Tarzan Triumphs (1943)

Director:

Wilhelm Thiele

Writers:

Edgar Rice Burroughs (characters)
Carroll Young (story)
(more)

Release Date:

19 February 1943 (USA)

Genre:

Action | War | Adventure

Plot:

Zandra, white princess of a lost civilization, comes to Tarzan for help when Nazis invade the jungle...

Plot Keywords:

Tarzan | Nazi | Jungle | Rescue | Enslavement

Cast

Johnny Weissmuller	...	Tarzan
Johnny Sheffield	...	Boy
Frances Gifford	...	Zandra
Stanley Ridges	...	Colonel Von Reichart
Sig Ruman	...	Sergeant
Philip Van Zandt	...	Captain Bausch
Rex Williams	...	Lt. Reinhardt Schmidt
Pedro de Cordoba	...	Oman
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Sven Hugo Borg	...	Heinz (uncredited)
Stanley Brown	...	Achmet (uncredited)
George Lynn	...	Nazi Pilot (uncredited)
Manuel París	...	Pallandria Man (uncredited)
Otto Reichow	...	Grüber (uncredited)
Wilhelm von Brincken	...	General Hoffman in Berlin (uncredited)
William Yetter Sr.	...	Nazi Guard (uncredited)

Directed by
Wilhelm Thiele		(as William Thiele)

Writing credits
Edgar Rice Burroughs		(characters)
Carroll Young		(story)
Roy Chanslor		(screenplay) and
Carroll Young		(screenplay)

Produced by
Sol Lesser	....	producer
Wilhelm Thiele	....	associate producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Paul Sawtell

Cinematography by
Harry J. Wild		(as Harry Wild)

Production Design by
Harry Horner

Art Direction by
Hans Peters

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Clem Beauchamp	....	assistant director

Sound Department
John C. Grubb	....	sound technician

Stunts
Babe DeFreest	....	stunt double: Frances Gifford (uncredited)
Paul Stader	....	stunts (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Elmer Ellsworth	....	wardrober

Editorial Department
Hal C. Kern	....	supervising editor (as Hal Kern)

Music Department
C. Bakaleinikoff	....	musical director

Production Companies

• Sol Lesser Productions (as Principal Artists Productions)

Distributors

• RKO Radio Pictures (1943) (USA) (theatrical)
• RKO Radio Pictures (1949) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Banner Productions (1960) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)

Also Known As:

Edgar Rice Burroughs' Tarzan Triumphs (USA) (complete title)

Runtime:

76 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

Australia:PG | Finland:K-16 | Norway:7 (1972) | Sweden:15 | USA:Approved (PCA #8892)

Filming Locations:

Sherwood Forest, California, USA

Company:

Sol Lesser Productions

Trivia:

Jane's absence was explained in a letter saying that she's visiting relatives in England. Maureen O'Sullivan was sick of playing Jane, but her absence probably had more to do with the fact that the franchise had switched from MGM to RKO, and O'Sullivan was a Metro contract player.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Tarzan is fighting the Nazis, he rips the magazine off a machine gun and tosses it to the ground. A moment later, one of the Nazis starts climbing to the top of the building to use the gun, and you can see the magazine still there. Yet when the Nazi arrives at the gun, the magazine is missing again.

Quotes:

Tarzan: Nazi hyena dead now.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Exponerad (1971)

Tarzan fights the Nazis

Tarzan has to make war against The Third Reich, when the Nazis enter the jungle looking for some mineral resources of the lost city of Palandria.The white princess Zandra manages to escape and asks Tarzan to help the enslaved people of her city.He refuses at first, but then Boy gets kidnapped.Tarzan Triumphs (1943) is directed by Wilhelm Thiele.This film was made after U.S. State Department contacted the producer to tell him that a Tarzan film was an ideal way to spread the message of democracy's battle against Fascism to the American public.Johnny Weissmuller portrays the character once again famously.Weissmuller had portrayed the character six times with MGM, but this was his first one with the producer Sol Lesser at RKO pictures.Johnny Sheffield reprises his role as Boy.And naturally Cheetah is there.Jane is missing, since she is visiting her sick mother in England.Maureen O'Sullivan was unable to reprise her role due to her pregnancy.A couple of pictures later Brenda Joyce, who sadly passed away last month, took the part.The beautiful Frances Gifford plays Zandra.There is something going on between Tarzan and Zandra, that seems almost romantic, like when they're swimming together.But of course Tarzan couldn't cheat on Jane.Stanley Ridges plays Colonel Von Reichart.Sig Ruman is the somewhat comical Nazi Sergeant.Philip Van Zandt portrays Captain Bausch.This Tarzan movie is a great adventure flick that has a darker tone.Of course we all know what kind of damage The Third Reich caused back then, and now Tarzan gets to have his own battle against them.He shows them who the king of the jungle is.It's all very thrilling when Cheetah is chased by a Nazi and Boy is being captured.Cheetah brings some light comedy into the picture.In one funny scene he steals a fruit from smaller monkeys, and he gets thrown by a fruit by them on his face.And in the end he speaks to the Nazis in Berlin through the radio, and they believe it's Hitler that speaks.It should be an offense to Cheetah to be mistaken for such a man.This is a great Tarzan film that has a message.And that message is: In jungle, strong always win.