Tarzan goes to New York to rescue BOY!!, and is treated like a cross between King Kong and Crocodile Dundee!!, (by the way don't try this stunt yourself...a real dummy was used!)
When I first saw this as a kid, I was memorized, wondering if he made it, but if course he made it, he's TARZAN, and no one else could have done it. Plus, Johnny Weissmuller, Olympic Gold Medalist, an Actor, with the Best Tarzan Yell, was the Best Tarzan Actor Period. Thank You Sir.
I also saw this as a kid way back in the Philippines in the mid 70s i think. The next day in school, me and many of my classmates were talking about that jump from the bridge. I was so nervous while watching that scene. 🙂
This is my favorite scene from any of the Weissmuller Tarzan movies. So well done. A skillful use of actual bridge footage with a (brave) stuntman running on the Brooklyn Bridge, combined with Weissmuller on a matching studio set with backscreen projection. And then the special effect of the weighted dummy they used for the dive. Amazing, all edited together perfectly. And the way Maureen O Sullivan said, "Tarzan..." Love, admiration and sex appeal all in one word.
One of my favorite Tarzan scenes. The visual metaphor of Tarzan’s dive into the river is expressive of the lengths to which a loving parent would go in order to save a child: ANY length. Indeed, a loving parent would unhesitatingly risk death to save that child, which is what Tarzan does here. I also love the way Jane says “I’m not afraid” in response to the couple urging her to leave in order not to witness what they believe will be Tarzan‘s death. The look on her face as she is gazing up at Tarzan shows a complete and loving confidence in him, something all human beings yearn for, I believe. People who scoff at this scene and the impossibility of anyone surviving such a dive, miss the point. The scene is metaphorical and allegorical in the wordless question it asks: “Would you risk death to save the life of your child?” Of course, every loving parent knows that the answer is “Yes!” that is why this scene is so profoundly moving to me. “We better take you home.” Jane: “No, we’re going to the circus. Tarzan will be there.” I love that.
As children who watched this movie on tv for the very first time back in the 70's, we often wondered if (1) the dive was real; and if so, (2) that was truly Weissmuller who dove. Watching this now, it does look fake. Nonetheless, this scene captured the imagination of millions upon millions of Tarzan aficionados worldwide.
Weissmuller created the classic yell. He grew up in a German settlement in Pennsylvania where there were annual yodeling contests. His Tarzan yell is actually a yodel. Later in this same movie, he and Jane are at the circus being chased by the bad guys, Tarzan gives his yell, and the circus elephants come to the rescue.
Tarzan showed courage when he made a 200 foot drop from the Brooklyn Bridge while evading the law. This movie titled Tarzan‘s New York Adventure (1942),was the 6th and last time Maureen O‘Sulllivan portrayed Jane.
I remeber watching Tarzan movies in Atlanta back in the '50's-60's. This one of favorite Tarzan movie. At that time I thought the dive off the Bridge was just cool. Now some 60 years later I am struck by Jane's absolute confidence in Tarzan and his ability to overcome. She had seen him do that numerous times in the jungle. So to Jane she knew that Tarzan would overcome that as well. That is true love
When I was young, about 4-5 I lived down the street from Johnny Weismuller in Titusville Fl. I remember his house had a garage that was hollowed out of the side of a hill and a tree growing out of the middle of the house. I also remember always hearing him sing in (looking back) what I now know was a kind operatic voice. So I know that he definately actually did the yell!!
I enjoyed the Weissmuller films as a child, his character however didn't sync with the Edgar Rice Burroughs version where Tarzan became a sophisticate after leaving the jungle and going to England.
When we were kids, we would do the Tarzan yell, beat on our chest and dive off this highway bridge into the Concord river. It might of been 40 feet, but seemed like 200 to us. Johnny Weissmuller was an Olympic Gold Medalist in freestyle. The guy could hall ass in the water. Love all his movies with Maureen O'Sullivan.Got the collection on dvd. He was King of the Jungle.
@@KutWrite And no one got the injuries i had trying to make an impression 😅My grandma sewed me a tarzan disguise when I was 8. A leopard swimsuit with a place for my plastic knife. At that time we used to go on vacation in a flat right next to a sawmill, a 6:00 AM my mum found me jumping all over the wood stack yelling i'm tarzan, when i saw her i fell down and and got 8 stitches on the forehead. what an amazing Tarzan to be 😅but damn those were the days....
Here you go, taken straight from wikipedia : Popular mythology claims that Johnny Weissmuller did his own high dive stunt in Tarzan's New York Adventure. In the film, an escaping Tarzan jumps 250 feet from the top of the Brooklyn Bridge, but according to ERBzine and research on Edgar Rice Burroughs, the shot was filmed by cameraman Jack Smith on top of the MGM scenic tower on lot 3, using a dummy plunging into a tank of water
I haven't seen this since the early' 80's when I was 8 years old smelling my grandma's sauce and meatballs cooking on the stove.. Thanks for the upload!
it's exactely A 250 Foot Dive Stunt Man Steve Brodie made that Dive from the Brooklyn Bridge, I remember hearing the grown ups talking about it in the 50's etc.
Tarzan goes to New York to rescue BOY!!, and is treated like a cross between King Kong and Crocodile Dundee!!, (by the way don't try this stunt yourself...a real dummy was used!)
The worlds record is less than 200 feet today. It was a dummy they threw over, but as for the 'dive' , Johnny did about a 40 foot one on a set location behind the studio. Besides being a great swimmer, he was also a great diver. Did diving stunt shows for a while.
