Episode 11: Tarzan Escapes (1936)

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David May returns as guest when Michael and Noel jump back to MGM for the third movie in the Johnny Weissmuller series: Tarzan's Return. Or was it Tarzan and the Vampires? No, wait, The Capture of Tarzan. Oh, that's right: Tarzan Escapes! Featuring studio meddling, killer iguanas, the Hayes Code, and what happens when you let the monkey cook the roast.

Episode 10: The New Adventures of Tarzan (1935)

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Noel and Michael are joined by guest Melissa Kaercher (A Reel Education, The Sound and the Foley) to discuss Edgar Rice Burroughs' sole attempt at financing a Tarzan serial himself (with co-producer/actor Ashton Dearholt). We talk about the extremely troubled production, from its poor planning and even poorer sound to its Mayan space queens and wife-swapping producers. Was anything good able to come of the mess? Tune in and find out!

Episode 9: Tarzan and His Mate (1934)

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Michael and Noel are joined by Kay from Fan Girl Blog and the Hyperspace Theories podcast to talk about MGM's second Tarzan film. Inspired by King Kong and a pivotal film in the history of the Hays Code, Tarzan and His Mate offers a lot to discuss.

Episode 8: Tarzan the Fearless (1933)

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Noel and Michael are joined by writer Christopher Mills (Femme Noir, Gravedigger, Perils on Planet X, and the excellent blog Space: 1970) to discuss Tarzan the Fearless, a 12-chapter serial starring Buster Crabbe (Buck Rogers, Flash Gordon) and Julie Bishop (The Black Cat). It's also the first Tarzan film by legendary Tarzan producer Sol Lesser.



Opening music from Tarzan the Fearless

Closing music from "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" by Blue Oyster Cult

Episode 7: Tarzan the Ape Man (1932)

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Michael and Noel welcome special guest, comics writer Ron Marz (Batman/Tarzan: Claws of the Catwoman, Korak the Killer) to talk about the first in the MGM/Weissmuller series: the iconic Tarzan the Ape Man.

Opening music from "Voo Doo Dance" by George Richelavie (arranged by Paul Marquardt and Fritz Stahlberg)

Closing music from "Tarzan and Rain," a mashup by The Reborn Identity

Episode 6: 1910s and '20s Recap

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Noel and Michael review the stories that influenced and were influenced by Tarzan up through 1929. Starting with Gilgamesh and ending with Tarzan the Tiger, we talk about Tarzan books, comics, and theater as well as connections to H Rider Haggard, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and Mickey Mouse.

Opening music from "Wild Cat" by Eddie Lang and Joe Venuti

Closing music from "Diga Diga Doo" by Duke Ellington

Episode 5: Tarzan the Tiger (1929)

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Michael and Noel wrap up the 1920s with guest David May and another 15-chapter serial. This time it's director Henry McRae's Tarzan the Tiger, starring Frank Merrill as Tarzan, Natalie Kingston as Jane, and Kithnou as Queen La of Opar. There's treasure, amnesia, and (thanks to this being a transitional film into the sound era) our first listen at a Tarzan yell.

Episode 4: Tarzan and the Golden Lion (1927)

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Noel and Michael are joined this month by Evie (I Hate/Love Remakes) to discuss JP McGowan's Tarzan and the Golden Lion featuring Edgar Rice Burroughs' hand-picked Tarzan actor, Tarzan's sister(!), and Boris Karloff in blackface.

Episode 3: The Adventures of Tarzan (1921)

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Michael and Noel are joined once again by David May to discuss Elmo Lincoln's return to the role of Tarzan in the 1921 serial The Adventures of Tarzan. Parts of it are lost, but The Serial Squadron has edited the remaining footage together, so we talk about how that worked, whether our opinions of Lincoln have changed since Tarzan of the Apes, and the introduction of some important elements of Tarzan lore.