Tarzan Escapes (1936) in Color — Starring Johnny Weissmüller & Maureen O'Sullivan

Tarzan Escapes (1936) — Buy This Classic in Color

Discover Tarzan Escapes, Richard Thorpe’s 1936 adventure film starring Johnny Weissmuller and Maureen O’Sullivan, now available as a professionally colorized version. Own this classic movie in color as a DRM-free MP4 digital download for just €15.00.

Plot Summary

Jane’s well-meaning English cousins, the earnest young Eric Parker and his eager, enthusiastic sister Rita, arrive in Africa bearing urgent, life-changing news from home: a distant relative has passed away and left Jane a substantial inheritance — enough money to set her up comfortably for life in England. But there is a crucial condition that cannot be avoided: Jane must return to England in person to claim the fortune, appearing before solicitors and probate courts to verify her identity and sign the legal documents. The cousins hire Captain Fry, a seemingly helpful, professionally charming safari guide with impressive credentials and a reassuring manner, to lead them on the dangerous expedition deep into the remote jungle territory where Tarzan and Jane have built their remarkable home. What the trusting, naive cousins do not realize is that Fry is a ruthless, calculating opportunist who has no interest whatsoever in Jane’s inheritance — his secret agenda is far more profitable and far more sinister: he plans to capture Tarzan alive and transport the legendary jungle man back to civilization in a cage, where he can be exhibited as a freak attraction to paying crowds, generating a fortune that dwarfs any inheritance. When the expedition finally reaches Tarzan’s territory, the cousins are absolutely charmed and enchanted by what they find: Tarzan and Jane’s spectacular treehouse home, an elaborate, ingeniously constructed dwelling high in the canopy complete with running water, an elevator operated by elephants, a kitchen stocked with jungle provisions, and all the clever, inventive amenities of a civilized home adapted from the resources of the wild. Eric and Rita are delighted by the magical, idyllic life their cousin has built, but they remain determined to bring Jane back to England for the inheritance. Jane, torn between the cousin she loves and the jungle life that is her true home, reluctantly agrees to visit England, and Tarzan — confused, hurt, and unable to understand why Jane must leave the paradise they have built together — lets her go with a heavy, anguished heart. But Captain Fry springs his trap: using Jane as unwitting bait, he captures Tarzan in a cunning ambush and locks the raging jungle lord in a heavy iron cage, planning to transport his prize back to civilization for exhibition and profit. When Jane discovers the horrifying betrayal, she is consumed by fury and guilt and must choose between the safety of the civilized world her cousins represent and the man she loves above everything — a man who is now imprisoned, raging and desperate, in a cage designed to hold wild animals. Tarzan, driven to superhuman fury by his captivity and his fear for Jane, lets loose the most powerful weapon in his arsenal: the call of the wild itself, summoning his jungle allies — great apes, thundering elephants, and every creature who answers his cry — to break free and rescue Jane from Fry’s treacherous, doomed expedition. This classic movie is a thrilling, emotionally powerful chapter in the legendary Tarzan series, filled with spectacular jungle action, ingenious treehouse sequences, and genuine emotional stakes.

Cast & Crew

Director: Richard Thorpe

Stars: Johnny Weissmuller, Maureen O’Sullivan, John Buckler, Benita Hume, William Henry, Herbert Mundin, E.E. Clive, Everett Brown, Darby Jones

Johnny Weissmuller continues his definitive, incomparable portrayal of Tarzan, bringing genuine emotional depth and surprising vulnerability to scenes where the jungle lord struggles to understand the civilized world’s hold on Jane — his confusion and pain when she agrees to leave are genuinely moving, and his explosive rage when captured in the cage is terrifying. Maureen O’Sullivan is superb as Jane, creating a woman whose genuine love for Tarzan and her jungle life is tested by duty to her family and the pull of the civilized world she left behind — her performance makes Jane’s eventual choice both suspenseful and emotionally satisfying. Herbert Mundin provides wonderful comic relief as a flustered member of the safari, and Benita Hume is charming as the wide-eyed cousin Rita.

Why Buy This Classic in Color?

Tarzan Escapes was originally filmed in black and white, its vast, verdant jungle settings, spectacular animal sequences, elaborate treehouse interiors, and thrilling escape and pursuit sequences all captured in MGM’s polished, world-class photography. This professionally colorized restoration brings frame-by-frame precision to the lush green jungle canopy, the sparkling blue rivers, the warm brown wood of the spectacular treehouse, and the powerful physicality of Johnny Weissmuller in his most iconic role. The colorized version adds lush tropical vibrancy and breathtaking natural beauty to this restored classic film, transforming the jungle paradise into a living, vivid world. Now also available in colour.

Buy Tarzan Escapes in color today for just €15.00. Your DRM-free MP4 download is available for instant access.

Historical Significance

Tarzan Escapes was the third entry in MGM’s classic, enormously popular Weissmuller-O’Sullivan Tarzan series and endured one of the most famously troubled productions in Hollywood history. The original version, directed by James C. McKay, was considered so violent and horrific by test audiences that MGM scrapped nearly all the footage and ordered extensive, costly reshoots under Richard Thorpe that transformed the film into a more balanced blend of action, romance, and adventure. The final version struck a successful balance that kept the Tarzan series enormously popular throughout the 1930s and into the 1940s. The elaborate treehouse sequences became some of the most beloved and most imitated elements in the entire Tarzan mythology. Through colorization, this classic, spectacularly entertaining jungle adventure is preserved for modern audiences.

Technical Details

• Format: MP4 digital download
• Resolution: HD restored
• Colorized: Professionally colorized from original black and white
• Audio: Original mono restored
• Runtime: Approximately 89 minutes
• DRM-free: Yes — watch on any device
• Instant download: Available immediately after purchase
• Price: €15.00

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Movie-Specific Questions

Q: Which Tarzan film is this in the series?
A: Tarzan Escapes is the third film in MGM’s legendary Johnny Weissmuller Tarzan series, following Tarzan the Ape Man (1932) and the widely acclaimed Tarzan and His Mate (1934). The series would continue for three more films with Weissmuller and O’Sullivan.

Q: Does this feature the famous Tarzan treehouse?
A: Yes, Tarzan Escapes features one of the most elaborate, most inventive, and most beloved depictions of Tarzan and Jane’s jungle treehouse home, complete with an elephant-operated elevator, running water, and ingenious amenities that became iconic elements of the Tarzan mythology and have been imitated countless times since.

Q: How does colorization enhance this jungle adventure?
A: Colorization brings the jungle paradise to spectacular, immersive life — the lush green canopy, the sparkling blue rivers, the warm wooden treehouse, the colorful tropical birds, and the golden African light create a visual experience that transforms the Tarzan films’ jungle world into the breathtaking paradise the stories always described.

Digital Download Questions

Q: What format is the download?
A: The film is delivered as an MP4 file compatible with virtually any device or media player.

Q: Is there DRM on the file?
A: No. The download is completely DRM-free so you can watch it on any device without restrictions.

Q: How quickly can I watch after purchase?
A: Your download link is available instantly after payment, so you can start watching within minutes.

Related Colorized Classics

• Jungle Jim (1948)
• One Million B.C. (1940)
• The Adventures of Marco Polo (1938)
• Bataan (1943)
• To Have and Have Not (1945)