Tarzan the Fearless
Encyclopedia
Tarzan the Fearless is a 12 chapter film serial starring Buster Crabbe
Buster Crabbe
Clarence Linden "Buster" Crabbe was an American athlete and actor, who starred in a number of popular serials in the 1930s and 1940s.-Birth:...
in his only appearance as 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...
. It was also released as a 71-minute feature film
Feature film
In the film industry, a feature film is a film production made for initial distribution in theaters and being the main attraction of the screening, rather than a short film screened before it; a full length movie...
which comprised the first four chapters of the serial version. Co-starring was actress Jacqueline Wells, who later changed her name to Julie Bishop
Julie Bishop (actress)
Julie Bishop was an American film and television actress. She appeared in over 80 films between 1923 and 1957....
. The serial was produced by Sol Lesser, written by Basil Dickey
Basil Dickey
Basil Dickey was an American screenwriter. He wrote for 147 films between 1916 and 1990. He was born in Illinois and died in Long Beach, California...
, George Plympton
George H. Plympton
George H. Plympton was an American screenwriter. He was born in Brooklyn, New York.A prolific screenwriter, Plympton collaborated in almost 300 films. His earliest known credits date back to 1912 as he concentrated almost exclusively on westerns...
and Walter Anthony
Walter Anthony
Walter Anthony was a screenplay, titles and documentary film writer. Before Walter started writing in films he was a dramatic and musical critic for San Francisco Morning Call....
(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 F. Hill
Robert F. Hill
Robert F. Hill was a Canadian film director, screenwriter, and actor during the silent film era.-Selected filmography:-External links:...
. The film was released in both formats on August 11, 1933.
Plot
Tarzan rescues Dr. Brooks, an elderly scientist, who is held by the followers of Zar, God of the Emerald Fingers, in their lost city. Mary Brooks, his daughter, and Bob Hall have also been searching for him, led by villainous safariSafari
A safari is an overland journey, usually a trip by tourists to Africa. Traditionally, the term is used for a big-game hunt, but today the term often refers to a trip taken not for the purposes of hunting, but to observe and photograph animals and other wildlife.-Etymology:Entering the English...
guides, Jeff Herbert and Nick Moran.
Tarzan goes in search of Mary, and soon all are captured by the people of Zar and brought before Eltar, their high priest. Jeff and Nick are killed, but the others are free to go, provided they never return.
Mary and her father decide to stay with Tarzan instead of returning to civilization with Bob Hall.
Cast
- Buster CrabbeBuster CrabbeClarence Linden "Buster" Crabbe was an American athlete and actor, who starred in a number of popular serials in the 1930s and 1940s.-Birth:...
as TarzanTarzanTarzan 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... - Jacqueline WellsJulie Bishop (actress)Julie Bishop was an American film and television actress. She appeared in over 80 films between 1923 and 1957....
as Mary Brooks, a pseudo-JaneJane Porter (Tarzan)Jane Porter is a major character in Edgar Rice Burroughs's series of Tarzan novels, and in adaptations of the saga to other media, particularly film.- In the novels :...
character - E. Alyn WarrenE. Alyn WarrenE. Alyn Warren , was an American actor. He appeared in 99 films between 1915 and 1940.He was born in Richmond, Virginia and died in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles.-Selected filmography:* The Virgin of Stamboul...
as Dr. Brooks, Mary's father - Mischa AuerMischa AuerMischa Auer was a Russian-born American actor.-Early life:Auer was born Mikhail Semyonovich Unskovsky in St. Petersburg, Russia...
as Eltar, High Priest of Zar - Edward WoodsEdward WoodsEdward Woods was an American actor best known for his extensive role in The Public Enemy opposite James Cagney.-Early life:...
as Bob Hall, friend to Mary and Dr. Brooks - Philo McCulloughPhilo McCulloughPhilo McCullough was an American actor. He appeared in 255 films between 1914 and 1969.He was born in San Bernardino, California and died in Burbank, California.-Selected filmography:* Heroes of the West...
