Lex Barker Tarzans

Welcome to In The Balcony. We hope you enjoy your visit.

You're currently viewing our forum as a guest. This means you are limited to certain areas of the board and there are some features you can't use. If you join our community, you'll be able to access member-only sections, and use many member-only features such as customizing your profile, sending personal messages, and voting in polls. Registration is simple, fast, and completely free. Plus, you'll be eligible for the monthly $1 million prize. (Not really.)

Join our community!

If you're already a member please log in to your account to access all of our features:

Pages:
1
2
3

Lex Barker Tarzans
Topic Started: May 10 2009, 08:12 AM (1,212 Views)
The Batman	Jun 1 2009, 12:48 PM Post #16
Charter Member Posts: 5,570 Group: Members Member #17 Joined: September 4, 2005	JazzGuyy Jun 1 2009, 09:05 AM The Batman May 29 2009, 11:31 AM Speedy May 15 2009, 05:04 PM With his role as Superman... I thought I had you, when you posted this, Speedy. But a quick check of IMDB confirms that Ely played Superman in a 2-part episode of the 90's Superboy TV show. It's a shame that Warner has decided not to release the remaining seasons on DVD, including the season that would feature these episodes. They may eventually show up from Warner Archives. Warner has said they will eventually include TV shows in this program. Thanks, Jazzy. That's the best news I've heard about this archive project, yet!



Laughing Gravy	Jun 2 2009, 05:45 AM Post #17
Revered in the UK Posts: 11,073 Group: Admin Member #1 Joined: August 31, 2005	I have the Tarzans too, and since nobody else has posted this that I can find, I will... the original order to watch the darn things in... Tarzan's Magic Fountain (released Feb. 1949) Tarzan and the Slave Girl (June 1950) Tarzan's Peril (March 1951) Tarzan's Savage Fury (March 1952) Tarzan and the She-Devil (June 1953) BTW, Magic Fountain was directed by Lee Sholem, a name familiar to anybody who's watched TV's The Adventures of Superman.



cinemalover	Jun 5 2009, 09:02 AM Post #18
Balcony Gang, Foist Class Posts: 73 Group: Members Member #713 Joined: April 1, 2009	I watched the second Barker Tarzan last night, 1950's Tarzan and the Slave Girl. This was an interesting entry that has a lot going for it, and some distractions that help it add up to less than it could have been. On the positive side Lex Barker looks very comfortable in the role and does a nice job with the part. The storyline involves a "lost" civilization of the Lionians who are kidnapping native girls to become slaves. The advertising line for the movie promises some kinky excitement, "Tarzan avenges stolen jungle slave-brides!" Anthony Caruso as the evil High Priest is notably good and the woman who plays the native girl Lola (Denise Darcel) is a hoot. She speaks with a syrup-thick French accent matched with a fiery Latin temper. She may not seem to fit into this particular jungle scene, but she's very entertaining to watch. The big disappointment is a horribly cast Jane. They got rid of Brenda Joyce, who was very likable in Tarzan's Magic Fountain. In this outing Jane is played like a catty school girl by the very plain looking Vanessa Brown. In my opinion this is the worst Jane I've experienced, and not exactly what you'd hope Tarzan would come home to after a hard day in the jungle. Part of the fun of this episode is the Lionian soldiers who arrive to poach some village maidens. They would look more at home in Sherwood Forest than Tarzan's jungle, but they make good (serial worthy) villains. Early on the film entertains us with a funny continuity gaffe. Tarzan is shown in full body close-up that clearly shows that he is barefoot (and I'm so happy that they dumped the silly slippers he wore in Fountain). Seconds later he is chasing the Lionians through the brush and leaps to tackle one of them. He is wearing the magic slippers as he flies through the air. Again, moments later, another closeup reveals bare feet. Then he is wrestling with one of the soldiers and he is wearing the slippers again. Then they disappear for good. Thankfully. The Lionians were also aided by a tribe that specialized in camoflauge. They wore netted shrubs that allowed them to seemingly appear out of nowhere to strike with blow guns and disappear into the surrounding foliage just as quickly. I remember being slightly spooked by this group when seeing this as a child. Overall I enjoyed it, I'd have to give it a 6 out of 10. Entertaining while it's on, but not very memorable. The Warner Archive print had minor speckling, but was very good all in all. Edited by cinemalover, Jun 5 2009, 09:46 AM.



cinemalover	Jun 8 2009, 09:04 AM Post #19
Balcony Gang, Foist Class Posts: 73 Group: Members Member #713 Joined: April 1, 2009	Has anyone else that purchased these sets watched them yet? I'm curious to know your opinion of Lex Barker as our favorite Lord of the Apes. After seeing the first two films in the series I think he really looks good in the part, especially when he was running through the jungle with a bow and quiver. They still only give him short simple sentences to work with, so it's challenging to gauge his thespian skills, but he certainly measures up visually to the character.



