Tarzan's Deadly Silence

TARZAN'S DEADLY SILENCE - 1970


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Director

Robert L Friend

Producer

Leon Benson

Screenplay

John Considine, John Considine,
Lee Erwin & Jack H Robinson

MAIN CAST

Tarzan

Ron Ely

Jai

Manuel Padilla Jr

The Colonel

Jock Mahoney

Marshak

Woody Strode

Chico

Gregorio Acosta

Officer

Rudolph Charles

Ruana

Michelle Nichols

Metusa

Robert DoQui

Akaba

Kenny Washington

BACKGROUND

• Sy Weintraub acquired the rights to a Tarzan TV series when Sol Lesser finally disposed of all of his Tarzan properties back in

1958. The plan to continue the TV series with Mike Henry was derailed when Henry quit in disgust and sued Banner Productions for overworking him. Within 48 hours Henry had been replaced by Ron Ely, a lanky Texan who had been selected to portray a Tarzan impostor in one of the projected TV episodes. 28-year-old Ely was six-foot-four, weighed 210 pounds (95kg), had appeared in a few forgetable films and was a regular in a TV series, The Aquanauts. Fifty-seven episodes of the Tarzan TV show were screened over two seasons between September 1966 and April 1968. Ten of these episodes were actually five two-part episodes and in 1970 National General Pictures arranged for the theatrical release of one of these double episodes. The Deadly Silence, Parts I and II, was transformed into a feature film, Tarzan's Deadly Silence. It is memorable for a few reasons. Ex-Tarzan Jock Mahoney (Tarzan Goes To India - 1962 and Tarzan's Three Challenges - 1963) played the principle villain, The Colonel. Marshak, one of The Colonel's commandos, was played by Tarzan stalwart Woody Strode - Tarzan's Fight for Life (1958) and Tarzan's Three Challenges (1963). He also made several appearances in the Ely series. (Essoe & Fury)

APE CRY
• The ape cry was not used in this film.

PLOT- Note: Spoiler warning

• A deranged ex-military officer called The Colonel has plans to control all of the tribes in the jungle, but Tarzan confronts him and his men and vows to hinder their plans (above). The Colonel and his two commandos, Marshak and Chico, swear vengeance on Tarzan and hunt him relentlessly. Tarzan dives into a river to escape them but his pursuers throw grenades into the water, which badly concuss Tarzan and render him completely deaf. He attempts to avoid the Colonel by using his jungle skills and the aid of his animal friends. Chico perishes in a pit of quicksand and The Colonel and Marshak fire wildly into the jungle to flush out Tarzan. Jai, who is nearby to assist Tarzan, is knocked unconscious by a graze from one of the stray bullets and Marshak carries him to safety when he becomes disillusioned by The Colonel's heartlessness. They are overtaken by Tarzan, who is unsure of Marshak's motivations (right). The Colonel is killed when his head strikes a rock during a fight with Marshak, and Tarzan allows him to go into hiding. Tarzan's hearing returns and he is reunited with Jai and Cheta.

MOVING PICTURES

Click on the image below to view the trailer for this film:

SOURCES
• Kings of the Jungle by David Fury, 1994, McFarland Classics
IMAGES
• The poster for this film was pilfered from a Heritage Auctions item
• Both photos are screenshots from my DVD of this film
• The vidoe of the movie trailer was provided by Youtuber KINGOFTHEJUNGLEWORLD. Many thanks!
LYNX
• Read a Ron Ely filmography at the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)
• Visit the Ron Ely page at Brian Walker's Brian's Drive-in Theater site
CAPTURE
• This film has not been released commercially but it is sometimes offered on DVD by collectors on eBay

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