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Tarzan the Fearless

Tarzan the Fearless

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Rating: 1 stars
Summary: I Hope They Paid Him Well...
Review: ...They couldn't pay him enough.

In a role that fits him about as well as a central casting loin cloth, Buster Crabbe cavorts among the trees as one of the worst Tarzans ever. To be fair Mr. Crabbe does what he can with a poorly conceived mishmash of a film. His co-star, Miss Wells, while probably considered sexy at the time, is no Jean Rogers and offers very little in the way of interest, romantic or otherwise. The finest moment that this movie offers is the sight of Buster Crabbe sitting astride a tree limb, giving new meaning to the phrase, "spanking the monkey."

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Buster Crabbe in one-third of a 1933 Tarzan serial
Review: As is the case with several Tarzan films from the 1930s, "Tarzan the Fearless" was originally released as a 12-part serial. The interesting historical footnote is that theater were given the option of showing the first four chapters edited together as a feature film to get kids interested in the serial and apparently many theaters showed the "film" without ever airing the rest of the serial (or even the trailer for the next exciting episode). Apparently all that is left is the "film," which explains why "Tarzan the Fearless" is a prime candidate for the bottom of the heap of Tarzan movies. Tarzan is played by Buster Crabbe, who won the gold medal in the 400-meter free-style at the 1932 Olympics, one of three formers Olympians to play the Lord of the Jungle that decade.

The story (or the first third of it since the rest of the serial is apparently long gone) begins with Dr. Brooks (E. Allyn Warren), studying ancient tribes in darkest African when he is captured by the people of Zar, the god of the Emerald Fingers. Tarzan aids the doctor's daughter, Mary (Jacqueline Wells) in trying to find and rescue her father, along with everybody else who has fallen captive to Eltar, the High Priest of Zar (Mischa Auer). However, "Tarzan the Fearless" pretty much ends before it gets interesting after about 85 minutes, which is a blessing.

Keep in mind that this is a 1933 film, which means pre-code and explains the reason Tarzan's loin cloth is the skimpest you have ever seen (hopefully). Crabbe, whose previous film role was Kaspa the Lion Man in the Tarzan ripoff "Lord of the Jungle," is given little to do and is also in the running for the least articulate Tarzan of all time. So if it was not for purient interests, there would probably be no interest in this particular Tarzan movie at all.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Sexy, Hunky Tarzan!
Review: Buster Crabbe has to be the sexiest Tarzan of them all. In this rather crudely produced flick, he actually shows more skin than Johnny Weismuller, which is hard to believe! He reveals a most memorable tush, which certainly thrilled the woman (not to mention a number of gay men) back in those ole days of yore. In one interview before he died, he stated, rather ruefully, that he had to wear the briefest "g-string" of all the Tarzans--and let's thank whoever forced him to do so. Besides a great, beautifully proportioned body, actually displaying marvelous pecs before pecs were fashionable, he had that wonderfully wide-eyed look of an innocent boy, completely unaware of his knock-out torso. Curiously, the camera catches the gorgeous Buster in several prominent rear shots. Which seems to prove that SOMEONE in the studio had to have known what they had in this young, rising star. His co-star, the insipid Jacqueline Wells (who later changed her screen name to "Julie Bishop" seems curiously indifferent to Buster's many charms. (You can catch her in an even more insipid ingenue role in the great horror classic, "The Black Cat" with gorgeous and gay David Manners).But there is one great sequence in this movie that you never even saw in any of the bigger-budgeted MGM productions. Jacqueline escapes her captors, she runs away from the camp, and a gang of wild horses stampede. You actually watch her racing toward the cameras with the horses breathing down her back and of course is pulled out of the way by Buster. This ain't no special effects. This l932 extravaganza was made right before the Censorship Board began throwing its weight around. That's why we're able to now see, even if it's nearly 60 years later, the ravishing, near nude Buster Crabbe, strutting his stuff right before he thrilled us again in his tights and bare-chest in "Flash Gordon" and "Buck Rogers". This is a must-see curiosity to view what at least one glorious looking male looked like back those by-gone early 30s--in the complete nude except for that tantalizing little leopard g-string.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Buster Crabbe, the ultimate Tarzan
Review: Buster Crabbe is the sexiest actor ever to play the loin clothed Tarzan. The movie though made in 1933, still remains entertaining 68 years later. This entry was originally made as a serial, but spliced together as a movie as well, so it could pit against Jonny Weismuller who was playing Tarzan for MGM at the time. Buster Crabbe reveals his sexy butt in this movie, no actor since has revealed so much! The movie is very straight forward, and has a quaint sense of innocence to it from an era of movies, that has long since gone. The picture is jumpy in parts, but this is to be expected as the movie is 68 years old. The images are sharp, a consistant and steady black and white throughout. Buster Crabbe gives a compelling performance as Tarzan, he makes the character more believable than any actor that has played him since. The original theatrical trailer is also included. So if you're into Tarzan, buy this, as you won't be disappointed. If your curious to see a vintage hunk reveal just a little more than you thought was allowed in those days, then this is for you. Hail Buster Crabbe!!! We love you!!

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Tarzan the Fearless (1933)
Review: Don't buy this DVD! The quality of the transfer is really bad. I have a VHS copy of this feature with MUCH more clarity. Wait for someone to do the job right. I really wish Tarzan fans could be afforded the respect of QUALITY DVDs from film producers(this is a not-so-subtle hint to all those producers of future releases).

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Tarzan the Fearless (1933)
Review: Don't buy this DVD! The quality of the transfer is really bad. I have a VHS copy of this feature with MUCH more clarity. Wait for someone to do the job right. I really wish Tarzan fans could be afforded the respect of QUALITY DVDs from film producers(this is a not-so-subtle hint to all those producers of future releases).

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: not even Crabbe on the cover!
Review: I'll leave the discussion of the film to other reviewers, but let me point out that the DVD cover pictured isn't even Buster Crabbe in Tarzan the Fearless 1933. It's Gordon Scott as Tarzan from Tarzan's Greatest Adventure 1959! What does this say about the people putting out this product--forewarned is forearmed!

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: not even Crabbe on the cover!
Review: I'll leave the discussion of the film to other reviewers, but let me point out that the DVD cover pictured isn't even Buster Crabbe in Tarzan the Fearless 1933. It's Gordon Scott as Tarzan from Tarzan's Greatest Adventure 1959! What does this say about the people putting out this product--forewarned is forearmed!

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: OK
Review: This is an OK movie. Watch it so that you can compare it to the contempary movie about Tazan. It is different.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Don't waste your money!
Review: This is just about the worst quality edition of this fun serial-feature that I have seen yet. Portions of the film are out of focus, the picture jumps, there is a large blue horizonatal video line that appears on the picture at times and the sound quality is simply awful. This company should be ashamed to release this copy.


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