one of my absolute favorites!

It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

A clunky actioner with a handful of cool moments.

Lex Barker is back as a Johnny Weissmuller's replacement as the new Tarzan and has a better than expected outing in this long running (and by this point rather played out) franchise. Tarzan finds himself as peacemaker between warring tribes (complete with racist stereotypes of African people, as was common for most of the Tarzan films), who've been stirred up by gunrunners. The supporting cast includes Virginia Huston, George Macready, Alan Napier, and of most interest is the casting of singer, dancer, actress Dorothy Dandridge as Melmendi, Queen of the Ashuba, although her talents are painfully wasted on this juvenile material. Still, as juvenile as the material is, I did enjoy the man-eating plants and other jungle nonsense. Overall, it's nothing classic, but decent enough if you're a fan of Tarzan films.

Lex Barker's third outing as Tarzan in director Byron Haskin's "Tarzan's Peril" prepares us for the greater realism of the forthcoming Gordon Scott ape man movies. The villains here display greater evil not only to the heroes but also to our eponymous hero. Any movie that featured scar-faced George Macready as the lead villain promised to be darker and grittier and "Tarzan's Peril" qualifies as darker and grittier. Although there is no way that Tarzan could bite the vine, the Lord of the Apes is almost killed twice. First, his unconscious form is thrown over a waterfall, and second he is almost stabbed to death by treacherous King Bulam in the finale. This "Tarzan" movie has the distinction of being the first to shoot sequences in Africa. Now, some may point out that the original Johnny Weissmuller "Tarzan" contained scenes lensed in Africa, but those African scenes were originally shot for another feature "Trader Horn" (1931) with Harry Carey. The Samuel Newman & Francis Swann screenplay resembles a Cavalry versus the Indians oater because the villains are running rifles to rebellious tribesmen. Aside from the casting of Macready as the villain, "Tarzan's Peril" features African-American beauty Dorothy Dandridge who went on to star in "Carmen Jones" and "Porky and Bess" for director Otto Preminger. Fans of the "Batman" television show will recognize Alan Napier, who played Alfred the Butler, as a British game warden. When Yorongan King Bulam and his rifle-bearing tribesman overrun the peaceful Ashuba tribe, Tarzan swings to their rescue. Cheetah pulls an old Charlie Chaplin stunt when he swallows a musical instrument. This "Tarzan" opus is somehow above the level of previous Tarzan movies, but the Ape man still speak in fractured English. Mind you, Virginia Houston makes a comely Jane.

Lord of the jungle Lex Barker (as Tarzan) battles gunrunner George Macready (as Radijeck) and assorted cohorts. This film seems a little foreign when compared to recent entries in the series. First, more of it was shot in Africa than had become the norm. Additionally, shapely Virginia Huston (as Jane) appears with a much shorter haircut than usual for the character, and her clothing has become a form-flattering white dress. Unfortunately ineligible as Tarzan's mate, the beautifully mixed Dorothy Dandridge plays an African queen. To prevent "Tarzan's Peril" from becoming too serious in tone, a certain chimpanzee gets the last laugh when swallowing a watch gives "Cheeta" musical indigestion.**** Tarzan's Peril (3/13/51) Byron Haskin ~ Lex Barker, Virginia Huston, George Macready, Dorothy Dandridge

RKO no doubt felt the acclaim that King Solomon's Mines and The African Queen received from the movie-going public and decided to splurge for some real African location shooting for Tarzan's Peril. As we learn here from IMDb, Tarzan's Peril was also supposed to be in color, but that footage was scrapped. But it was nice for once to see actual Africans and black American actors playing speaking roles. From the last of the Weissmuller films through the first two Barker Tarzans, the jungle hero was constantly discovering these lost white tribes in Africa and it was getting ridiculous.Sad to say though the story was borrowed from any number of westerns and transferred to Africa. White men George MacReady, Douglas Fowley, and Glenn Anders are selling guns to the natives. The tribe under Queen Dorothy Dandridge refuses, but the tribe under King Frederick O'Neal doesn't and the latter subjugates the former until Tarzan straightens things out.MacReady even in far worse pictures than Tarzan's Peril brings his own brand of serpentine villainy for us to savor. His character and Lex Barker have some history so a chance to even things up with Tarzan is too good to pass up. MacReady though is bad news for both Fowley and Anders as well.Seeing Dorothy Dandridge is also a treat, she is one regal beauty as the queen of her tribe. Dandridge was two years away from her Oscar nominated Carmen Jones, the high point of her sad career.Tarzan's Perils was definitely better than the first two Lex Barker Tarzans, but a pedestrian western plot bogs this film down.