Speedy	Jun 8 2009, 05:17 PM Post #20
Balcony Gang Posts: 15 Group: Members Member #156 Joined: December 9, 2006	I've watched all five, but have to watch them again soon, as the plots are all running together in my mind. You are right about them being entertaining, but not memorable. Still a lot of fun. I'll collect the Gordon Scott and Jock Mahoney Tarzans, as well, if they become available. Lex Barker's a good Tarzan and I was surprised that he was as non-verbal as JW. I had not seen the Barker Tarzans since 1960's TV broadcasts and I remembered thinking he talked more. But I guess that was Herman Brix. Of the five "Janes", I like Dorothy Hart the best. I love all those white, vaguely South American lost tribes that populate Tarzan's African jungle. It's almost a surprise when actual black tribes show up. Cy Endfield of "Zulu" fame directed, "Tarzan's Savage Fury". Lots of good villian actors like George Macready, Charles Korvin and Raymond Burr. Plus lots of visual interest with those five Janes and other jungle babes running through the jungle.



cinemalover	Jun 11 2009, 07:19 AM Post #21
Balcony Gang, Foist Class Posts: 73 Group: Members Member #713 Joined: April 1, 2009	I finally got around to watching the third of the Lex Barker Tarzans, 1951's Tarzan's Peril (darn, this beautiful weather has been distracting me from my viewing habits!). Another film and another Jane. In this entry Jane is played by the capable Virginia Huston, in fact my only complaint about her is the hairstyle they gave her. She looks like she walked in straight off of the Leave it to Beaver soundstage. The story involves a ragged group of convicts led by the extraordinarily evil Radijeck (George Macready), whose very name brings shivers to Jane. She and Tarzan have had the displeasure of his presence before. This group is selling arms to the power mad King Bulam (played with great gusto and lust by Francis O'Neal). He plans on using the guns to have his tribe take over the Ashubans. Bulam's real goal is to forcibly bed their queen, Melmendi (played by the leggy Dorothy Dandridge). Alan Napier returns to the series as a different character, Commissioner Peters (he played Douglas Jessup in Tarzan's Magic Fountain). This is a fun little adventure that is enlivened by lots of shots of native ritual and dance that lends a nice air of authenticity to the proceedings. Barker performs well, but best of all there are absolutely no signs of the leather slippers in this one! The entire cast seems to enjoy themselves and it translates to the screen. As usual, too much time is spent watching Cheetah's hijinks, but that's a forgivable sin.



cinemalover	Jun 17 2009, 09:40 AM Post #22
Balcony Gang, Foist Class Posts: 73 Group: Members Member #713 Joined: April 1, 2009	I watched the fourth Lex Barker apeman installment, 1952's Tarzan's Savage Fury. This was an above average entry involving badguys Edwards (Patrick Knowles) and Rokov (Charles Korvin) trying to scam a native tribe out of their huge store of diamonds for their own dispicable purposes. This time out the very likable Dorothy Hart surveys the role of Jane, and does so in classiclal fashion (does anyone know why Lex had five different actresses playing Jane in his five Tarzan's?). Jane and Tarzan also pick up a white orphan boy named Joey (played with plenty of perk by Tommy Carlton). They unofficially adopt him in a move reminiscent of Weissmuller's Tarzan finding Boy. A nice, crisp little actioner that doesn't disappoint. The most interesting/disturbing scene of the film had a group of natives using young boys as gator bait. The boys would swim out into crocodile infested waters with a rope tied around their waist. Once they attracting the croc's attention and the prusuit began the natives pull the boy back to shore and spear the croc to add to their pile of croc corpses. I'm not sure you could get away with a scene like that in today's overly PC world.



Vornoff	Jun 18 2009, 07:46 AM Post #23
Charter Member Posts: 484 Group: Members Member #54 Joined: September 16, 2005	I've still got 4 out of 5 of the Lex Barker Tarzan's to watch, and am looking forward to them. Thought I'd check out the different Janes: Brenda Joyce Vanessa Brown Virginia Huston Dorothy Hart Joyce MacKenzie Edited by Vornoff, Jun 18 2009, 07:48 AM.
	"Doctor of nothing!"


