The Tarzan Collection Starring Johnny Weissmuller (Tarzan the Ape Man / Escapes / and His Mate / Finds a Son / Secret Treasure / New York Adventure)

This entire set is great, the first one being better. A powerful story of love,communication, corrupt white people & surviving the jungle in Africa. It also makes the white man look corrupt trying to take all the riches from the jungle. Johnny Weissmuller is easily the best Tarzan. Maureen O'Sullivan plays Jane perfectly... Tarzan the Ape Man introduces Tarzan & Jane, and how they wound up together. Love at first sight. A great great movie,with a surprising amount of somewhat graphic violence. Now these are in black and white, but the shooting of animals and the flesh penetration was heavy duty for its time. Tarzan Escapes is the 3rd film in the series with her family plotting to bring Jane home, but it is trick to capture Tarzan and get Jane back to 'civilization'. I cant blame her for staying in the jungle. Tarzan & his Mate - yes this has nude scenes with Jane swimming - I was shocked when I saw this - still another great film with more corrupt whites wanting to make money in Tarzan's land and he has to save the bad guys from an evil tribe Tarzan Finds a Son - "Boy" is his name and this was another fun story basically the same formula - bad white guys who wind up being saved by Tarzan Secret Treasure has more greedy white guys using boy to round up all the gold that is in Tarzan's land that boy found. Pretty much the same story of the bad white guys who get captured by an evil tribe and Tarzan has to save everyone. Tom Conway plays a great villain in this. Tarzan's New York Adventure rounds out this set,more greedy white guys kidnap Boy who will be a circus act with the animals. Tarzan in a suit no less goes to the circus and climbs buildings to find boy. Tarzan goes to court over Boy. It was different. I do like it because it got away from the Jungle, it was like a curve ball from someone who threw fastballs,a change of pace..I think overall these are fantastic films(especially the first ones). The DVD's are completely uncut & the movies are fun to watch. Watching the animals as always entertaining. Tarzan fights an alligator scene pops up in 3 movies. Same footage, still fun. If you like jungle films, you cant miss Tarzan and this whole series..highly recommended

Oh, thank you MGM! I have waited years for the Johnny Weissmuller Tarzan movies to come to DVD.Quite simply, they were the best of them all, even better than the RKO ones he did afterward. These were lavish and big movies, a delightful fantasy. I just hope they fix up the quality of the first movie, Tarzan of the Apes. I have them all on video, and the quality was fine, but the first movie needs a clean-up.After I see the DVD I'll come back to edit this review. Now let's get something straight here, boys and girls. This is Hollywood's version of Tarzan, though I think Johnny is the closest in physique and ferocity to the real Tarzan of the books.By virtue of his lifestyle Tarzan should be built like a gymnist/swimmer, long, lean, well defined muscles and not blown-up like a weightlifter. He played it with great dignity also, and did most of his acting with his eyes. Tarzan spoke more than a dozen languages, lived on an estate in British east Africa, flew planes and even had a girlfriend on the side, one La of opar. His real son was named John Clayton also, but in jungle parlance he was known as Korak the Killer, having been kidnapped as a child and grown up in the wild as did his father. His best animal friend was not a chimp named Cheetah, but a golden lion named Jad-bal-ja. Jane was blond and American, not brunette and British. ..But what difference does it make? These movies are wonderful fun. I wax nostalgic when I recall as a young boy in the fifties watching these movies on Sundays at 1pm on the CBS Movie for a Sunday Afternoon. And yes, all the stores were closed and life was for the better. People were visiting relatives and not running to shopping malls to sped money and abdicate parental responsibilites.After all, Tarzan searched for his son for ten years! Well, I now have the set and have watched the movies. I'm disappointed. They did nothing to clean up the movies. They're the exact quality of what's showing on TCM on a regular basis. Why bother to do it if they don't improve on it?

