Tarzan Escapes

Working titles for this film were Tarzan Returns, Capture of Tarzan and Tarzan and the Vampires. According to contemporary sources, nine months after filming on the picture was completed, the film went back into production for a second time because M-G-M was not satisfied with the story. On July 13, 1936, after spending a reported $600,000-$700,000 on the picture, filming resumed with Richard Thorpe replacing John Farrow as the director. It was predicted in the news items that the second round of filming would cost the studio an additional $200,000. While some contemporary sources refer to the second round of filming as "retakes," Hollywood Reporter called it a "complete remake of the M-G-M jinxer [the first version]." Tarzan and His Mate, the previous M-G-M Tarzan film, also had a protracted production schedule and personnel problems. Hollywood Reporter production charts indicate that James McKay was the first director of the initial shooting, and that he was replaced by Farrow in July 1935. Modern sources note that M-G-M decided to re-shoot the picture following a preview screening that was met with disapproval by scared children and outraged mothers. The studio responded by sending an order to remove all gruesome scenes from the film and replace them with re-takes. Bernard Hyman took over as producer for the second round of filming. Production on the film was completed on September 4, 1936, and M-G-M was left with two versions of Tarzan Escapes, the first of which was never released.
       Modern sources also relate the following information concerning the two versions of this film: The treatment for the first version was written by Karl Brown, with later contributions by Louis Mosher, Wyndham Gittens and Otis Garrett. The second version was written by Cyril Hume and Edwin Knopf. Granville Bates, who was originally assigned to the role of the Skipper, was dropped from the cast, while a new character, Rawlins, played by Herbert Mundin, was added for the second version; Darby Jones took over the role of Bomba from Everett Brown; art director Cedric Gibbons was replaced by his associate, Elmer Sheeley; special effects director James Basevi was replaced by Arnold Gillespie; photographic effects man Max Fabian was replaced by Thomas Tutwiler; operative cameramen Virgil Vogel and Walter Strenge were replaced by Charles Salerno, Jr.; and Sol Paul Levy and Dr. William Axt composed the music for the second version. Other individuals credited in modern sources for their contribution to the film include: Edwin B. Willis (Set Decoration); James Newcombe (Art eff); Ralph Shugart, S. J. Lambert, Ralph Pender, R. L. Sterling, Don T. Whitmer, T. B. Hoffman, Michael Steinore and Mike McLaughlin (Sound); and Albert Scheving and Bob Gough (Assistant Camera).
       Studio publicity material for Tarzan Escapes noted that Johnny Weissmuller studied the native Swahili language under the tutorship of Dr. Ernest Wilson for his role in the film. The publicity material also notes that underwater scenes were filmed with a special "diving camera." Modern sources note that the exterior of the tree bungalow was built on location in the Santa Monica Mountains, at a site now known as Malibu Creek State Park, and that a replica of the bungalow was built on an M-G-M sound stage. The film marked the second reunion of Weismuller and O'Sullivan in M-G-M's Tarzan series, and they went on to do three more Tarzan pictures together. Actor John Buckler died in an automobile accident one week before the picture was released.
       According to modern sources, film footage of the Murchison Falls in Africa, shot for W. S. Van Dyke's Trader Horn (see below), was used in this film, as was footage from Tarzan and His Mate and Tarzan, the Ape Man (see below). A modern source pegs M-G-M's final expenditure for both versions of the film at $1,058,430. For information on other films featuring the Tarzan character, consult the Series Index and for Tarzan, the Ape Man.