Vornoff	Jun 21 2009, 10:27 AM Post #24
Charter Member Posts: 484 Group: Members Member #54 Joined: September 16, 2005	Just watched Tarzan and the Slave Girls yesterday and really enjoyed it. Vanessa Brown was great as Jane and was a lot prettier than the pic I posted of her above. Rest of cast was very good, especially Anthony Caruso who was delightfully nasty. It featured another one of those secret, lost cities which I really love. This one had a great set, especially the giant tomb. There were some very creepy bad-guy natives who slunk around in the jungle disguised as foliage. Highly recommended. Edited by Vornoff, Jun 21 2009, 10:28 AM.
	"Doctor of nothing!"


Laughing Gravy	Jun 22 2009, 07:21 AM Post #25
Revered in the UK Posts: 11,073 Group: Admin Member #1 Joined: August 31, 2005	Funny, I think this is an awful pic of Brenda Joyce, who is much cuter in her Tarzan films.



Vornoff	Jun 22 2009, 08:14 AM Post #26
Charter Member Posts: 484 Group: Members Member #54 Joined: September 16, 2005	How about this one? I see that Brenda Joyce named herself after a silent screen actress, Alice Joyce, whom I'd never heard of before. That's not surprising in itself, because there's a LOT of stuff I've never heard of before, but she was a huge star especially around 1913-1914 and acted till around 1930, doing a few sound flicks. BRENDA JOYCE ALICE JOYCE
	"Doctor of nothing!"


cinemalover	Jun 22 2009, 09:46 AM Post #27
Balcony Gang, Foist Class Posts: 73 Group: Members Member #713 Joined: April 1, 2009	Hi Vornoff, I guess we'll have to disagree about Miss Brown's performance as Jane, I thought she was awful. She plays it like a petty 16 year old school girl, whom I don't think could have lasted 10 minutes in the wild jungle away from the comforts of civilization. The sets were fantastic though and the movie as a whole was very entertaining. Caruso made for a villain that was easy to root against. It's probably the best of the Barker Tarzans. I really liked Brenda Joyce and Dorothy Hart as Janes, but we all have our own points of view. Tonight I'm going to watch the final Barker entry, Tarzan and the She Devil.



Vornoff	Jun 22 2009, 11:13 AM Post #28
Charter Member Posts: 484 Group: Members Member #54 Joined: September 16, 2005	For whatever reason, I liked Vanessa - maybe it was that attractive petty 16 year old school girl thing. I think from about the 50's on, I never expect a lot of acting ability from my Janes, or really from anybody else. I enjoy the Tarzans for their nostalgic value, to watch favorite b-movie actors, especially unbilled ones that I can recognize, and for the whimsy provided by exotic locales, lost civilizations and danger-fraught jungle treks. Cinemalover, I enjoyed your mini-review of Slave Girls - keep up the good work!
	"Doctor of nothing!"


cinemalover	Jun 22 2009, 12:27 PM Post #29
Balcony Gang, Foist Class Posts: 73 Group: Members Member #713 Joined: April 1, 2009	Thanks, Vornoff. I couldn't agree more about enjoying the guest stars in these old b-flicks. That's why I'm looking forward to watching Tarzan and the She Devil tonight. The villains are played by Raymond Burr (always a treat as a heavy, pardon the pun) and Tom (the Falcon) Conway.



Vornoff	Jun 22 2009, 03:28 PM Post #30
Charter Member Posts: 484 Group: Members Member #54 Joined: September 16, 2005	Raymond Burr and Tom Conway - both favorite actors of mine. You can't beat them together in the same movie. As a matter of fact, they both were in Bride of the Gorilla from 1951 with Lon Chaney Jr. Burr then shows up in 1954's Gorilla at Large. What's up with him and the monkey movies? Always liked Tom Conway, going back to his three Val Lewton movies in the 40's. He was also in Tarzan's Secret Treasure with Weissmuller. I really like him as the Falcon (as you mentioned) - I've got all but his last Falcon movie. And, of course, he brings a touch of class to that all-time clunker The She Creature co-starring the very lovely Marla English.
	"Doctor of nothing!"


Go to Next Page
« Previous Topic · Jungle Boogie! · Next Topic »

Pages:
1
2
3