A doctor calls on Tarzan to topple the native witch doctor whose black-magic remedies are killing patients.A doctor calls on Tarzan to topple the native witch doctor whose black-magic remedies are killing patients.A doctor calls on Tarzan to topple the native witch doctor whose black-magic remedies are killing patients.
Roy Glenn
- Native Chief
- (uncredited)
Paulene Myers
- Native Mother
- (uncredited)
Nick Stewart
- Molo
- (uncredited)
Milton Wood
- Temple Native
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaDuring African location filming with Miki Carter for this mostly studio bound film, Gordon Scott got along well with some natives involved in the movie. A Masai warrior nicknamed him "Mtu Ule Na Panda Mitu Minegu" (Warrior Who Climbs Tall Trees).
- GoofsTartu is hacking away at a dugout canoe with a machete as though he has been building it and is just finishing it up. Only problem is, the canoe appears finished and is very weathered and gray in color, but on the very end where Tartu is shaving some wood off with his machete, he is revealing fresh pale wood color that stands out against the rest of the weathered wood. So he is clearly just pretending to be working on an old finished canoe.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Biography: Tarzan: The Legacy of Edgar Rice Burroughs (1996)
Featured review
Not Enough Action
Tarzan's Fight for Life (1958)
** (out of 4)
In the deep jungles Dr. Sturdy (Carl Benton Reid) is trying to introduce medicines to the local natives but a witch doctor (James Edwards) feels that they are trying to steal his power. Soon the tribes are ready to attack the new hospital but Tarzan (Gordon Scott) and Jane (Eve Brent) know the good that could come from the medicines. This was the third film to feature Scott as Tarzan but this is actually the first I've seen. I think Scott fits the role perfectly as God knows he has the perfect body for the part but I also found him to be quite charming in some of the more comic moments and he also handles the action very well. According to a few posts I've read, Scott was nearly killed by a 18-foot python that he fights in the film. I'm not sure how true this is but the scene here is full of excitement and it's easy to see how that creature, when wrapped around Scott's neck, could cause some major issues. Brent, as Jane, doesn't give an Oscar-worthy performance but she has the right look for the part as that blonde hair and curvy legs look just fine in color. Reid and Jil Jarmyn playing his daughter aren't too bad and Edwards is clearly having fun as the witch doctor. We've also got Woody Strode playing one of the bad guys. While the cast is certainly up for anything the screenplay on the other hand is pretty flat and boring. The first portion of the film has the doctors talking to one another about why this medicine is needed while on the other side of the jungle we get countless scenes with the witch doctor throwing a fit. We then go away from this and visit Tarzan's home where Jane is suffering from an illness that might need the attention of a real doctor. There's way too many dialogue scenes and it's a shame that the filmmakers didn't try to capture more action and scenes in the wildlife. There's no question that this is being filmed on sets but they're well decorated and at least look somewhat real. The countless stock footage is of course cheap but you've got to expect this. Coming in at 88-minutes this thing is just way too long and there's not enough going on to make it one of the better entries in MGM's long-running series.
** (out of 4)
In the deep jungles Dr. Sturdy (Carl Benton Reid) is trying to introduce medicines to the local natives but a witch doctor (James Edwards) feels that they are trying to steal his power. Soon the tribes are ready to attack the new hospital but Tarzan (Gordon Scott) and Jane (Eve Brent) know the good that could come from the medicines. This was the third film to feature Scott as Tarzan but this is actually the first I've seen. I think Scott fits the role perfectly as God knows he has the perfect body for the part but I also found him to be quite charming in some of the more comic moments and he also handles the action very well. According to a few posts I've read, Scott was nearly killed by a 18-foot python that he fights in the film. I'm not sure how true this is but the scene here is full of excitement and it's easy to see how that creature, when wrapped around Scott's neck, could cause some major issues. Brent, as Jane, doesn't give an Oscar-worthy performance but she has the right look for the part as that blonde hair and curvy legs look just fine in color. Reid and Jil Jarmyn playing his daughter aren't too bad and Edwards is clearly having fun as the witch doctor. We've also got Woody Strode playing one of the bad guys. While the cast is certainly up for anything the screenplay on the other hand is pretty flat and boring. The first portion of the film has the doctors talking to one another about why this medicine is needed while on the other side of the jungle we get countless scenes with the witch doctor throwing a fit. We then go away from this and visit Tarzan's home where Jane is suffering from an illness that might need the attention of a real doctor. There's way too many dialogue scenes and it's a shame that the filmmakers didn't try to capture more action and scenes in the wildlife. There's no question that this is being filmed on sets but they're well decorated and at least look somewhat real. The countless stock footage is of course cheap but you've got to expect this. Coming in at 88-minutes this thing is just way too long and there's not enough going on to make it one of the better entries in MGM's long-running series.
helpful•37
- Michael_Elliott
- Aug 8, 2010
- How long is Tarzan's Fight for Life?Powered by Alexa
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- Tarzans Kampf ums Leben
- Filming locations
- Burney Falls, McArthur-Burney Falls Memorial State Park - Highway 89, Burney, California, USA(Canoe goes over the waterfall)
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Gross US & Canada
- $1,569,600
- Gross worldwide
- $4,458,100
- Runtime1 hour 26 minutes
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Top Gap
By what name was Tarzan's Fight for Life (1958) officially released in Canada in English?
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