Nature Movies: Ape Men and Eight Legged Freaks

 

Some time ago, I watched the second film in what most see as "the" Tarzan series (there being many versions), and it was pretty dark. This includes Jane thinking Tarzan was dead because of the doings of an evil heavy. A lot of early 1930s melodrama.

The first movie, which takes a while to get to Tarzan, had that in spades. (It was on TCM.) The whole African support team was killed and her own father -- in an ironic touch -- died finding the elephant graveyard (for its ivory) he and a younger guy was out there looking for.  Jane (Maureen O'Sullivan) is very good here too, including falling in love with Tarzan, and generally being a little sexy minx. Oh, after her putative love interest kills Tarzan's ape pal, Tarzan gets revenge by starting to kill the support team.  

Not to worry though -- only black natives were harmed except for her father, who had to die anyway to justify her staying.  Cheeta seemed to be killed in the climatic scene (rather violent) but don't worry -- he's okay.  The mini-tribal members according to Wikipedia actually was played by white midgets in blackface!  Really.  Plus, the whole thing -- with some help of stock footage -- was filmed in the United States. The racist aspects and some over the top violence (is this really a "kid's" movie?) should not be hand-waved here.  As a "pre-code" film -- the second film also got in trouble for being a bit too sexy including underwater nudity -- I assume it might had laid the violence on more thick. 

But, though we get a bit too much lead-up (if rather well done, especially noting this was the early 1930s), the film as a whole is rather good.  The production quality is an important part of the mix here as well as pretty good pacing and acting.  "Tarzan" ("white man" in ape speak -- his backstory is not explained, including where he got his knife) looks the part, but the real star of this movie again is Jane. Early on, it is shown (and she shows her mettle in a river action scene) she knows how to handle a gun. We get some "save me Tarzan" stuff, but hey, this is the first time for her in the jungle. And, that sort of thing isn't laid on too thick. She comes off as a strong young woman overall. 

The second "nature" movie was Tarantula, the Svengoolie film of the week. This is a prime 1950s monster animal film with scientific mumbo-jumbo and typical idiot characters and even to make fun of acting. John Agar was prime for this sort of stuff, the average white middle America hero from central casting. There were various familiar faces (to toss it in, the father's colleague in the Tarzan film later played Commissioner Gordon in the Batman series), including Clint Eastwood!  

The actual tarantula was not on the scene most of the time -- we get more of the relationship with the young doctor and cute grad student -- but overall it was a fun movie.

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To toss it in, the Yanks lost to Tampa in five, starting pitching a problem though their ace did well, including on short rest.  Losing against a team as good as Tampa in five, with the the finale being 2-1, is nothing to be too ashamed about unless you expect to win it all.  The Astros, in largely because of the expanded playoffs and other teams showing an inability to win playoffs (the AL central was particularly a shame there), is the other remaining AL team.  I reckon even some of their fans figure they need at least a year to have people move on from their cheating scandal. 

Tampa winning -- if only so much -- with a threadbare budget is rather amazing.  One writer criticized them releasing a not too expensive catcher, who did well there and is now thriving in Atlanta (the team left with the Dodgers, fairly easily pushing aside the Marlins ... the Padres, two aces down, couldn't handle the Dodgers though were oh so close early on).  

Somewhat fair, but the Rays have a plan and overall are doing pretty good with it. As to the Mets: "Just as egregious was the Mets' decision to flat out release d’Arnaud in May of last year and absorbing his $3.15 million contract without allowing him time to fully work his way back from Tommy John surgery." Has Bill Madden watch the guy on the Mets?  They probably should have found a way to get something more for the guy, but years of mediocrity suggests why they let him go.