TARZAN'S REVENGE (1938) Glenn Morris, Eleanor Holm & George Barbier | Adventure | B&W

Tarzan's Revenge is a 1938 American adventure film starring Glenn Morris in his only outing as Tarzan. Eleanor Holm, a popular swimming star, co-starred as Eleanor Reed. The film was produced by Sol Lesser, written by Robert Lee Johnson and Jay Vann (based on the character created by Edgar Rice Burroughs) and directed by D. Ross Lederman. Sol Lesser cast two Olympic athletes in Tarzan's Revenge: 1936 decathlon champion Glenn Morris as Tarzan and aquatic medal-winner Eleanor Holm as "Eleanor".

SYNOPSIS
Eleanor and her parents are hunting big game, accompanied by her wimpish fiance. Ben Alleu Bey wants to add her to his 100-woman harem. Tarzan wants her too.

Eleanor Reed accompanies her parents, Roger and Penny, and Nevin Potter, her fiance, on an expedition to Africa to capture wild animals to sell to a zoo. Ben Alleu Bey spots Eleanor and wishes her to become the one hundredth wife in his harem. When she refuses, he follows their safari.

Both groups are followed closely by Tarzan, who releases the animals and woos Eleanor away from both Nevin and Bey.

CAST & CREW
Glenn Morris as Tarzan
Eleanor Holm as Eleanor Reed
George Meeker as Nevin Potter, Eleanor's fiance
Hedda Hopper as Penny Reed, Eleanor's mother
George Barbier as Roger Reed, Eleanor's father
C. Henry Gordon as Ben Alleu Bey
Joe Sawyer as Olaf Punch (as Joseph Sawyer)
Corbet Morris as Jigger - Nevin's Servant
John Lester Johnson as Koki - Chief Bearer
Frederick Clarke as Ben Alleu's Servant

Directed by D. Ross Lederman
Screenplay by Robert Lee Johnson, Jay Vann
Based on Characters created by Edgar Rice Burroughs
Produced by Sol Lesser
Cinematography George Meehan
Edited by Gene Milford, Bert Jordan
Music by Hugo Riesenfeld
Distributed by 20th Century Fox
Release date January 7, 1938
Running time 70 minutes
Country United States
Language English

NOTES
Critical response
Tarzan's Revenge has received negative critical responses, with the film described as "[p]reposterous from beginning to end" and "absurd." Lead actor Morris was described as "an irredeemably awful actor" whose jungle yell is "so ludicrous as to be laughable."

Production notes
Producer Sol Lesser originally considered casting baseball great Lou Gehrig as Tarzan, but was unimpressed with Gehrig's legs, calling them "more functional than decorative."

Lesser refused to call the lead female character Jane—according to him, Eleanor Holm was so famous for her swimming exploits that audiences would not accept her portraying anyone other than someone named Eleanor.