Tarzan the Ape Man

1932
Passed
1h 40m

IMDb RATING

6.9/10

8.4K

YOUR RATING

A trader and his daughter set off in search of the fabled graveyard of the elephants in deepest Africa, only to encounter a wild man raised by apes.

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Jungle Adventure Action Adventure Romance

A trader and his daughter set off in search of the fabled graveyard of the elephants in deepest Africa, only to encounter a wild man raised by apes.A trader and his daughter set off in search of the fabled graveyard of the elephants in deepest Africa, only to encounter a wild man raised by apes.A trader and his daughter set off in search of the fabled graveyard of the elephants in deepest Africa, only to encounter a wild man raised by apes.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

6.9/10

8.4K

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Awards
- 1 win & 1 nomination total

Evil Dwarf
(uncredited)

Charles Becker

Evil Dwarf
(uncredited)

Burre Billingsley

Evil Dwarf
(uncredited)

Eddie Buresh

Evil Dwarf
(uncredited)

Ray Corrigan

Ape
(uncredited)

Billy Curtis

Evil Dwarf
(uncredited)

Johnny Eck

Bird Creature
(uncredited)

Joseph Herbst

Evil Dwarf
(uncredited)

Jiggs

Cheeta
(uncredited)

Johnny Leal

Evil Dwarf
(uncredited)

Jack Leonard

Ape
(uncredited)

Director
- W.S. Van Dyke
Writers
All cast & crew
Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

Storyline

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Did you know

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Trivia
The elephants used in the early Weissmuller films were not African but Asian elephants with African sized ears strapped on. This practice is still common because the Asian species is much more docile than the African. In later films the fake ears were abandoned altogether figuring no one would know the difference.

Goofs
While swimming across a river, Tarzan gives off his full Tarzan yell while his head is completely submerged under water.

Quotes
Jane Parker: Thank you for protecting me.
Tarzan: Me?
Jane Parker: I said, thank you for protecting me.
Tarzan: [points at Jane] Me?
Jane Parker: No. I'm only "Me" for me.
Tarzan: [points at Jane] Me.
Jane Parker: No. To you, I'm "You."
Tarzan: [points at himself] You.
Jane Parker: No...
[Thinks for a second]
Jane Parker: I'm Jane Parker. Understand? Jane, Jane.
Tarzan: [points at Jane] Jane, Jane.
Jane Parker: Yes, Jane. And you?
[Tarzan stares]
Jane Parker: [points at herself] Jane.
Tarzan: Jane.
Jane Parker: [points at Tarzan] And you?
Tarzan: Tarzan. Tarzan.
Jane Parker: Tarzan...

Alternate versions
Colorized version was available... and shown on TNT

Connections
Edited into Tarzan Escapes (1936)

Soundtracks
Voo-Doo Dance
(uncredited)
Music by George Richelavie
Arranged by Paul Marquardt & Fritz Stahlberg
Played during main title

User reviews63

Review

Featured review

7/10

Grand daddy of all ape man movies is a rousing adventure and worth a viewing (especially if you want to see where all the jokes came from)

Jane Parker goes into the jungle and meets the man of her dreams. A long running movie series is born.

All kidding aside this is a really good adventure film of the sort that they don't make any more. The first of the MGM series, though not the first Tarzan movie, nor the only Tarzan film made during the same period (Edgar Rice Burroughs had deals with several producers) this is the film that broke box office records and spawned ten million "Me Tarzan, you Jane" jokes.

The film was made to cash in the previous years Trader Horn, a jungle picture that MGM had produced. Wanting to feed a public that wanted more as well as to make use of the hours of location footage shot for that film. The ape man was the perfect choice.

The plot has to do with Jane arriving in the jungle to see her father and then going of to find the elephant grave yard. Along the way is carried off by Tarzan and the rest is the movie. Its an exciting ride (especially if you forgive the creaky special effects and ape suits).

A perfect film for a rainy afternoon