TARZAN THE FEARLESS (Sol Lesser Principal Productions, 1933), directed by Robert F. Hill, stars Larry Crabbe, better known as Buster Crabbe, Olympic swimming champion, to the role of Edgar Rice Burrough's creative jungle hero, Tarzan. A year after the highly successful TATZAN THE APE MAN (Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1932), which introduced Johnny Weissmuller, another Olympic champion swimmer, as Tarzan, this latest installment was an attempt to reinvent the Tarzan character on an independently scale with new supporting characters. As the opening introduction states, "The worldwide popularity of the "Tarzan" stories has promoted to another tale, for the first time, a new story of the ape man's strangest and most romantic adventures." Initially released in both 12 weekly serial installments and tightly edited feature length film, it's the 85 minute edition that is seemingly available for viewing and reviewing by today's standards.
In the surviving copy often shown on Turner Classic Movies since 2011 (as opposed to shorter 72 minute editions presented either on commercial, public television and video tape since the 1980s), TARZAN THE FEARLESS, set in Africa, opens with Tarzan (Buster Crabbe) vine swinging to the delight of his chimpanzee companion. Tarzan is lord of the jungle, friend of the animals, and hero to those he rescues from danger. Next scene introduces a safari consisting of Mary Brooks (Jacqueline Wells), Bob Hall (Edward Woods), her fiance; and jungle guides, Jeff Herbert (Philo McCullough) and Nick Moran (Matthew Betz), on a trail searching for the missing archaeologist, Doctor Brooks (E. Alyn Warren), Mary's father. Studying ancient tribes and seeking for a lost Aryan civilization and rare emerald, Brooks has been abducted by worshippers of the ancient god Zar. As Tarzan follows the safari from a distance due to his interest in Mary's blonde beauty, it is also learned that Nick Moran also wants Mary for his wife. After locating her father's cabin, Mary is abducted and held captive by the evil High Priest Eltar (Mischa Auer). Frank Lackteen, Carlotta Monti, Ivory Williams and Everett Brown also support the cast.
While Buster Crabbe first leading role in the movies being KING OF THE JUNGLE (Paramount, 1933), by which he was cast as Kaspa, the Lion Man, which proved popular, rather than starring Crabbe in a new jungle series based on the Kaspa character, he entered the world of Tarzan in a whole new different adventure. Comparing this to the Weissmuller adventure would be typical for audiences and reviewers, with many favoring Weissmuller over Crabbe. Though Weissmuller had a good physical build to become Tarzan, so did Crabbe with his bigger chest. In the existing prints, there is no origin to the Tarzan character as to how a white man, with no method of speech except in grunts and calling himself Tarzan, ended up in Africa. Maybe there was more plot development to him and other actors to the story in the serial that appears not to be available for present viewing.
Unlike Weissmuller, Crabbe's Tarzan, who sports a leopard spot skin loincloth, bears a different sounding war cry many than Weissmuller. This is the same jungle yell used in latter independent Tarzans of the 1930s featuring Herman Brix and Glenn Morris. Heavily underscored using similar stock music used for some independent productions, TARZAN THE FEARLESS relies more on some exciting Tarzan/animal fights, last minute rescue or near death experience for attention purposes. As much as Buster Crabbe wasn't bad as Tarzan, Weissmuller really made this jungle hero his own, becoming the longest reigning and best known Tarzan of the screen (1932-1948) for years to come.
A public domain title made available from various video and DVD distributors, TARZAN THE FEARLESS has its moments, but with uneven plotline with numerous jump cuts make this a little hard to comprehend and appreciate. (**)
