a_chinn This Tarzan installment seemed particularly goofy, with Tarzan, Lex Barker in his second outing as the Lord of the Jungle, finding himself at odds with a pointy hat wearing cult who capture Tarzan's slave girl friends. The silly looking costumes, the strange temples, the scantily clad women made this installment feel more like a Flash Gordon serial than it did a Tarzan jungle adventure film. It's not bad and I'm sure it would still appeal to kids and adults who enjoy the other Tarzan films, but the story and action here seemed incongruous and far afield from prior films or the Edgar Rice Burroughs source material. At least this one did not prominently feature racist stereotypes of African native people.

JohnHowardReid Copyright 8 March 1950 by Sol Lesser Productions, Inc. Released through RKO Radio Pictures. New York opening at the Criterion: 23 June 1950. U.S. release: 18 March 1950. U.K. release: 18 September 1950. Australian release: 25 May 1950. 6,754 feet. 75 minutes.Alternative title: TARZAN AND THE JUNGLE QUEEN.SYNOPSIS: Tarzan frees a group of kidnapped girls and brings medical aid to villagers suffering from a strange disease.NOTES: Number 26 of the 46-picture "Tarzan" series. Lex Barker's second of five outings as Tarzan. Vanessa Brown's only appearance as Jane.COMMENT: This entry has good elements and bad. For instance, it's great to see Hurd Hatfield, even though his entrance is delayed and his part pans out as not all that large. What's worse, it's sad to hear him struggling with the film's ridiculous dialogue.Oddly enough, it's way-down-in-the-cast Denise Darcel who seems to be most at home, — despite (or maybe because of) a sarong that seems about as suitable for jungle wear as a Panama hat in Alaska. Vanessa Brown emerges as a poor man's Jane in every respect. Her strident voice is especially unsuitable for fans used to the soft diction of Maureen O'Sullivan. Arthur Shields over-acts atrociously; the villain is not much chop; and Robert Warwick cuts an unintentionally risible figure as the high priest.Perhaps we shouldn't come down too hard on the actors. After all, the writers make no attempt to induce credibility in their juvenile plot which remains from go to whoa on a strictly comic-book level. Fortunately, it does introduce a fair amount of fast-moving action, though the climax itself is not as exciting as the earlier scenes with the sinister, foliage-disguised Wadi.Though obviously cramped by the demands of Lesser's tight budget, Harry Horner's sets appear mildly attractive. True, the compositions are more stylish than Lesser usual, obviously reflecting the skill of ace cameraman Russell Harlan. Lee Sholem's direction reaches its zenith in the action spots, thanks to Tarzan's jumping over the camera and at least one neat, if short, tracking shot through the undergrowth.A few stock shots from earlier Tarzan entries pop up occasionally, but not as many as you might expect.

Edgar Soberon Torchia If it weren't for this little voice that keeps telling me that I am exaggerating, I would give 8 or 9 stars to Lex Barker's second Tarzan film. The truth is that I did not look at my watch in any occasion, and I watched the movie in delight from start to finish. Again RKO added more punch in production values, with top professionals in all key departments; Barker took off the slippers worn in his first incursion in Burroughs' territory, and all the women in the cast are beautiful -although Denise Darcel makes herself a bit ugly, playing her role of Lola as if she were in a vulgar sex comedy, looking out of place in a Tarzan movie. The story (as lineal and easy as usual) is a bit intriguing: when an Egyptian-looking kingdom in the African jungle (or so it seems...) is being affected by a strange disease, Tarzan guides a doctor with a serum to the capital, without knowing that the crown prince has ordered his henchmen to kidnap women from nearby tribes, among whom there is Tarzan's mate, Jane Parker. What Tarzan does is a lot of fun, leading to a satisfactory resolution. As in the first Barker entry, Cheetah steals every scene he is in.

seagem This film offers some special treats: poison darts, a mysterious tribe of camouflaged warriors known as the Whati, Denise Darcel as Lola the Nurse, a man-eating lion pit, Vanessa Brown and a slave girl dog pile on one of the fat guards. The darts are particularly pungent and drop victims in their tracks. The Whati are foreboding and could have been used more throughout the film. The lion pit shows a continuity problem where one of Tarzan's adversaries is thrown in to be devoured only to reappear thirty seconds later to get thrown in a second time with same result. Vanessa Brown is fun to watch and feels "girl next door". She leaves the tree house in pursuit of rogue warriors with her bow and arrow - would have been great for her to show archery skills and get one of the bad guys - if this film were made today would surely have given Jane an opportunity to shine this way with an arrow to one or two of the kidnappers thorax or esophagus. Denise Darcel exudes sexuality and you can see her longing to have her way with Tarzan. She surely must have been the inspiration for Charro's hoochie coochie bumps and grinds made famous 15 years later on 60's TV variety shows. The dog pile scene occurs when Tarzan breaks into the palace and the slave girls on cue immobilize one of the lucky(er...)unlucky accomplices and block the door momentarily long enough for Tarzan to get away. Lex Barker looks particularly fit doing most of his fight and climbing scenes(Jock Mahoney doing tough stunts?). Anthony Caruso is the heavy and does his usual great work. Robert Alda, Alan's dad, is also on hand to lend credibility to the story. Chimp antics in this film are not as good as those in Magic Fountain but are still timeless fun for the kid in all of us.