the Mutia escarpment—a colossal wall of rock feared by the superstitious natives—where he believes they will find the legendary elephants’ graveyard. After an emotional reunion, Jane has her


dozen-or-so trunks brought in (“Just the neces- sities of life,” she kids) and starts to undress. Having been estranged from his daughter since she was a little girl, the old man becomes flus- tered and rises, only Jane insists that he stay, even as she bends over a sink to reveal ample cleavage. “Darling, don’t be silly,” she laughs. “Why you’ve bathed me sometimes, and very nearly spanked me, too.” This odd moment of sexual tension between father and daughter marks the emergence of an important motif, that of Jane’s sexual awakening and her need to replace a safe, child-like adoration of her sire with a riskier adult’s love for a stranger. The series’ racist streak is introduced in this scene, as well: Parker’s assistant Beamish (Forrester Harvey), otherwise a jolly man, refers to their outpost as an “awful hole,” Parker grouses about how much he hates Africa (despite having spent most of his life there), and all of the white people (including Jane) refer to the black men who perform back-breaking tasks for them as “boys.” Later, they strut about camp, commenting on tribal dancers as if they were exotic fauna in a zoo. As the plot gets underway, Jane accompa- nies her father on his quest for ivory and is


adored from afar by Parker’s partner Harry Holt (Neil Hamilton, later Commissioner Gordon of TV’s BATMAN), a character loosely based on the original novel’s lovesick William Cecil Clayton. As they camp at night, Jane starts to show her growing affinity for the jungle. Of the constant sounds, she delights: “Isn’t it grand? So proud, so fierce, and yet so infinitely soothing!” (If it was later in the narrative, she could be describ- ing Tarzan himself.) The escarpment is located without much difficulty (conveyed as a series of dramatic glass paintings, it recalls the towering plateau of THE LOST WORLD, 1925), but the climb to the top proves harrowing, with one bearer toppling hundreds of feet to his death. (“Poor devil,” Holt mutters, though he shows more concern for what was in the man’s pack.) Their attainment of the top marks an historical milestone, as we hear for the very first time the famous Tarzan “yell”—a fanfare-like cry punc- tuated by striking yodeling effects.3 The safari forges on, building rafts to cross a river and, in an action highlight, battling infuriated hippopotami and crocodiles. They hear the “yell” once again and, looking upwards, catch their first sight of Tarzan swinging on trapeze bars that the filmmak- ers probably hoped we wouldn’t notice among the vines. (“White, too!” exclaims Parker.) Tarzan whisks Jane away, taking her to his


A fabulous glass matte painting depicting the forbidding Mutia escarpment, home to Tarzan.


treetop sanctuary where he paws at the woman curiously and communes with his family, a combination of men in ape suits and real chimpanzees, including loyal sidekick Cheeta.2 One expects Weissmuller, who had no previous act- ing experience, to be more than a bit green here in his debut, only the lithe athletic superstar— whom Burroughs much preferred over the barrel- chested, beer-gutted Elmo Lincoln—exhibits confi- dence of movement, in- tensely expressive eyes, and an uncanny rapport with his animal co-stars. Jane kicks and screams a lot at first, but soon realizes her cap- tor is no threat, and even attempts to teach him a few words. In a scene that would become ingrained in popular culture, Tarzan


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