Tarzan and the Jungle Boy
Encyclopedia
Tarzan and the Jungle Boy (1968) is an adventure
Eastmancolor film starring Mike Henry in his third and final outing as a James Bond
-like globetrotting Tarzan
. Rafer Johnson
and Aliza Gur
co-star. The movie was produced by Sy Weintraub
and Robert Day, written by Stephen Lord (based on the character created by Edgar Rice Burroughs
) and directed by Robert Gordon. It was released in May 1968. http://www.erbzine.com/mag19/1963.html
, Tarzan assists Myrna, a photojournalist, and Ken, her associate, in their search for Erik Brunik, a thirteen-year-old boy lost in the jungle since he was seven years old. Tarzan is assisted by his friend Buhara, whose brother Nagambi does not wish the boy found, and attempts to kill him before Tarzan saves the day.
and along the Amazon River
immediately after production of the previous film, Tarzan and the Great River
.
All three of Mike Henry's Tarzan films were completed before the first (Tarzan and the Valley of Gold
) was released in 1966.
The roles of opposing brothers Nagambi and Buhara were played by real life brothers Rafer and Ed Johnson.
Citing exhaustion and unsafe work conditions (Henry's jaw was bitten by the chimpanzee that was playing Cheeta
, named Dinky in Tarzan and the Great River
previously) Mike Henry bowed out of the Tarzan
television series (for which he had been signed to play the lead) and sued Sy Weintraub's Banner Productions. The case was settled for an undisclosed sum. Ron Ely replaced him as Tarzan.
Adventure
An adventure is defined as an exciting or unusual experience; it may also be a bold, usually risky undertaking, with an uncertain outcome. The term is often used to refer to activities with some potential for physical danger, such as skydiving, mountain climbing and or participating in extreme sports...
Eastmancolor film starring Mike Henry in his third and final outing as a James Bond
James Bond
James Bond, code name 007, is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections. There have been a six other authors who wrote authorised Bond novels or novelizations after Fleming's death in 1964: Kingsley Amis,...
-like globetrotting Tarzan
Tarzan
Tarzan is a fictional character, an archetypal feral child raised in the African jungles by the Mangani "great apes"; he later experiences civilization only to largely reject it and return to the wild as a heroic adventurer...
. Rafer Johnson
Rafer Johnson
Rafer Lewis Johnson is an American former decathlete and film actor.-Biography:Johnson was born in Hillsboro, Texas, but the family moved to Kingsburg, California, when he was nine. For a while, they were the only black family in the town. A versatile athlete, he played on Kingsburg High School's...
and Aliza Gur
Aliza Gur
Aliza Gur was Miss Israel of 1960 and a semi-finalist in the Miss Universe pageant that same year...
co-star. The movie was produced by Sy Weintraub
Sy Weintraub
Sy Weintraub was a movie and television producer best known for his series of Tarzan films and television episodes between 1959 and 1968. Weintraub broke with the Johnny Weissmuller formula of portraying Tarzan as a pidgin-speaking noble savage who lives in a treehouse with Jane and Boy...
and Robert Day, written by Stephen Lord (based on the character created by Edgar Rice Burroughs
Edgar Rice Burroughs
Edgar Rice Burroughs was an American author, best known for his creation of the jungle hero Tarzan and the heroic Mars adventurer John Carter, although he produced works in many genres.-Biography:...
) and directed by Robert Gordon. It was released in May 1968. http://www.erbzine.com/mag19/1963.html
Plot summary
At home in AfricaAfrica
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
, Tarzan assists Myrna, a photojournalist, and Ken, her associate, in their search for Erik Brunik, a thirteen-year-old boy lost in the jungle since he was seven years old. Tarzan is assisted by his friend Buhara, whose brother Nagambi does not wish the boy found, and attempts to kill him before Tarzan saves the day.
Selected Cast
- Mike Henry as Tarzan
- Rafer JohnsonRafer JohnsonRafer Lewis Johnson is an American former decathlete and film actor.-Biography:Johnson was born in Hillsboro, Texas, but the family moved to Kingsburg, California, when he was nine. For a while, they were the only black family in the town. A versatile athlete, he played on Kingsburg High School's...
as Nagambi, villain who hinders Tarzan's search for the Jungle Boy - Aliza GurAliza GurAliza Gur was Miss Israel of 1960 and a semi-finalist in the Miss Universe pageant that same year...
as Myrna, photojournalist searching for Erik - Steve BondSteve BondSteve Bond is an Israeli-American television actor and model.Bond was born Shlomo Goldberg in Haifa, Israel of a Romanian mother and a Hungarian father who had emigrated to Israel. He was a child actor who starred in Tarzan and the Jungle Boy, a 1968 release...
as Erik Brunik, the missing Jungle Boy - Ron GansRon GansRonald Kenneth Gans , sometimes credited as Ron Kennedy, was an American voice-over artist and character actor, known for portraying Sebastian the alley cat on The Disney Channel's Dumbo's Circus and the voice of Eeyore on Welcome to Pooh Corner. He also voiced the Stunticon Drag Strip in The...
as Ken, Myrna's associate - Ed Johnson as Buhara, ally to Tarzan, brother of Nagambi
Production notes
The movie was filmed on location in BrazilBrazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
and along the Amazon River
Amazon River
The Amazon of South America is the second longest river in the world and by far the largest by waterflow with an average discharge greater than the next seven largest rivers combined...
immediately after production of the previous film, Tarzan and the Great River
Tarzan and the Great River
Tarzan and the Great River is an adventure Eastmancolor film starring Mike Henry in his second outing as a James Bond-like globetrotting Tarzan of his three Tarzan movies. The movie was produced by Sy Weintraub and Steve Shagan, written by Bob Barbash , and directed by Robert Day...
.
All three of Mike Henry's Tarzan films were completed before the first (Tarzan and the Valley of Gold
Tarzan and the Valley of Gold (film)
Tarzan and the Valley of Gold is an adventure film starring Mike Henry in his debut as Tarzan. The movie, produced by Sy Weintraub, written by Clair Huffaker, and directed by Robert Day, is remembered for its very James Bond-like portrayal of a tropical suited, globetrotting Tarzan...
) was released in 1966.
The roles of opposing brothers Nagambi and Buhara were played by real life brothers Rafer and Ed Johnson.
Citing exhaustion and unsafe work conditions (Henry's jaw was bitten by the chimpanzee that was playing Cheeta
Cheeta
Cheeta is a chimpanzee character appearing in numerous Hollywood Tarzan movies of the 1930s–1960s as well as the 1966–1968 television series, as the ape sidekick of the title character, Tarzan...
, named Dinky in Tarzan and the Great River
Tarzan and the Great River
Tarzan and the Great River is an adventure Eastmancolor film starring Mike Henry in his second outing as a James Bond-like globetrotting Tarzan of his three Tarzan movies. The movie was produced by Sy Weintraub and Steve Shagan, written by Bob Barbash , and directed by Robert Day...
previously) Mike Henry bowed out of the Tarzan
Tarzan (NBC series)
Tarzan is a series that aired on NBC from 1966 – 1968. The series portrayed Tarzan as a well-educated character, one who, tired of civilization, had returned to the jungle where he had been raised...
television series (for which he had been signed to play the lead) and sued Sy Weintraub's Banner Productions. The case was settled for an undisclosed sum. Ron Ely replaced him as Tarzan.