Tarzan and the Mermaids (1948)

Director:

Robert Florey

Writers:

Edgar Rice Burroughs (characters)
Carroll Young (screenplay)

Release Date:

15 May 1948 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Romance

Tagline:

Tarzan at His Best !

Plot:

Boy is away at school in England. The high priest is trying to force a young girl to marry an evil pearl trader posing as the god Balu...

Plot Keywords:

Tarzan | Mermaid | Cult | Africa | Wedding

Cast

Johnny Weissmuller	...	Tarzan
Brenda Joyce	...	Jane
George Zucco	...	Palanth, the High Priest
Andrea Palma	...	Luana, Mara's Mother
Fernando Wagner	...	Varga, Pearl Trader
Edward Ashley	...	Commissioner
John Laurenz	...	Benji
Gustavo Rojo	...	Tiko, Mara's Fiancé
Matthew Boulton	...	British Inspector-General
Linda Christian	...	Mara

Also Known As:

Edgar Rice Burroughs' Tarzan and the Mermaids (USA) (complete title)

Runtime:

68 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

West Germany:12 (nf) | Finland:S | USA:Approved (PCA #12894)

Filming Locations:

Acapulco, Guerrero, Mexico

Company:

Sol Lesser Productions

Trivia:

Johnny Weissmuller's stunt double Ángel García was killed while performing the famous cliff dive into the ocean at Acapulco, Mexico.

Goofs:

Continuity: Tarzan wears shoes in this movie, and the shoes have the ability to appear and disappear between shots. When he goes after Mara and her kidnappers, he has on what appear to be sandals. During the times he is in the cave, the shoes appear and disappear. Later on, when Tarzan is attacked by an octopus, he has no shoes on, and after he kills it, the shoes are back on his feet.

Movie Connections:

Followed by Tarzan and the Slave Girl (1950)

Soundtrack:

Let Us Hasten to Adventure

With All its Faults -- Still a MUST SEE Movie!

TARZAN AND THE MERMAID was the low-end of Johnny Weissmuller's Tarzan series and the final Tarzan he'd agree to make. Set in Acapulco, Mexico --- "just downstream from their jungle house --- Tarzan will encounter infamous actress Linda Christian in a rare screen role, as the latest virgin to be handed over to the tribe's two-bit "god." I can't overstate the drop in quality. All the great Tarzan films were made by MGM with high production quality, excellent scripts, action shots; the best. The RKO Tarzan films made by Sol Lesser were much cheaper and used less imagination. MERMAIDS was the poorest of the RKO series. Why then do I rate it 8 out of 10. Weissmuller is asset #1. The catchy title is asset #2. The fact is that I saw this movie 5 times. First in 1949, then 1950, then twice on TV; finally via an eBay purchase of a bootleg copy. PS: The real story as to why Weissmuller quit Tarzan was that Columbia Pictures agreed to let him wear clothes in his Jungle Jim series. After 13 years in loincloth, he, like many of us, gained a few pounds.