I just watch the 1936 Tarzan Escapes (Johnny Weismuller) and despite Leonard Maltin's claim that it was "almost/could have been" the best Tarzan movie ever filmed, I was left disappointed. My mind drifted back the 1959's Tarzan's Greatest Adventure (Gordon Scott) starring Sean Connery, Anthony Quayle and directed by John Guillermin - what a great movie - its my best Tarzan by far

Far and away my favorite is Tarzan and His Mate. Tarzan Escapes had to make major cuts to pass Hays censors diluting it's impact.
Gordon Scott's movies were quite good after the films dropped Jane and Boy and added some budget.

My vote goes for Tarzan and His Mate as well......
I liked the 2 Jock Mahoney Tarzans even though he had contracted dysentery on location and suffered an enormous loss of weight.

Mine in order:
1 - Tarzan And His Mate,
2 - Tarzan Finds A Son,
3 - Tarzan's New York Adventure,
4 - Tarzans Greatest Adventure,
5 - Tarzan The Magnificent.
Summer of '75 my brother Dennis and I was driving all over the west and Johnny Weissmuller worked as a P.R. man for Caesars Palace. Whenever he felt like it, maybe 3-4 times a week, he would be at Caesars to swim, eat, visit or do photos/autographs.
I took my Essoe book "The Films of Tarzan" for hopefully an autograph and photo. He was not feeling well the day we arrived. The next day I was really excited. After waiting a few hours, at my request, Caesars finally phoned him at home, paged me to call a number and informed me Mr. Weissmuller was still not feeling well and would not be in. So close yet so far.

"Tarzan And His Mate," is my favorite Tarzan movie also.
In "Tarzan's New York Adventure," Johhny Weissmuller jumps off the Brooklyn Bridge. And, if my recollection of this feat is correct, it was not done by a stunt double. Seeing him do this reminded me of his performance in Billy Rose's Aquacade in the 1940 San Francisco Worlds Fair, where a 19 year old Esther williams was the show's star.
The Aquamaids were performing a water ballet when the lights dimmed, they formed a circle, and the lights went out. A spotlight was turned on, it's beam was aimed at the rafters of the auditorum. There was Johhny Weissmuller. With the drums rolling, he dove right into the center of the girls below. When he surfaced, he was joined by Esther Williams, and they did a synchronised swim together. I have never forgotten this unexpected and thrilling performance.
W.

The great cinematic dive was done by shooting straight down into a studio tank from an MGM tower using a dummy.

Listed below are my favorites:

Tarzan the Ape Man
Tarzan and his Mate
Tarzan's New York Adventure
Tarzan Triumphs
Tarzan's Greatest Adventure
Tarzan the Magnificient
Tarzan goes to India
I basically liked all the Tarzan movies with the possible exceptions of Glenn Morris and Denny Miller. As much as Weissmuller is everybodys Tarzan I always liked Jock Mahoney. Maybe because of his stunt prowess and natural athletic ability Mahoney just looked the part. To think he played Tarzan for the first time in his early forties, I always wondered how he would have fared had he had the chance to have played the character at a younger age.

Barcroft

Blub. Blub... That's the sound of a drowning dummy (me) for falling for old Hollywood hype and lore (again).

I enjoyed the two Mahoney Tarzans.....I just wondered why he was so gaunt until I learned of him getting amoebic dysentery from the food and water on location. It really hit him hard and he lost a lot of weight, but he still went through and finished the two films. Even at that his movements were so lithe and athletic in the film that I thought of him more like a real Tarzan.
I enjoyed Johnny Weismueller as Tarzan as he was the Tarzan I grew up with. One of his interesting comments was complaining about having to soak his feet in salt brine to toughen them up so he could run around in the jungle barefoot at the Arboretum "Jungle" a stones throw away from the Santa Anita Racetrack. Well, at least it beat Lex Barker wearing his little buckskin booties.

Just watched Jock Mahoney in a great 3 Stooges short. I saw it many years ago and I remembered it quite well. Didn't get the name of the short but Jock plays a clumsy cowboy with a guitar, who pulls off a couple of great prat-falls - "Nell, honey"

Weissmuller was the most natural looking and most "animalistic" of the actors (and non-actors) who played the role of Tarzan on the silver screen. He was, and always will be the one and only "reel" Tarzan.

Never saw any Buster Crabbe Tarzan movies but since I just got Buck Rogers on DVD, I've become very impressed with his acting & naturalness - much better than Johnny Weissmuller. Long live Buck Rogers

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