Simply A Masterpiece

Plenty to Like, Plenty to Dislike

Great Film overall

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

Scar-faced Anthony Quayle (as Slade) and his cut-throat crew are in Africa looking to get rich on diamonds, which doesn't sit well with loin-clothed lord of the jungle Gordon Scott (as Tarzan). Beautiful Sara Shane (as Angie) crashes the scene, gets rescues by Mr. Scott and chased by a lion. All of this sounds like the usual fare, but there is a rub. With new producer Sy Weintraub taking over, the "Tarzan" franchise decided to become more adult in orientation. In an early scene, Scott symbolically bids farewell to his adorable chimp "Cheta" before going on to face real danger...Parents who sat with their kids for the "Tarzan" films must have been squirming in their seats as "Tarzan's Greatest Adventure" presented increasingly realistic scenes of violence. Drama teachers could be proud as Scott and his guest stars, including sexy while clothed Sean Connery (as O'Bannion), are given opportunities to do some real acting, too. The inserted animals are still a stock footage nuisance, and it's easy to over-praise this film in context, but keep watching as the exciting ending may be the series' best. Scott had good reason to give a "Tarzan" shout-out.******* Tarzan's Greatest Adventure (7/8/59) John Guillermin ~ Gordon Scott, Anthony Quayle, Sara Shane, Sean Connery

Easily the best Tarzan film ever made. So well produced it might have been filmed in 2006 instead of 1959, it's that good. As an action film it can't be beat by anything made today, much less almost fifty years ago. The scenery, photography, action, cast, everything in this is first rate.If you're a Tarzan fan, I think this movie comes closest to capturing the essence of the original character. There has never been a better Tarzan than Gordon Scott, before or since. Not only does he look powerful, his face shows a complex range of conflicting emotions, like that of a man torn between the savage jungle world in which he survives and the civilized world that he realizes, for all his education and intelligence, he can't be a part of. In one amazing piece of acting, Scott kills an enemy, gives the Tarzan yell, then runs to a pool to watch his reflection, as if to reassure himself that he is still a man.The story moves very fast as Tarzan pursues a gang of killers down a jungle river. Sean Connery, as one of the criminals, has an outstanding role as a nasty, bullying drunk. The other characters are so well written and acted that in a few minutes we are given amazing insight into their motivations. There are several well directed action sequences, all very plausible, and the location photography is so good you feel the jungle heat.With the presence of Connery and other great actors, it's hard to believe this film has not been seen more, or at least released on DVD. The only drawback is that it's too good, kind of like the Bond flick "Goldfinger" and any follow up films would pale in comparison.

This film was made 25 years too early. Thats a fact.Movies from the late 50's were usually worthy efforts but little stirred the blood apart from the Western genre. After all this was the area that sold most tickets and had a palette of colour that helped storytelling. Tarzan movies only sold as part of a double bill.The biggest factor that held TGA back was that it was a GREAT film in an otherwise p**s poor series of B movies. The reasons for its success are many and hard to pin down. Even so, the main one is easy to identify. Simply put, its a hard b*****d of a film. 1) Tarzan is hard, resourceful, eloquent and cunning. 2) Tarzan gets hurt. The masochistic theme runs throughout the film. People die painfully in this Tarzan universe. 3) The villains are brutally nasty and can physically match Tarzan. 4) It is stripped down and lean. There's no laughs here. Tarzan leaves Cheetah behind. Tarzan doesn't romance or swim in studio back-lots. Tarzan kills people. He doesn't just scare the natives.In short, TGA was a precursor of what was to come in Hollywood film-making. All you kids out there who watch Predator and think that is the greatest jungle adventure watch TGA. It'll be an eye opener.

British director John Guillermin was not entirely certain of how to make the character of Tarzan contemporary with the tendency towards realism...Pulled by Sly Weinhaub's great vision, they made the Ape Man literate, but still disposed to chest-beating and ape-calls...Their screen treatment provided a 90 minute superior action film tightly interwoven and very entertaining..."Tarzan's Greatest Adventure" quick-paced action is supplemented with violence and, in the absence of the wholesome Jane, we get two sexy women, a sensual Italian (Scilla Gabel) for the villains and a gaily blonde named Angie (Sara Shane), as the romantic interest for Scott who gives an excellent characterization...The villains are four different British types: Slade (Anthony Quayle), Kruger (Nial McGinnis), O'Bannion (Sean Connery), and Dino (Al Mulock). In raiding a settlement for explosives to use in a diamond mine, they practically destroy it... Tarzan, discovering the cruelty, pursues them upriver to their mine...For his parts in "Tarzan's Greatest Adventure," Sean Connery earned $5,600; his 'big' Bond film "You Only Live Twice" brought him $350,000.