Behold the first known film about the most famous feral jungle dweller ever-No, not Mowgli, you in the back row...
After stumbling upon Tarzan's second film [Tarzan and the Golden Lion(1927) ] I just had to hunt down the first one-and I was …
Behold the first known film about the most famous feral jungle dweller ever-No, not Mowgli, you in the back row...
After stumbling upon Tarzan's second film [Tarzan and the Golden Lion(1927) ] I just had to hunt down the first one-and I was not disappointed. Director Scott Sidney has a very fluid composition and a surprisingly modern cutting and editing style which makes this hour-long feature just fly by. In addition, I find that using a few cuts from an African Travelogue, some borrowed shots from a New Orleans zoo and shooting on location in the Louisiana bayous makes for a surprisingly decent African jungle. Best of all, the shooting location allowed for an open casting call for local talent, which means that the film is delightfully free of the typical 'blackface' of the time...in addition, the script ( a creation of Edgar Rice Burroughs, Fred Miller and the accomplished Lois Weber ) is remarkably enlightened for the time-the conflicts between Tarzan, the intrepid but clueless English explorers and the not-so-savage natives flow naturally from a series of perfectly logical misunderstandings, and the resultant violence doesn't seem to have any right or wrong parties...
It is of course the casting that will save or ruin a film-and while True Boardman, Kathleen Kirkham and George B. French acquit themselves quite well, there are a number of standout performances...child actor Gordon Griffith brings an astounding mix of savagery, mischief and courage to his role, though I don't think that the glimpses of underage nudity would fly today. Griffith's adult counterpart, Elmo Lincoln is definitely not what I expected in a Tarzan-seeking a toned and athletic 'hero' a la Johnny Weissmuller, I instead got this tall, muscular towering near giant who I actually believe could wrestle a lion and break its neck. This Tarzan exudes a wild, feral, barely-restrained dangerous menace that I never knew I wanted until Lincoln brought it to the screen. Likewise, Enid Markey makes a delightful Jane Porter, and while she doesn't have very much to do early on, she utterly shines once paired with Elmo Lincoln. Best of all, the Director allows the actors to really lean into their roles-Jane Porter, while adventurous, is also a completely Victorian Englishwoman lost in the jungle with a powerful feral giant, while Tarzan is both besotted and confused by this oddly attractive alien creature that causes a terrifying flood of feelings within. The resulting combination of mutual curiosity, barely restrained lust and paralyzing bewilderment is IMHO perfectly understandable, utterly hilarious-and unexpectedly touching.
My only complaint concerning this fast-paced adventure concerns a few dangling plot twists-not the film's fault, as nearly half of it was lost in a fire after initial release. Luckily, enough remained that careful editing resulted in a complete story. I truly hope that the rest is found and restored...Silent, B&W.
