germans search Tarzan’s camp for a radio and kidnap Boy. They shoot Tarzan from a tree, believing him dead. Unharmed and hidden by Cheetah’s monkey brigade, an angry Tarzan declares, “Now Tarzan make war!” He sneaks into the lost city, destroys a machine gun, and kills several Germans. Captured briefly with Zandra and Boy, he is freed by Cheetah and defeats the invaders using his knife and an elephant charge. In the final scene, Cheetah speaks into the radio, and Germans in Berlin mistake the sounds for Adolf Hitler’s rants.
**Cast** Johnny Weissmuller as Tarzan, Johnny Sheffield as Boy, Frances Gifford as Zandra, Stanley Ridges as Colonel Von Reichart, Sig Ruman as Sergeant, Philip Van Zandt as Captain Bausch, Rex Williams as Lieutenant Rei
- Release Year
- 1943
- Director
- Not specified in source
- Producer
- Sol Lesser
- Studio
- RKO Pictures
- Lead Actor
- Johnny Weissmuller
- Genre
- Adventure
- Box Office Profit
- $208,000
Lore & Background
During World War II, Tarzan and his son Boy live on the Great Escarpment while Jane has returned to the United Kingdom. German paratroopers take over the lost city of Palandrya, enslaving its people. Lieutenant Schmidt, separated from his unit, convalesces at Tarzan's camp claiming to be English. After Zandra escapes the Germans and reveals their presence, Tarzan realizes Schmidt is a German. Tarzan causes Schmidt's death by a rockfall. The Germans kidnap Boy and shoot Tarzan from a tree, but he survives and declares, 'Now Tarzan make war!' He infiltrates the lost city, destroys a machine gun, and defeats the invaders with his knife and an elephant blitzkrieg.
Reader's Guide
Tarzan Triumphs is significant as a wartime propaganda film, produced after the U.S. State Department informed Sol Lesser that a Tarzan film would spread democracy's message against fascism. It was the highest-grossing of Lesser's Tarzan films. The film marked a shift from MGM to RKO, resulting in Maureen O'Sullivan's absence as Jane due to her MGM contract; Frances Gifford played Princess Zandra instead. Unlike previous Tarzan films, natives were portrayed by white actors in South Sea Island costume, a practice that continued in several 1940s Tarzan films. Critical reception was mixed: Variety called it 'virtually all jungle stuff,' while The New York Times noted it 'may please a lot of people to see Tarzan banging Nazis right and left' but found the jest 'decidedly hollow.' The film made a profit of $208,000.
Did You Know?
- Johnny Weissmuller was reunited with co-stars Johnny Sheffield and Cheeta from earlier films, but Maureen O'Sullivan could not reprise her role as Jane because she was an MGM contract player.
- The U.S. State Department informed producer Sol Lesser that a Tarzan film would be an ideal way to spread the message of democracy's battle against fascism.
- In the final scene, Cheetah speaks into the radio, and Germans in Berlin mistake the sounds for the rants of Adolf Hitler.
- Unlike previous Tarzan films, the natives are played by whites in South Sea Island costume rather than black Africans.
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