Description
Tarzan’s Savage Fury is a 1952 film directed by Cy Endfield and starring Lex Barker as Tarzan, Dorothy Hart as Jane, and Patric Knowles. While most Tarzan films of the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s presented Tarzan as a very different character from the one in Edgar Rice Burroughs’ novels, this movie does make some allusions to the novels. It was shot in Chatsworth, California’s Iverson Movie Ranch. The film was the last to be directed by Cyril “Cy” Endfield in the US. Finding himself one of Hollywood’s film-makers blacklisted by the House Un-American Activities Committee he moved to Britain. The film was co-written by Cyril Hume, who’d contributed substantially to the “Tarzan” series back in its bigger budget MGM days.
Plot
Tarzan agrees, against his better judgement, to guide supposed British government agents Edwards and Rokov into the land of the Wazuri Tribe, to harvest uncut diamonds for national-defense purposes. It transpires the “agents” are secretly criminals who intend to use the gems for their own sinister purposes.
Cast
Lex Barker as Tarzan
Dorothy Hart as Jane
Patric Knowles as Edwards, an English traitor
Charles Korvin as Rokov, a Russian agent
Tommy Carlton as Joseph ‘Joey’ Martin
Wesley Bly as Native Captive (uncredited)
Darby Jones as Witch Doctor (uncredited)
Peter Mamakos as Pilot (uncredited)
Bill Walker as Native Chief (uncredited)
Production
The film was originally known as Tarzan, the Hunted.
Critical reception
Variety wrote that the film was, “A series of unexciting jungle heroics are offered…” Recent TV guides for re-run viewers say little more. The Radio Times wrote that “plenty of action helps the story along”, and TV Guide wrote that the film was “uninteresting and slowly paced.”
Directed by Cy Endfield
Produced by Sol Lesser
Written by Hans Jacoby
Based on Characters created
by Edgar Rice Burroughs
Starring Lex Barker, Dorothy Hart, Patric Knowles
Music by Paul Sawtell
Distributed by RKO Pictures
Release date: April 11, 1952 (US)
Running time: 81 minutes
Country: United States