The first 5 films, in this alternate universe, portray Tarzan living in an exotic paradise, high on a plateau in the unexplored interior of equatorial Africa. Tarzan wishes to be left alone, unfortunately, there are those who have heard of the fabulous wealth to be had in Tarzan's realm. All they have to do is trek across miles and miles of jungle teeming with sharp-toothed beasts and hostile tribes and then climb a treacherous 1,500 foot cliff called the Mutier Escarpment. Once on top, they'll find Tarzan's territory is just as dangerous . . . . The last film is a departure from the rest. Some men have taken Boy to New York to exploit his skill handling animals. Tarzan and Jane fly to the city to retrieve him. You might expect this to be a "fish out of water" story, but Tarzan easily adapts to this unfamiliar concrete jungle . . . . This set of Tarzan films was produced by MGM and Jane's character was perfectly played by Maureen O'Sullivan. (In "The Tarzan Collection, Volume 2", Jane was played by Brenda Joyce and produced by RKO Radio Pictures.) Best way to view: recommend watching them in the order they were made - note the second film is on disc 2, not disc 1. Special Features disc: no standouts, but interesting. DVD - 2004. Sharpness, Contrast, & Brightness varies from fair to good. Defects: grainy. In "Tarzan the Ape Man" many shots have a darkening in the corners. Sound: volume moderately low. Languages Exception: "Tarzan and HIs Mate" is English only. The Special Features disc has no language/subtitle options. Discs are single-sided.

This is such a great collection. Johnny Weissmuller is the only Tarzan for me. I just got this collection because of my father who is such a huge fan. He was talking about Tarzan and I told him that they have a collection on dvd, so I went and ordered one on Amazon. My father came over and I told him that the dvd's had arrived. I recently got a projector(that I also got on Amazon) so I set it up and we watched Tarzan the ape man and Tarzan and his mate. Wow what wonderful memories, my father and I enjoyed these movies so much. They are really fun to watch, in seeing Tarzan, my father remembered as a kid watching thes movies in theaters for a nickle. He got sentimental and so did I. It so beautiful seeing the animals helping Tarzan and the relationship they all have. These movies are so great to watch I enjoy watching these movies with my pop, I'm looking forward to seeing all the others. If your a fan of Tarzan don't hesitate get this collection. Also it has some nice extras. Like an all new documentary, all six theatrical trailers and more. I give this 5 stars

While there were earlier and later versions of Tarzan, these are the best. There's something special about movies made in the 1930's. Hollywood was getting good at making movies by then. Directing was better, acting was better, not to mention improvements the technology (especially film quality). In a sense Tarzan was an early superhero - speeding through the jungle vine to vine, talking to animals, very strong, and quite fierce. Really, how many people take on rhinos, lions, or crocodiles with only a knife? Of course there's a world of difference between the books and this Tarzan, but so what? Weissmuller does a fine job as a simpler version of ERB's vision. And the man can swim! Like many 30's movies, these are a Romantic (yes, "R") view of life. The plots are straightforward: greedy people stopping at nothing, including murder, thwarted by a pure-hearted hero. Good people unfortunately die but the baddies suffer in the end. Rather appealing, no?

You have my word that $20 will buy you the most awesome DVD collection on the planet. These are all of Johnny Weissmuller's MGM Tarzans in a space-saving package, beautifully remastered on three disks, and with a full disk of extras to boot. Weissmuller--one of the greatest swimmers who ever lived--WAS Tarzan in much the same way that Sean Connery IS Bond. My two tiny complaints are that the disks aren't in chronological order and that Warner Brothers seems to have been unable to release Tarzan Finds a Son in its original sepia-and-platinum print (now THAT I'd love to see). However, the uncut version of Tarzan and His Mate is here, complete with its beautiful nude underwater swimming scene--very racy stuff for 1934. (Alas, the famous bat/pygmy footage from Tarzan Escapes seems, unfortunately, to be reposing in the same circular file as the outtakes from Gone With the Wind and Greed). I grew up watching these Tarzans on TV and I've never gotten tired of them or of Johnny Weissmuller, who has forever been one of the men I've respected most. Kids STILL love them, and with good reason--Tarzan demonstrates that man is master of his environment, that good triumphs, and that evil deeds merit the harshest of consequences. Add to this a hero who moves like no other member of Homo sapiens on the planet and who can communicate with primates and elephants and successfully fight lions and crocs, and you've got pure entertainment distilled to an average of 90 minutes per chapter. At this price, I can afford a surprise Valentine for one of my best friends from high school, himself a former swimming champion who has always worshipped Johnny Weissmuller. Treat someone you love to this set, especially if that someone is a child. I can't think of a better, more entertaining way for a family to spend some quality viewing time together. Do your part to keep the tradition alive!

