Tarzan and His Mate (1934)

Der Abenteurer Harry Holt stand am Ende von „Tarzan, the Ape Man“ (1932) mit gleich doppelt leeren Händen da: Obwohl er den im tiefsten Urwald verborgenen Elefantenfriedhof entdeckt hatte, konnte er nicht einen Stoßzahn mit nach Hause nehmen, und seine geliebte Jane verlor er an den Lianenschwinger Tarzan. Zusammen mit seinem zwielichtigen Freund Arlington startet Holt eine neue Expedition, um sowohl das Elfenbein als auch Jane zu gewinnen. Auch Arlington wird schnell bezüglich des Elfenbeins, dessen Abtransport Tarzan untersagt, wie im Hinblick auf Jane zum Konkurrenten für den Dschungelmann – und anders als Holt ist ihm in diesem Kampf jedes Mittel recht …
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Tarzan and His Mate (1934) is considered the greatest of the Weissmuller-Tarzan films, even better than its predecessor - Tarzan the Ape Man (1932). This lively and exciting film concentrates more on Jane (Maureen O'Sullivan) and how she has adapted to life in the jungle with Tarzan (Johnny Weissmuller) - as an uninhibited and sexually-free partner who reveals much of her primitive nature.
In the credits, the film is said to have been directed by Cedric Gibbons, although much of the film (after the first few weeks) was actually directed by an uncredited Jack Conway. This was the second of five films in which Maureen O'Sullivan played the part of Tarzan's mate. With the rise of the rigid censorship of the Hays Production Code after this film was made, Jane's scanty clothing and nudity, and rampant sexuality with Tarzan, would disappear in future installments.