Tarzan's Fight for Life (1958) Reviews

• Fun and entertaining , but mediocre , Tarzan/Gordon Scott film , shot in studios and gorgeous African outdoors

  ma-cortes2017-12-22

  Colorful and amusing Tarzan/Scott movie , though dubiously faithful to Edgar Rice Borroughs story . Concerning about Dr. Sturdy (Carl Benton Reid) who attempts to built a hospital at the jungle to heal villagers . His efforts are extremely opposed by Futa (James Edwards) , the sorcerer doctor , and his henchman Ramo (Woody Strode) , a native warrior , when they see their influence with the natives waning in favor of the local clinic run by Dr. Sturdy . There's problem brewing however when the tribal chief has died and when his child and heir falls sick , Futa decides he is the one who has to treat him . Futa's hoodlum , Ramo , robs what he thinks is medicine but is really a venomous vaccine . If given to the boy-chief, he will surely die . In the ending , Tarzan again to rescue the unfortunate doctors and his woman , the gorgeous Jane (Eva Brent) and Tartu, (Rickie Sorensen ) , Tarzan's Adopted Son . Along the way , Tarzan is captured , mistreated and tortured . Then , Tarzan escapes , fights against time for serum and to free Jane , Tartu, Tarzan's Adopted son , and the besieged doctors . "Tarzan fights for life " contains noisy action , sensational adventures , many angry natives , nasty sorcerers , hungry Crocs and wonderful outdoors , though mostly shot in Africa and Elstree studios . Well starred by Gordon Scott , here it's left to Tarzan to try and avert a tragedy when a poisonous serum is stolen and dealing with the struggle of modern medicine against the traditional magic . Gordon Scott brings wit , wrength and style to the classic character . Gordon starred 5 Tarzan movies : ¨Tarzan's fights for life¨ by H. Bruce Humberstone , ¨Tarzan and the trappers¨ by Sandy Howard and Charles Haas , ¨Tarzan's greatest adventure¨ produced by Sy Weintraub , directed by John Guillermin , ¨Tarzan the magnificent¨ by Robert Day and ¨Tarzan and the lost safari¨ . Although Gordon Scott also played all kinds of genres as Spaghetti : ¨Tramplers¨, Euro-spy : ¨Death ray¨ , Pirate movie : ¨Marauder¨ , and especially Peplum : ¨Hércules and the princess of Troy¨, ¨Coriolanus¨, ¨Conquest of Mycene¨, ¨Gladiator of Rome¨, ¨Hero of Rome¨, ¨Samson and the 7 miracles of the world¨. Support cast is acceptable , such as : Carl Benton Reid as a doctor who is attempting to establish a modern hospital in the jungle , Eva Brent as the beautiful Jane and her child , Rickie Sorensen , called Tartu, Tarzan's Adopted son . And the ordinary secondaries as Woody Strode , Paulene Myers and the nasty James Edwards as the local witch doctor , all of them give nice interpretations . And of course , special mention for the likable Chimpanzee Cheeta that steals the show , giving some humorous moments with his antics , frolics and mayhem . As usual , sets and production design are visually appealing , though there are the obvious uses of stock footage and shot on location in Democratic Republic Of Congo , Tanzania , Kilimanjaro , Kenia . Including a brilliant cinematography by William E Snyder , being well filmed in color . The motion picture was well produced by Sol Lesser and decently directed by H. Bruce Humberstone First Tarzan/Johhny Weissmuller was ¨Tarzan , the ape man¨ (1932) by W.S. Van Dyke , this one being the definitive Tarzan movie , the original of the long series . Followed by ¨Tarzan and his mate¨ (1934) by Jack Conway . Richard Thorpe continued the following sequels : ¨Tarzan escapes¨(1936) , ¨Tarzan finds a son¨ (1939) with the addition of the five-year-old Johnny Sheffield as Boy , ¨Tarzan's secret Treasure¨ (1941) , and ¨Tarzan's New York adventure¨ (1942) where Boy is abducted by an evil circus owner , then Tarzan goes to rescue him and he meets N.Y. big city , being Maureen O'Sullivan's final appearance and in which Elmo Lincoln's , the screen's first Tarzan, had a cameo . These stories were lavishly produced by M.G.M. and R.K.O. Subsequently , to be appeared other Tarzans produced by independent producers as Sol Lesser ; the latter being replaced by Sy Weintraub , these movies were interpreted by Lex Barker and Gordon Scott : ¨Tarzan the Magnificent¨ and ¨The greatest adventure¨ directed by John Guillermin . Furthermore , Mike Henry starred as Tarzan in ¨Tarzan and the jungle boy ¨ , ¨ Tarzan and the great river¨ , and ¨Tarzan 66¨ directed by Robert Day . Besides , two performed by Jock Mahoney : ¨Three challenges¨ and ¨Tarzan goes to India¨ directed by John Guillermin , among others . Plus , other TV Tarzan as Ron Ely , Wolf Larsen , Joe Lara

