Ron Ely’s TARZAN-8-THE DEADLY SILENCE part 1

 

Ron Ely’s TARZAN-8-THE DEADLY SILENCE part 1

 

As for trivia, a few things are stated here that surprised me. Tarzan has a treehouse in this series, though we have NOT seen it in the series yet. Tarzan tells Jai to go “home” to the treehouse and mentions it specifically. Jai, later, must be kidnapped from it by the Colonel’s men or even the Colonel himself.

 

The other thing is when the Colonel first meets Tarzan, like many white men in this series, he’s heard of Tarzan. Here, the Colonel says, “Well, you’ve returned from the rain forest.”  This seems to be a reference to Brazil. Nothing further is stated about this. Was Tarzan in Brazil for a reason? Did this trip to Brazil start in the Mike Henry movies? If so, where is this? It’s obviously filmed in Mexico now but is this supposed to be Africa? That seems to be the case as the natives DO NOT seems Mexican. In Brazil, the natives there DID seem to be from Brazil. I wonder what the producer’s thought were on all of this or if it mattered to him. No matter, this is a great series and a great episode.

 

 

Well, this seems like a more self contained episode until the last act or so, with a beginning, a middle, and a climax…until…Tarzan here lets the villain, one of the best villains of the entire series and certainly the most challenging, live! I can’t think of any other Tarzan of the movies (and possibly the TV shows, other than maybe Wolf Larson’s Tarz) who would have let such a vile individual as the Colonel (played by former Tarzan actor Jock Mahoney, doing a second guest appearance) LIVE!

 

Certainly, most other Tarzan’s and probably the literary Tarzan would have let that poor lion stuck in the pit by the Colonel, kill the Colonel. Here, Tarzan saves him but the Colonel, helped by another good character played by good actor Woody Strode, escapes the jeep and the two men in it that are taking the Colonel to the authorities and jail. One of the men in the jeep is killed. The other? Not sure but he’s flipped out of the jeep. If Tarzan didn’t let the Colonel live, that man would not have died. It’s a problem greatly moral heroes have: let the villains live or not. Certainly the Doctor in DOCTOR WHO, Batman on TV (BUT NOT the movies), and scores of others have.

 

In any case, this is movie quality again. I’d say that Jock stole the show as the best villain of the entire series (there are more great ones to come, including the Colonel’s sister!?) but Ron Ely, always great, steps up his game even more! He’s more than a match for the Colonel and Jock. He’s also tough without being totally aggressive but is assertive and aggressive when he has to be. And it’s realistic. I love how when Metusa (the wonderful Robert DoQui who has a long list of credits) tries to fake that everything is all right as Tarzan and the Colonel first meet, eye to eye, that Ron just easily and gently waves…yes, waves, Metusa out of their personal zone. It’s wonderful and subtle. Other stuff is not so subtle when it doesn’t need to be and that’s awesome, too. Ron and Jock are great in EVERY scene here.

 

Tarzan’s retaliatory threats to the Colonel are great as is most of the dialog. There’s one strange bit that seemed as if some lines were missing. The Colonel’s talking about his escape from capture during, I believe, World War 2 (?) or so, in I think Italy. He’s talking about killing a guard or guards and walking through the desert. Suddenly, he asks Tarzan, “Have you ever heard of a Sumo wrestler?” He then talks about how he killed a Sumo wrestler. What?

 

Everything else is spot on. STAR TREK’s Nichelle Nichols appears and is suitably brave and beautiful. It is interesting to note that when she asks Tarzan, “Tarzan, can the Colonel be stopped?” that he answers with a strong, “I don’t know.” This shows that Tarzan is not conceited and all powerful and that his enemy is one of extreme power that even Tarzan doubts he can stop the Colonel. It’s a small moment but amazing nevertheless if you think about it.

 

Additionally, when the Colonel tells Tarzan he wants to rule the jungle and looks at Tarzan and says, “…as you have,” Tarzan’s answer is almost stunning as only Ely can deliver it, “The jungle is ruled by no one.” It sounds like he added, “…not even me…” but it’s hard to hear that part.

 

Ely gives his TARZAN a power but also a modesty that is refreshing in a hero like Tarzan.

 

 

One thing that this episode strikes home on is something that ALL the episodes made me wonder about and at least one other reviewer struck upon. I think he (Mark Hodgson) wrote it best with:

 

“The main reason I think the series hasn't stayed in circulation is the portrayal of black Africans. While it's set 'in the now' with the latest vehicles, firearms and fashions, Africans are still portrayed as they were in the original stories, as tribal communities living in small villages of primitive huts, wearing animal skins and war paint. This may have been acceptable in the movies of the 1930s, but was entirely misleading by 1966, as if it had been researched from a travel brochure.

 

The approach is duly counterweighted by a few 'modern' black characters like the local game warden (Rockne Tarkington of Daktari and Danger Island), who regularly appeared in the early episodes, as well as guest appearances from other American actors like the formidable Woody Strode (Spartacus) and Bernie Hamilton (Starsky & Hutch).”

 

I always wondered about that. Was Africa, IF this was supposed to be Africa, really like this in 1966-68? I don’t think so. Additionally, I will admit that almost EVERY Tarzan, no matter how realistic it tries to be, seems to operate in a different reality, even a different universe that’s just not our own. Some kind of fantasy land, again, no matter how wonderfully depicted.

 

The same writer, Mark Hodgon, also applies this to Ron:

“Ron Ely's incarnation is impressive in many ways. Imposingly well-built, wearing one of the briefest loincloths of any Tarzan, it's hard not to be distracted by his physique every time he's onscreen, which is most of the episode. He can also act, swim, and fight with both men and animals. He's reputed to have done his own stunts and racked up the injuries to prove it. Just running around everywhere barefoot without flinching is quite a feat (sorry).

 

Aiming at a family audience that kept adults engaged, the episodes often had a tough edge. Fistfights, gunfights, knife fights, constant peril and occasionally deaths! A young boy (Manuel Padilla Jr, later seen all grown up in American Graffiti) is the only other regular cast member (as well as Cheetah the cheeky chimp), but otherwise the stories don't pander to a young audience.”

 

He also writes: “Shot in Brazil, and later Mexico, the lush jungle locations, village-sized sets, waterfalls, mountains and rivers made this look a million dollars. With interesting, twisty adventure-laden stories and solid casts, the series was repeated for many years on British TV, eventually headlining the Saturday morning line-up into the 1970s. Like Batman, this was so popular and repeatable that it's now imprinted in many young memories…”

 

All of that is worth reprinting here. It’s well written (better than I could do!) and exact. The writer seems to be from the UK where the opposite happened regarding the airing of the TV show and the movies.

 

In the US, the movies were constantly shown on TV, usually on Saturday and Sunday mornings or afternoons or even a bit later while the TV show, while definitely airing for a short time in reruns (on what used to be channel 9 and a bit later on a cable beamed in channel from another state), was NOT on as much as the endless cycle of BOMBA and especially TARZAN movies. Even the more violent ones were shown in the US. In the UK the opposite happened. Ely’s series was on more in the UK than the movies.

 

In any case there are some significant surprises in this episode. In the end, hand grenades are lobbed into a river where Tarzan is underwater. He eventually hauls himself out of the water, bleeding from the ears, only to discover that he's wounded, defenseless and deaf. Ely’s acting, along with significant sound effects and LACK of any sound in some moments, make this an effective cliffhanger as he is stunned to the ground in pain while booted feet approach.

 

More than even that: Jai is kidnapped off screen and brought into the conflict and Manuel, as ALWAYS, does a great job of acting here. He cries when he has to and tosses Tarzan his knife when he has to. When Jai does not leave, as Tarzan orders, the evil Colonel even notices, “An interesting show of loyalty,” though he adds, “…or perhaps he doesn’t want to miss the spectacle.” I don’t think it’s the latter but the former. Manuel now wears his loin cloth and sandals again and I believe he might for the rest of the series but I’ll have to check that.

 

We learn that Metusa’s father and brother are being held captive by the Colonel. Tarzan out maneveurs the handsome and evil minded aide of the Colonel’s---the well built Akaba---and we think Tarzan is going to rescue both men. As an aside, I will say, that Akaba, other than being just a henchman of little substance, has a background. Tarzan knew his parents, both good people but Akaba wants more than they have, he believes, with the Colonel he already has what he wants: power. Tarzan tells him he just has a madness. What’s shocking is that Metusa’s father and later his brother are both found DEAD. Certainly that was not expected. If that’s not surprising enough, Akaba gets away from Tarzan.

 

Cheetah is mostly sidelined in this episode, though he is there.

 

Less stunningly, but just as interesting is that fact that this episode is the last that has the original theme song on it. The next episode, THE DEADLY SILENCE part two, will have the new theme song, the theme that graced the closing credits for a few episodes now (not all but a few). Originally, the main theme at the start was also the theme at the end. Then the end theme changed while the main theme stayed. With THE DEADLY SILENCE part two, the main theme changed and the end theme stays with the second version, which are both the same.

 

In the finale battle between Metusa’s men and Akaba’s, the two square off against each other. Although we do not see the actual strike against body, Metusa seems to spear Akaba in the stomach and he seems to fall back and die. At the same time, it looks as if Akaba did the same to Metusa! I wonder if this was the original intention. Later, we see Metusa with his legs bound up so the implication is that, despite Metusa’s look of anguished pain as he fell back after spearing Akaba, that he was only stabbed in the leg. Which is fine as Metusa is a good character.

 

All in all, with good character development, practically every line of dialog needed, some great action set pieces, and a premise that can’t be beat (in fact, two or three great premises), this episode is a total stunner and winner.

 

Of course, me being me, I wonder what happened to the poor lion in the pit! Did anyone let her or him out? Oh and Ely with the lion is impressive. I almost wrote with the loin…!