TARZAN THE MAGNIFICENT (1960)
Gordon Scott Tarzan
Jock Mahoney Coy Banton
Betta St. John Fay, Ames' Wife
John Carradine Abel Banton, Coy's Father
Lionel Jeffries Ames
Alexandra Stewart Laurie
Gary Cockrell Johnny Banton, Coy's Brother
Earl Cameron Tate
Charles 'Bud' Tingwell Conway
Al Mulock Martin Banton, Coy's Brother
Ron MacDonnell Ethan Banton, Coy's Brother
Directed by Robert Day
Screenplay by Berne Giler
Produced by Harvey Hayutin and Sy Weintraub
Original music Ken Jones
Cinematography Edward Scaife
Film Editing Bert Rule
Art Direction Ray Simm
Assistant director Clive Reed
Production began: January 26 - late March, 1960 in Kenya, Africa and Shepperton Studios
Release date: July 6, 1960 (July 20, 1960 in NY)
Paramount Pictures
Running time 82 Minutes
Color by Eastmancolor
TARZAN THE MAGNIFICENT tells of the
jungle man's epic journey while taking Coy Banton, murderer of Tarzan's friend Winters to justice. Banton
has murdered Winters while escaping after a hold-up and there is a huge reward on his head. Tarzan determines to take Coy in so that the reward will go to
Winters young widow and infant children.
Coy Banton's father Abel, and brothers Martin, Johnny and Ethan set off in pursuit of Tarzan. They blow up the river boat 'Athi' to prevent him taking Coy down river to police headquarters. Tarzan determines to make the hazardous journey by land.
Five of the passengers from the 'Athi' want to accompany him. Tarzan wants none of them except the ship's negro engineer, Tate, whom he recognizes as a good man. The other four: Ames, his wife Fay, Conway and the girl Laurie, all have such good reasons to be
taken along that Tarzan cannot refuse. Thus encumbered he sets off, the Bantons at his heels.
During their fearful journey the varied personalities of the group emerges. Ames, the bullying and boastful coward is turned on by his wife who forms a romantic attachment for the prisoner, Coy. One night, while the others are in an exhausted sleep, she frees Coy and they set off into the jungle. Fay soon discovers that Coy has merely used her as a means of escape. Abandoned, she is killed by a lion.
Tarzan sets off in pursuit of Coy and, after a running battle with the Bantons, recaptures him. Laurie strays off into the bush after a small animal and she is caught by the lecherous young Johnny Banton. She is rescued just as he is overpowering her. Tate dies a hero's death in going to the assistance of Ames, who throughout has clearly shown racial prejudice regarding the engineer.
The party passes through a village where Coy Banton has recently stolen ivory and murdered a tribesman. The chief's wife is giving birth to a child and it appears that the infant, like the others she has borne her husband, will die. Conway reveals that he has medical knowledge and will attempt to help the chief's wife. It is agreed that Tarzan's life shall be forfeited if the infant dies. If the child lives, all will be allowed to proceed with the prisoner whom the tribesmen wish to kill for the murder he has done in their village. The child lives.
A romantic attachment builds up between the girl, Laurie, and Conway. After great peril and a tremendous hand-to-hand fight over rocks and through swamp and torrent between Coy and Tarzan, the jungle man turns his prisoner over to the police, and returns to his beloved jungle.
Tarzan the Magnificent, along with Tarzan's Greatest Adventure, is considered among the best of all the Tarzan movies. Jock Mahoney, who would go on to portray Tarzan in the next film, Tarzan Goes To India, does a great job playing a ruthless villain named Coy Banton. Sy Weintraub decided that Tarzan's victory cry had been overused and it is missing in this film.. Gordon Scott again shows why he is considered one of the best and most believable of all the Tarzans. It's too bad this was also the last time he would portray the jungle lord, going on to play such characters as Hercules, Samson, Goliath, Zorro, Buffalo Bill and other roles.
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