• Tarans's Fight For Life

  mhrabovsky69122010-01-11

  A lot of critics have panned this movie as a poor Tarzan film ...I totally disagree...Gordon Scott is a magnificent Tarzan with a superman physique - just what the role demanded....Scott must save a tribal village from an evil witch doctor named Futa who hates Tarzan with a passion because Tarzan knows that the witch doctor's medicine is inferior to Dr. Carl Sturdy who is in the jungle trying to develop a serum to fight tropical infections....adding to the film is a romance between Dr. Sturdy's daughter (Jill Jarmyn) and her father's medical cohort. Movie was made in brilliant technicolor with very good lighting effects....Gordon Scott gives the Tarzan yell from a limb on a tree as Futa's henchmen try to attack and kill natives bringing supplies to Dr. Sturday...It should be mentioned that MGM inserted several ft of footage to this film from film from "Tarzan and the Lost Safari" also starring Scott.....Scott is by far the most athletic Tarzan of them all, the handsomest and best athlete for the role... Check out a scene where a 25 ft python is wrapped around Scott who is trying to protect Jane from attack....lots of good action scenes and lions and evil tribesman...standard fare for the day for a Tarzan movie....Scott introduces his son as "Tartu" and not "boy" for some strange reason in the film....James Edwards (the cook in "The Caine Mutiny") gives a good action job as the evil Futa.....I liked this Tarzan film a lot and one year later Scott starred in the classic "Tarzan's Greatest Adventure" with Anthony Quayle and a young Sean Connery of 007 fame.

• Minor but colorful

  dinky-42002-12-30

  True, the use of studio sets rather than on-location filming is pretty obvious, but what handsome sets, and how brightly photographed! That 1950s color seems stronger and more vivid than most of the color work seen today. Gordon Scott, one of the better Tarzans, is in fine form here and his physical power is shown off in an arresting way. Rather than simply showing him performing feats of strength, this movie's last reel has him captured and in bondage. First he's hauled up river to a jungle village while spreadeagled face-down between two canoes. (Face-up would have been even better.) Then he's hauled through the village with his arms outstretched and tied to a wooden pole. Finally, still bound to that pole, he's tied between two posts inside a cave-like chamber where he's due to have his heart cut out. Contrasting his physical strength with the trappings of bondage somehow emphasizes rather than diminishes his aura of power. (MGM apparently thought along similar lines. Virtually all the ads for this movie showed Gordon Scott with outstretched arms tied to a pole.) Of course, it must be pointed out that the plot here is "Rama of the Jungle" stuff and all the scenes with Jane and Boy are pretty laughable. The fact that Cheetah wears a loincloth is beyond camp. And seeing a fine actor such as Roy Glenn wasted in a bit part is sad, sad, sad.

• Colorful, Entertaining, and Despite its Critics, Worth a Watch

  LeonLouisRicci2016-08-26

  This is the Tarzan Movie that Stopped a Decades Long Franchise and sent the Tarzan Films in a New Direction. It sure has its Detractors, and it is Mediocre, but not Without some Entertainment Value. It's Only the Second in Color and it is Colorful, check out the Native Attire. This Good Looking Tarzan also has the Very Good Looking Gordon Scott, and Jane (Eve Brent) is Stunning. For Tarzan Action, He Rides a Giraffe and Fights an 18 foot. Python. Both Scenes with Real Animals with the Snake Unwilling to Let Go causing some On Set Panic. Tarzan is Captured and Bound Spread Eagle with a Caged Lion, and there is some Witch Doctor Eeriness for Suspense. Jane is in Peril a Few Times and Tarzan must Fight for Her Life as well as Others. There are some Silly Things (Cheetah in loincloth) and some Bad Dialog. The other Female Character, Jill Jarmyn, Overacts Greatly and gets on the Nerves. But... There's just too much Fun Going On here for this Entry to be Dismissed as Worthless. It's Worth a Watch.

• Blandly entertaining Tarzan film is more racially offensive than most

  a_chinn2018-08-20

  Gordon Scott plays Tarzan in this bland outing for the Lord of the Apes, which was more racist than most entries in the series, where the main story points revolve around native people as being gullible and superstitious. The story has Tarzan helping a white doctor convince the easily fooled natives that an evil witch doctor is a hoax. That witch doctor is played by the great Woody Strode and one of the other natives is played by James Edwards, likely best remembered for his performances in "The Manchurian Candidate" and "The Killing." Tarzan wrestles a boa constrictor, rides a giraffe, and Cheeta the chimpanzee provides his usual comic relief. I'd normally sum up this film by saying it's blandly inoffensive, except that there is a fair amount in the film to be offended over, but I will say I was entertained.