Tarzan's Desert Mystery (1943)

Director:

Wilhelm Thiele

Writers:

Edgar Rice Burroughs (characters)
Edward T. Lowe Jr. (writer)
(more)

Release Date:

15 April 1944 (Sweden)

Genre:

Action | Adventure

Tagline:

Tarzan Defies Enemy Agents . . . in a hot-bed of Intrigue and Danger !

Plot:

A letter from Jane, who is nursing British troops, asks Tarzan's help in obtaining a malaria serum extractable from jungle plants...

Plot Keywords:

Loincloth | Man Eating Plant | Saved From Hanging | Medicine | Hidden Message

Cast

Johnny Weissmuller	...	Tarzan
Nancy Kelly	...	Connie Bryce
Johnny Sheffield	...	Boy
Otto Kruger	...	Paul Hendrix
Joe Sawyer	...	Karl Straeder
Lloyd Corrigan	...	Sheik Abdul El Khim
Robert Lowery	...	Prince Selim
Frank Puglia	...	Magistrate
Philip Van Zandt	...	Kushmet
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Bobby Barber	...	Turban Vendor (uncredited)
John Berkes	...	Charlie (uncredited)
Dice	...	Jaynar (uncredited)
Frank Faylen	...	Achmed (uncredited)
George J. Lewis	...	Ali Baba Hassan (uncredited)
Nestor Paiva	...	Prison Guard (uncredited)

Directed by
Wilhelm Thiele		(as William Thiele)

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Edgar Rice Burroughs		characters
Edward T. Lowe Jr.		writer (as Edward T. Lowe)
Carroll Young		story

Produced by
Sol Lesser	....	executive producer
Kurt Neumann	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Paul Sawtell

Cinematography by
Russell Harlan		(as Russ Harlan)
Harry J. Wild		(as Harry Wild)

Film Editing by
Ray H. Lockert		(as Ray Lockert)

Art Direction by
Ralph Berger
Hans Peters

Set Decoration by
Victor A. Gangelin		(as Victor Gangelin)
Stanley Murphy

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Derwin Abrahams	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Bailey Fesler	....	sound technician
Jean L. Speak	....	sound technician

Stunts
Ben Johnson	....	stunt double (uncredited)
Paul Stader	....	stunts (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Elmer Ellsworth	....	wardrobe

Music Department
C. Bakaleinikoff	....	musical director

Other crew
Ralph McCutcheon	....	horse trainer (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Sol Lesser Productions (as Principal Artists Productions)

Distributors

• RKO Radio Pictures (1943) (USA) (theatrical)
• RKO Radio Films A/S (1947) (Norway) (theatrical)
• RKO Radio Pictures (1949) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• RKO Radio Pictures (1959) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Banner Productions (1960) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)

Also Known As:

Edgar Rice Burroughs' Tarzan's Desert Mystery (USA) (complete title)
Tarzan Against the Sahara (USA) (working title)
Tarzan and the Sheik (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

70 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

West Germany:6 (nf) | Finland:K-12 | Sweden:Btl | Norway:7 (1970)

Filming Locations:

Alabama Hills, Lone Pine, California, USA

Company:

Sol Lesser Productions

Goofs:

Continuity: During the sandstorm after their escape from the city, Tarzan and Boy can be seen wearing footwear of some kind, yet a moment later when they leave to seek shelter, they are both barefoot again.

Movie Connections:

Edited from Tarzan Triumphs (1943)

The Spider Strategem

When I was growing up and Tarzan pictures were shown regularly on a local television station every saturday morning, this is the one I and my friends would wait for: the one with the giant spider. It's not the best of the series otherwise, but has an interesting locale (North rather than sub-Saharan Africa), and a non-Jane leading lady for the big guy (Nancy Kelly). I can't recall whether Tarzan and Miss Kelly get together romantically, but she was a most attractive woman and a nice change of pace for the series, which was beginning to run out of gimmicks. Otto Kruger makes a pretty good, refined villain; his small, slight stature contrasts interestingly with Weisssmuller's. But it's the spider most people remember best from this film, and it's big, furry one with a sticky web and eight disturbingly agile legs. I've never cared much for arachnids, and don't know anyone who does, and so just watching the movie was both a trial and a thrill, as I could only hope I would behave with such bravery and resourcefulness as the swinging hero of the film were I caught up in a similar circumstance.