as Jeff Herbert, villainous safari guide - Mathew Betz as Nick Moran, another villainous safari guide
Production
Producer Sol Lesser had acquired the rights to five Tarzan films that Edgar Rice BurroughsEdgar 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:...
had optioned to an independent producer in 1928. That producer went bankrupt and the contract was thought to have lapsed. However, due to the wording of the contract the courts found in Lesser's favour and held that it was still valid. Lesser announced his own Tarzan production a few weeks into the filming of MGM's Tarzan the Ape Man. MGM paid Lesser to delay production until their film was released. Tarzan the Fearless was the first of Sol Lesser's Tarzan productions. Lesser never made another serial with his options, moving to feature films instead. Burroughs had assured MGM that their contract was exclusive, so the rival production was an embarrassment. However, despite their initial problems, Lesser and Burroughs became friends and later worked out a five picture deal (at one per year).
The "serial was extremely crude" and "almost devoid of music" as well as suffering from poor sound. A score was later taken from old westerns and "minutes passed" with silent (no sound effects, music or dialogue) stock footage of distant animals. The "Tarzan yell
Tarzan yell
The Tarzan yell is the distinctive, ululating yell of the character Tarzan, as portrayed by actor Johnny Weissmuller in the films based on the character created by Edgar Rice Burroughs, starting with Tarzan the Ape Man...
" was the James Pierce
James Pierce
James Hubert Pierce , of Shelbyville, Indiana, was the fourth actor to portray Tarzan on film.-Early life/College/Early film career:...
version, taken from the radio series. The serial was shot under the working title
Working title
A working title, sometimes called a production title, is the temporary name of a product or project used during its development, usually used in filmmaking, television production, novel, video game, or music album.-Purpose:...
Tarzan the Invincible and was released as Tarzan the Fearless.
Casting
Lesser's contract included a clause that Tarzan must be played by "Big Jim" PierceJames Pierce
James Hubert Pierce , of Shelbyville, Indiana, was the fourth actor to portray Tarzan on film.-Early life/College/Early film career:...
, Burroughs' son-in-law and the star of Tarzan and the Golden Lion
Tarzan and the Golden Lion (film)
Tarzan and the Golden Lion is a Tarzan film based on the 1923 novel of the same title written by Edgar Rice Burroughs, creator of the Tarzan character. The film starred James Pierce as Tarzan, Frederick Peters as Esteban Miranda, Dorothy Dunbar as Jane, and Edna Murphy as Betty Greystoke. The film...
. Pierce had married Joan Burroughs on 8 August 1928 and Edgar Rice Burroughs included the clause in the contract as a wedding present. Lesser wanted a more svelte athlete for the part and was appalled at the thought of casting the large, ex-football player Pierce as Tarzan. He insisted that it would make the film a comedy and hurt the character. Burroughs responded that it was Pierce's choice and that nothing seemed to be able to hurt Tarzan as a character. Lesser actually had a comedy script written by Correy Ford with Jane in the masculine role but he was not happy with it. Instead, Lesser tricked Pierce into giving up the role. He offered him $5,000 and a screen test at MGM to step aside, which Pierce naively accepted. The screen test turned out to be a reading of a Shakespearean
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
soliloquy
Soliloquy
A soliloquy is a device often used in drama whereby a character relates his or her thoughts and feelings to him/herself and to the audience without addressing any of the other characters, and is delivered often when they are alone or think they are alone. Soliloquy is distinct from monologue and...
for which he was not suited. Pierce never worked for MGM.
Lesser wanted an athlete like Johnny Weissmuller
Johnny Weissmuller
Johnny Weissmuller was an Austro-Hungarian-born American swimmer and actor best known for playing Tarzan in movies. Weissmuller was one of the world's best swimmers in the 1920s, winning five Olympic gold medals and one bronze medal. He won fifty-two US National Championships and set sixty-seven...
to play Tarzan. At this time Paramount released King of the Jungle with Buster Crabbe
Buster Crabbe
Clarence Linden "Buster" Crabbe was an American athlete and actor, who starred in a number of popular serials in the 1930s and 1940s.-Birth:...
as Kaspa the Lion Man (a Tarzan-like character), which brought him to Lesser's attention. Like Weissmuller, Crabbe was also an Olympic swimmer, fitting the producer's requirements. Lesser contracted him "on a loan-out from Paramount
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film production and distribution company, located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Founded in 1912 and currently owned by media conglomerate Viacom, it is America's oldest existing film studio; it is also the last major film studio still...
