[6]

Gordon Scott’s second outing at Tarzan is far better than his first, and it’s also the first Tarzan film to be shot in color! This time around, the loinclothed lord is tasked with helping five passengers of a crashed airplane safely out of the jungle. Along the way, our heroes have to contend with a traitorous big game hunter and a reclusive tribe of natives who just love a good old fashioned human sacrifice. Production values are a step up on Tarzan and the Lost Safari. The mixing of soundstage footage and location footage is better than it’s ever been, and even includes Scott interacting with elephants, lions, and leopards. (The lion reportedly gave him 32 stitches, though!) The script is more streamlined than usual, the jungle sets are kinda snazzy, and the score has sort of a proto-Elliot Goldenthal feel toward the end. Jane and Boy are nowhere to be seen, but Cheta the Chimp is heavily featured and even risks his life to save the day. My favorite part is when the two female plane passengers watch Tarzan bathing in a small waterfall while remarking on the ‘natural beauty’ and ‘rippling effects’ of their surroundings.