Tarzan and the Mermaids

"TARZAN DEFIES THE MAN-GOD'S TERROR - to Save the Queen of Pearl-Divers!"

1948 1h 8m EN

😐

6.0

MID

★6.0TMDB · 66

ActionAdventure

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

A high priest tries to force a young beauty to marry a pearl trader who is masquerading as the god Balu.

“TARZAN DEFIES THE MAN-GOD'S TERROR - to Save the Queen of Pearl-Divers!”

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Cast

Johnny Weissmüller
Tarzan
Brenda Joyce
Jane
Linda Christian
Mara
George Zucco
Palanth, the High Priest
John Laurenz
Benji
Andrea Palma
Luana, Mara's Mother
Fernando Wagner
Varga, the Pearl Trader
Gustavo Rojo
Tiko, Mara's Fiancé

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Robert Florey
Writers: Carroll Young
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

Tight 68-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

78 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

CINEMA

Did you know

Part of the "Tarzan (Johnny Weissmuller) Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Robert Florey, shot by Jack Draper. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Dimitri Tiomkin. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Johnny Weissmüller and Brenda Joyce and Linda Christian carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "TARZAN DEFIES THE MAN-GOD'S TERROR - to Save the Queen of Pearl-Divers!".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0040862 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Robert Florey directs. Jack Draper behind the camera. Dimitri Tiomkin scores. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Tight 68-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.
278 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3Part of the "Tarzan (Johnny Weissmuller) Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.
4Directed by Robert Florey, shot by Jack Draper. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Dimitri Tiomkin. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Johnny Weissmüller and Brenda Joyce and Linda Christian carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "TARZAN DEFIES THE MAN-GOD'S TERROR - to Save the Queen of Pearl-Divers!".
8IMDB entry: tt0040862 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Only 66 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.
10Classified under 18 themes, including "island", "temple", "tarzan", "jungle".

The technical file

Cinematography: Jack Draper
Original score: Dimitri Tiomkin
Costume design: Norma Koch
Runtime: 68 min · 1h 8m
Status: Released
Original language: EN
Certification (US): NR
IMDB: Tarzan and the Mermaids (1948)

Part of

Tarzan (Johnny Weissmuller) Collection

Tarzan is a fictional character, a feral child raised in the African jungle by the Mangani great apes; he later experiences civilization, only to reject it and return to the wild as a heroic adventurer

Also by

Robert Florey

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

John Chard2014-03-31
★ 6/10
It's Tarzan up to one of his tricks. OK! The mermaids of the title here are actually pearl divers who require Tarzan's help to topple their evil leader. Oh and said evil leader has set himself up as a false God, thus enslaving the islanders with religious fervour. Filmed at Churubusco Studios in Mexico, Mermaids is the final appearance of Johnny Weissmuller as Tarzan. It's no great send off for the man who had worn the loin cloth with distinction. It's standard fare, with the franchise looking as tired as its iconic lead actor. However, it moves along at a good clip, introduces us to the lovely Linda Christian and director Robert Florey inserts enough under water battles (with men and creature) and cliff diving escapades to keep the pic zippy. Boy is away in England studying, but Jane (Brenda Joyce) is around looking delicious and not at all jealous of Tarzan bringing home Mara (Christian) after she escapes a planned marriage to evil false deity guy. While Cheeta, bless her, auditions for the role of Duane Eddy. Harmless lord of the apes fluff all told, but instantly forgettable into the bargain. 6/10

Production companies