Tarzan: Lord of the Movies

Tarzan: Silver Screen King of the Jungle is a documentary focusing on the first six sound Tarzan films produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer starring Johnny Weissmuller and Maureen O'Sullivan. Written and directed by John Rust, the documentary features interviews with film historians Rudy Behlmer and Scott Tracy Griffin, who discuss the films' literary antecedents and behind-the-scenes production details.

A look at Tarzan on the big and small screen with interviews with some of those who have played him.

The glorious and tragic story of American athlete and actor Johnny Weissmuller (1904-84), Olympic swimmer, water polo player and the only true Tarzan, an archetypal character and myth of cinema, that of the original Hollywood blockbusters (1932-48).

A look at the history and cultural impact of Tarzan.

The film starts off with a woman and a baby on a plane. The plane, for no apparent reason, fails and crashes into a jungle. The baby survives and is adopted and brought home by a gorilla named Shina. She brings him to her troop, where he is ridiculed for being different from the rest of them. The yet to be named baby is allowed to stay on the condition that he is to go if he causes any trouble. Shina names him Lord and he quickly adjusts to life as a gorilla.

A young couple die in a plane crash in the jungle. Their son is found by Tarzan and Jane who name him Boy and raise him as their own. Five years later a search party comes to find the young heir to millions of dollars. Jane agrees, against Tarzan's will, to lead them to civilization.

Circus owner Buck Rand kidnaps Boy to perform in his show. He forces a pilot to fly him, Boy and his animal trainer out of the jungle. Tarzan and Jane follow them to New York.

Tarzan and Jane are to sail for England. They are attacked by natives and Tarzan is believed to have been killed. The Greystoke relatives return to England, the Porters (Jane's family) goes to their ranch near San Francisco. Tarzan shows up in a tuxedo and rescues Jane from outlaws...

Zandra, white princess of a lost civilization, comes to Tarzan for help when Nazis invade the jungle with plans to conquer her people and take their wealth. Tarzan, the isolationist, becomes involved after the Nazis shoot at him and capture Boy: "Now Tarzan make war!"

A letter from Jane, who is nursing British troops, asks Tarzan's help in obtaining a malaria serum extractable from jungle plants. Tarzan and Boy set out across the desert looking for the plants. Along the way they befriend a stranded American lady magician.

A group of archaeologists asks Tarzan to help them find an ancient city in a hidden valley of women. He refuses, but Boy is tricked into doing the job. The queen of the women asks Tarzan to help them.

A tribe devoted to the leopard cult is dedicated to preventing civilization from moving further into Africa.

A scientific expedition happens to discover that gold exists on Tarzan's escarpment. The villainous Medford and Vandermeer kidnap Jane and Boy to extort from Tarzan the location of the gold.

Tarzan goes up against a baddie by the name of Schroeder, who is trapping animals and selling them illegally to zoos. A twist is thrown into the plot when Schroeder's brother, with the help of money-hungry trader Lapin, hunts a different kind of quarry, human game. Now Tarzan must not only fight to save the animals of the jungle, but he must also save himself. Three episodes of a failed TV series edited for theater release.

In Central America, a little native boy, Ramel, is abducted by Vinaro, a madman who believes the child to be the sole link to a lost Aztec city of gold. Vinaro uses one of his diabolical explosive mechanisms to eliminate police and army officials; and the legendary Tarzan is flown in to help locate the jungle city, rescue the boy, and bring Vinaro to justice.

Mary Brooks' father, who has been studying ancient tribes, falls into the hands of "the people of Zar, god of the Emerald Fingers." Tarzan helps Mary locate her father, rescues everyone from the High Priest of Zar, and takes Mary to his cave.

Dr. Sturdy is trying to establish a modern hospital in the jungle. His efforts are strongly opposed by Futa, the witch doctor, and Ramo, a native warrior.

Hunters trespass into Sukulu country, where animals are sacred, posing as photographers.

Escaped convicts are selling weapons to a warlike native tribe.

Eleanor and her parents are hunting big game, acompanied by her wimpish fiance.