During the Depression, movie viewers often wanted escapist fare to get away from the, well, depressing real world. For pure escapism, few could surpass Tarzan. A popular series of book for a couple decades and already the subject of several now almost forgotten movies, a new series of Tarzan films began in the early 1930s. Were they great films? No, but they were often great fun. The six movies in this collection comprise the movies that had both Johnny Weismuller as Tarzan and Maureen O'Hara as Jane. The first film sets the tone for the series. In Tarzan of the Apes, Jane is part of an expedition that goes into an isolated area of Africa in search of the Elephant's Graveyard with its massive amount of ivory. Tarzan kidnaps Jane but soon they fall in love with each other. Tarzan is taught some English but never gets beyond simple sentences (it's obvious she doesn't love him for his conversational ability). There are some fights with wild animals and a climatic battle with a native tribe, and in the end, Jane opts to stay with Tarzan rather than go back to civilization. Tarzan and His Mate has the two of them referring to each other as spouses (although they are never truly married). This is easily the most daring of the six movies, with a very scantily clad Jane throughout much of the movie and a swimming scene where she (actually a body double for O'Sullivan) wears nothing at all. The plot once again involves a safari out to get the ivory from the Elephant's Graveyard. In Tarzan Escapes, Jane is visited by cousins who try to bring her back to civilization because of an inheritance. Accompanying her relatives are some seedier folks who want to cage Tarzan and use him in a circus. As always, there are fights with animals and tribes. This film introduces their treehouse which has all the amenities, including an elephant-powered elevator. Tarzan Finds a Son! introduces John Sheffield as Boy. Since the cinematic Tarzan has no explanation as to why he is in the jungle, the literary origin is used for Boy, who is part of the Greystoke family and is orphaned when his parents are killed in a plane crash. Eventually relatives with less-than-noble intentions try and bring him home. The original plan was to kill Jane off in this film, but initial reaction was so negative, a happier ending was given. Tarzan's Secret Treasure has Tarzan contending with gold hunters and is probably most notable for the appearance of Tom Conway (of Cat People and the Falcon movies, among other things). Tarzan's New York Adventure moves the hero to the concrete jungle of the Big Apple, as he and Jane seek Boy, who has been taken by a circus after the couple is believed dead. This would be O'Sullivan's swan song as Jane, but Weismuller would continue in his role for several more movies (part of a separate collection). While the storytelling is not always very original, footage is used over and over again (Tarzan has the same fight with a crocodile in three separate movies) and the films are not very politically correct, these flaws generally don't detract from the entertainment. The great strength comes from the two leads who have a real chemistry. The antics of Cheeta the chimp, however, are probably a little overdone and Boy can be a bit annoying. The movies themselves are all high-three-star or four star fare, and there is a nice documentary on the collection (which sadly, does not discuss the later Weismuller Tarzans). There are also a couple shorts and some movie previews, but no commentaries. Overall, this is a four star collection. These are not classic films (but does every movie need to be a work of art?), but they are nice escapist fare.

What a WONDERFUL trip down memory lane! As a young child growing up in the 50's & 60's, escaping to the mysterious jungles with Tarzan, Jane, Boy and Chetah on Saturday mornings was the perfect recipe for developing my love for the healthy outdoors and my later desire for Zen living. The excitement I felt as I watched these four characters live, love and play in a world with such wholesome harmony made me feel happy trying to emulate that in my own life. These are the movies I encourage my own children to watch even now, as the more contemporary movies are so full of CGI effects that the real appetite for using our imagination is lost. I purchased the full collection of two volumes, six movies in each volume and love all of these original episodes. All 12 of the Johnny Weissmuller Tarzan movies are precious and unique, most especially because filming and working with wild animals like they did then is now forbidden and fraught with so many rules that capturing the actions of wrestling with a real lion or riding on the back of a rhino or hippo could not be performed now without CGI. The age old message of wholesome morality and living harmoniously in your world was never more distinctive than in these old black & white Johnny Weissmuller Tarzan movies. If you ever need a good dose of warm, fuzzy and healthy excitement, with a healthy dose of natural Zen, these are the movies and stories to watch. A very relaxing and therapeutic way to spend an afternoon. They make excellent gifts that will be treasured and cherished forever. Amazon has the best selection and prices of these, and movies like them anywhere. I highly recommend them!