TARZAN'S DESERT MYSTERY (1943)

 

PHENOMENALITY: *marvelous*

MYTHICITY: *fair*

FRYEAN MYTHOS: *adventure*

CAMPBELLIAN FUNCTION: *cosmological, sociological*


TARZAN'S DESERT MYSTERY finally finds an excuse to avoid African blacks: most of the adventure takes place in a fictional North African community, where everyone appears to be Arabs of some sort, though purely of the "central casting" variety.  This and TRIUMPHS were the only Tarzan films directed by Austrian director William Thiele, and if his mise-en-scene is a little subdued in TRIUMPHS, MYSTERY is a pulp-lover's delight.

As fast-paced as MYSTERY is, the Carroll Young script doesn't neglect some good character moments.  Though Jane is still in England, she sets off the plot-action when she sends a letter via jungle-mail to Tarzan and Boy.  Boy's the only one who can read, so he relates to his adoptive father Jane's message: that she wants him to secure a rare jungle-salve to help the war-effort.  This requires Tarzan to venture into an isolated jungle-region bordering the Sahara and reputedly filled with many strange creatures.  What Boy doesn't tell the ape man is that Jane wants him to stay behind.  Boy fibs, telling Tarzan that he Boy is supposed to go along on the journey.  Tarzan soon figures out the fib, but after remonstrating with the juvenile briefly, does what surely every juvenile viewer wanted and allows his surrogate son to go along.

From there, the action rarely slows down.  We meet itinerant stage magician Connie Boyce (Nancy Kelly), who receives a secret message from a local sheik, a message she's supposed to relay to Prince Selim in a neighboring town.  That town is currently under the dominion of clandestine Nazis Henrdicks and Straeder, who are taking a more subtle approach to exploiting the locals than we see in TRIUMPHS. They currently have Selim buffaloed, but they're anticipating knocking him off.  Later Connie will become their patsy, accused of Selim's death.

I won't detail every fine point of the involved script, but I will draw attention to the way the script creates respect for all forms of life.  Tarzan rescues a wild stallion from the brutal Straeder, and the grateful animal stays with Tarzan, Boy and Cheetah.  Even when Tarzan's party picks up the stranded Connie, she too shows some disrespect for the stallion's dignity by mounting him casually.  After she's bucked to the ground, Tarzan advises, "Next time ask horse."

The marvelous elements show up near the climax: though Tarzan helps Connie escape a public hanging, and will help deliver the news of Selim's murder to the Sheik, he insists on seeking out the weird jungle, with the Nazis in hot pursuit.  The jungle is right out of Skull Island, including not only giant lizards and a giant spider, but also a big man-eating plant. 

This is one of the best RKO Tarzan films, with solid action, lively dialogue-- particularly from the smart-mouthed Connie-- and some sprightly comedy, enough that even Cheetah's antics don't prove too cloying.