." Buster Crabbe had actually been tested for the part of Tarzan with MGM in 1931 but, in his own words, "the test wasn't fair." The studio had taken a quick group test during filming of That's My Boy
That's My Boy (1932 film)
That's My Boy is a 1932 film that stars Richard Cromwell and Dorothy Jordan. It features John Wayne in an uncredited role as a football player.-Cast:* Richard Cromwell - Tommy Jefferson Scott* Dorothy Jordan - Dorothy Whitney* Mae Marsh - Mom Scott...
but "didn't give any of us a chance." Crabbe and Weissmuller had been friends for years. However a "rivalry" was heavily publicised, which amused both of them.
Lesser insisted that Crabbe play Tarzan in the same monosyllabic style as Weissmuller. To further increase the connection between the separate productions, Lesser included 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...
the chimpanzee in the cast. However, to be different to the MGM film, no Jane
Jane Porter (Tarzan)
Jane Porter is a major character in Edgar Rice Burroughs's series of Tarzan novels, and in adaptations of the saga to other media, particularly film.- In the novels :...
was written into this serial. Instead, the love interest is Mary Brooks. She is searching for her missing father, Dr Brooks, who has been captured by "worshippers of Zar, god of the Emerald Fingers". This deity is portrayed by the idol from Universal's
Universal Pictures
-1920:* White Youth* The Flaming Disc* Am I Dreaming?* The Dragon's Net* The Adorable Savage* Putting It Over* The Line Runners-1921:* The Fire Eater* A Battle of Wits* Dream Girl* The Millionaire...
The Mummy
The Mummy (1932 film)
The Mummy is a 1932 horror film from Universal Studios directed by Karl Freund and starring Boris Karloff as a revived ancient Egyptian priest. The movie also features Zita Johann, David Manners and Edward Van Sloan...
(1932). Jacqueline Wells (later Julie Bishop) was hired as Mary Brooks; she was an obscure actress at this time.
Theatrical
An unusual simultaneous film and serial release was planned. The feature film was 71-minutes long but it was not complete. Eight further chapters of the serial (at two-reels each) were intended to follow the film The serial was a complete story in twelve chapters, the first of which was 60-minutes in length.Home media
The version of the film most readily available to the public, today, is an 85-minute feature, (comprising the edited first four serial chapters released as a feature and the final chapter) which was released in the United KingdomUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
in 1933.
Critical reception
Many theaters only played the feature without the following chapters. This led to a confusing and unsatisfactory experience and the film received bad reviews as a result. William Tray, writing in London's The NationThe Nation and Atheneum
The Nation and Atheneum or simply The Nation was a United Kingdom political weekly newspaper with a Liberal / Labour viewpoint. It was formed in 1921 from the merger of the Athenaeum, a literary magazine published in London since 1828 and the smaller and newer Nation.The enterprise was purchased...
: "If Mr Burroughs' Tarzan books are not beyond the reach of an eight-year-old mind, the movie versions of them may be said to reduce the age limit by three or four years. In fact, even an intelligent child may find something embarrassing in the manner in which an unfortunate young athlete named Buster Crabbe is required to jump from tree to tree, caress synthetic Hollywood apes, and make hideously inhuman noises."
Chapter titles
- The Dive of Death
- The Storm God Strikes
- Thundering Death
- The Pit of Peril
- Blood Money
- Voodoo Vengeance
- Caught By Cannibals
- The Creeping Terror
- Eyes of Evil
- The Death Plunge
- Harvest of Hate
- Jungle Justice
Source: