Tonight's Tarzan was "Tarzan Finds A Son" (1939), the fourth movie in the series. As it opens, a small plane is flying over the vast jungle, carrying a young couple and their infant son. As they discuss plans for their stay in Africa, the pilot cuts in to tell them that he is experiencing a change in the air currents. He tries to control the plane but is swiftly losing altitude. After deciding on an emergency landing, he tries to set the plane down in a jungle corridor, but the vegetation is too thick. The plane skids into a tree. The pilot and the young woman are killed instantly. Her husband is dragged off by cannibal tribesmen. Prior to this, and most fortunately, Cheeta had been the first "person" to arrive at the crash site. The baby survived. Cheeta pulled him from the wreckage and carried him to a treetop before the cannibals even got there.
Tarzan shows up shortly thereafter and Cheeta hands the baby to him. The communication between Tarzan and the animals in these films, and the intuition between all of them (even from animal to animal, and species to species) is truly incredible, and the way it is edited and incorporated into the storylines is something very special in all of the history of cinema. You may be wondering why I have gone off on a Tarzan tangent; the animal magic in these movies is part of the reason. I repeat : these films aren't just entertainment, they are unique in style and content. There is nothing else like them, and they are full of jungle animals.
When Tarzan brings the baby home to the Treehouse, Jane has to explain to him exactly what it is, and that it must have parents somewhere nearby. They go out to search the area, discover the crashed plane, and know that the parents are dead. Jane tells Tarzan that they must adopt the child, and a name is decided on by Tarzan : "Boy".
From there, we fast forward several years. "Boy" (Johnny Sheffield) is now about eight years old. He follows his "Dad" everywhere and emulates Tarzan's every move. The first half hour is devoted to his development. He gets into his share of mischief with animals, gets tangled in a gigantic spider web. Tarzan is always getting him out of jams, and he gets angry at Boy, but then they laugh, and bond, because Tarzan is proud of Boy's independent spirit.
The ubiquitous Tarzan Underwater Synchronized Swimming Scene this time involves Tarzan and Boy, in place of Jane, as this film is about the Son. Boy and Tarzan have a long swim with a sea turtle. This is the Peaceful Interlude In Nature that always takes place in the Tarzan movies, before the hunters come, and this time they come yet again, in the form of another safari, led by a hunter in the service of cousins of the plane crash couple. The cousins, as you might expect, have a fortune to inherit if they can prove the couple are deceased, for they are next in line......except for Boy, who is an heir to Lord Greystoke.
Now we are getting into the lore of the Edgar Rice Burroughs books, which I know nothing about, but in any event, the Tarzan formula is being followed, in which a Safari, headed up by an arrogant hunter in the service of greedy English clients, is confronted by Tarzan and stopped in it's tracks.
Tarzan's hatred of guns is on display once again, and man, I love that this was promoted several times in the Tarzan films, because I hate guns myself. Always have.
The cousins who have financed the expedition are determined to bring Boy back to England with them. They enlist the soft-hearted Jane in their quest. She is malleable because she too is English. Part of her soul remains there, though her heart is in the jungle with Tarzan. She allows herself to be convinced that it is in Boy's best interests to be taken back to London, to become civilized.
I cannot reveal any more of the plot, because treachery is afoot against the trusting Tarzan, the motivations of which will surprise you.
'Tarzan Finds A Son" follows the formula of the sequels, i.e. a safari heads for the Escarpment for financial gain. They encounter savage tribes but ultimately find Tarzan and Jane. Then their objectives are presented, which always come into conflict with Tarzan's belief system, and then they try to sabotage him, because they know they cannot take him on outright.
This time he steals all their guns and throws them into a deep gulch underwater.
To make that kind of statement in 1939 is very impressive, I think.
Two Obvious Huge Thumbs Up for "Tarzan Finds A Son". Again, these are unique movies, because half the actors are animals, and then you have the singular Tarzan persona and athleticism of Johnny Weissmuller, and the natural Eve-like electricity of Maureen O'Sullivan, surely one of the most charismatic movie stars to ever grace the screen. /////
Now, on an entirely different subject, of course I tuned in to the SOTU, the State Of The Union speech, which I thought should have been re-abbreviated as the STFU speech.
I will be brief, because I abhor this man, and I hate what has happened to our country. I think all State Of The Union speeches are phoney-baloney, no matter who is making them, because every one of them has the exact same content. Blah, blah, blah.....look how great we are doing (meaning "we", the politicians in control at that time).
I can't stand the speech because it doesn't mean anything, whether given by Obama, Trump, Clinton or Bush. It's just a bunch of baloney, every single time.
But in this case, my feelings go past that assessment, because this time, The so-called president is a proven criminal. Not just a "bad guy" or a "right-winger", but a straight-up criminal who stole an election and is beholden to Russia.
So here's what I hate about tonight, and it has to do with the news media.
Here I watch MSNBC every night, and every night they are rabid anti-Trump. "Mueller report"! "Impeach"! "He's dangerous"! "He Lies"!
And of course we all know this from day one. I have repeatedly asked, "why is this man not in prison"?
And so what I hate is that this same "supposedly truth-driven" MSNBC, and CNN too, treat the State Of The Union as if it is being given by "The President".
Not a criminal, who they have excoriated for two years, but "The President". All of a sudden, Trump is "The President".
What will he say? Will he compromise? Will he play to his base? What about his chances for re-election?
His chances for re-election. This, coming from a phoney-baloney MSNBC who on every other night try to cheerlead the Mueller Investigation, which - no matter the end result, has run out of time, because this criminal will have likely served out his four year term by the time the investigation is released......and the freaking news media, calling this bum out for what he is, most nights, but then acting as if he is "The President", who has an opinion that should be given weight, on this night, just because it is the State Of The Union.
Sorry to go on a tirade, but what a bunch of baloney the whole thing is. So fake, so false.
Yeah, yeah, MSNBC, CNN, tell me again what's gonna become of this guy, this CRIMINAL who has subverted our democracy. Tell me again about the Mueller Report.
And then talk tonight about his chances for re-election. Because, he is after all, "The President".
And it's as if nothing ever happened these past two years.
So I say Screw It. Watch Tarzan movies instead. Nothing is going to be done about Trump in this election cycle. Better hope the Dems have someone who can beat him in 2020. /////
T'was chilly today, but I had a nice hike at Limekiln.
Sorry about the tirade, but I truly detest this man, to the core of my being. And I hate the phoney reporting, as if something is being done about him.
See you in the morn. xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
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