Johnny Weissmuller actually made that dive. I met Johnny Weissmuller at Silver Springs Florida 1983 a year before he passed away. It was a privilege. He was the best Tarzan , all the others were a Tarzan want to be !!! Buster 🦀 Crab was the original Tarzan. But there's only one Johnny Weissmuller ! You might be gone but never forgotten. Rest in peace with God Johnny Weissmuller !!
jennifersman yeah and there were a couple more before Buster Crabbe cakes James Pierce was one ( he married edger rice Burroughs daughter , there was also Gene Pollar and Frank Merril
Johnny was number 12 , and Buster came after Johnny. And it's interesting that you met him in FL. in '83 as he had been living in Acapulco already for a number of years and is where he died and is buried.
My uncle Eric grew up in Brooklyn he saw him make the 240foot jump at first they threw a dummy off it but Johnny said it looked fake and would effect the films integrity so he said he'd make jump after he made it yet swam up to the boat and asked if they needed a second take wow
Hahaha - Tarzan learns fast! Already knows to duck down in the back seat of a cab when he sees a cop. Loved all the Weissmuller/O'Sullivan/Sheffield flicks!
@@MyREDTAIL The worlds record is less than 200 feet today. It was a dummy they threw over, but as for the 'dive' , Johnny did about a 40 foot one on a set location behind the studio. Besides being a great swimmer, he was also a great diver. Did diving stunt shows for a while.
the highest dive from a diving board is 58.8 m (192 ft 10 in) and was achieved by Lazaro "Laso" Schaller (Switzerland/Brazil) in Maggia, Ticino, Switzerland, on August 4, 2015. Lazaro Schaller had to train for months to prepare for this record.Dec 29, 2022
Weissmuller did climb up the bridge cables, but the dummy's plunge, shot from above, was into a tank at MGM studios.. Even now knowing that, i just see him doing it!
JW, and brother Peter rescued many drowning people when the "Favorite" ship sunk off of Chicago! 11 of those survived!The water was mixed with fuel from the ship so that got in JW's eyes, etc! I read one book about JW, and reading my 2nd book now! I want to know more about my cousin Johnny! I only met him briefly in 1965!
One of the great memories of being a kid was this movie in particular. I would hold my breath in wonder watching that "dive". Then, I grew up. Too bad! :-)
Clearly he didnt jumped from 200 feet head first in water, that would kill him. World records are around 170 feet, they always jump feet first in water and it s common for them to get few broken bones, even though they re experts.
richly textured b&w film shots of the Brooklyn Bridge & NYC skyline(late 30's I'm guessing)....."That's a 200' dive..he can't make it & live" .... memorable line I never forgot...
There seemed to be a common fallacy which surfaced in recent years that Johnny Weissmuller did not make that 200 foot dive off the Brooklyn Bridge. In fact, all of those misconceptions were solely based on unsubstantiated hearsay and erroneous rumors. No, there were actually spectators on the Brooklyn Bridge at the time of the shooting who clearly witnessed Weissmuller making that famous plunge into the East River. Actually, the shrieks as heard on the film were not faked at all, but were rather from the spectators who never expected that Weissmuller would ever dare to perform such a stunt. No, Weissmuller did not walk up the bridge cable for his health as the five gold Olympic swimming champion and professional high diver had clearly meant business. In fact, immediately after Weissmuller had made that 200 foot dive into the East River, the five gold Olympic swimming champion swam over to the boat which held the studio crew, and asked them if they needed another take. On another note, other fallacies have also circulated that Johnny Weissmuller did not dive off high cliffs nor did he ride atop rhinoceroses and hippopotamuses. No, Weissmuller was a known daredevil, and had performed all of his own stunts. For the benefit of the skeptics, view the footage again, and you can see that Weissmuller's body had wavered before he made contact with the water, but ever so slightly. Observe the splash into the water too as that is a telltale sign that someone had indeed made that famous dive.
June 26, 2021-----I remember watching this movie as a kid when it was released way back when. It was at Bitburg AFB, Germany. National anthem was played, commercial for snacks, newsreel of the world news, a cartoon or two, followed by the movie.
When I looked at this years ago I thought Tarzan actually performed this stunt. I just recently heard that when they made this film they used a weighted dummy.
"In this movie, Tarzan jumps 250 feet from the Brooklyn Bridge. Although many claim that Johnny Weismuller actually did the jump, it was actually a dummy plunging into a tank filmed by cameraman Jack Smith on top of the MGM scenic tower on lot 3."
Elmo Lincoln was the first screen Tarzan then I believe it was Buster Crabbe then Bruce Bennett before Weissmuller was signed to a multi- picture deal. After Johnny's 12 year reign and he went on to portray Jungle Jim, Lex Barker took over as Tarzan on the Big Screen. Barker was pretty good but after that I lost interest in The Ape Man. None of the screen Tarzan's ever did justice to Edgar Rice Burroughs creation.
@John Molloy -Now that I think about it I do recall the silent era. Charles Chaplin made a lot of them. If memory serves Al Jolson was in the first "talkie" with "The Jazz Singer" around 1927. Movie Theaters were few and far between when I was growing up in the 50's.
The worlds record is less than 200 feet today. It was a dummy they threw over, but as for the 'dive' , Johnny did about a 40 foot one on a set location behind the studio. Besides being a great swimmer, he was also a great diver. Did diving stunt shows for a while.
Right When we were Kids watching this in the Movies for the first time,We would believe anything that Tarzan did himself was real.?Now after growing up & seeing it on TV over & over,? We realized that Johnny W. Could not of survived that 250 Ft. Dive off of the Old Brooklyn Bridge R.I.P. Johnny for you are sadly missed, By all of your fans.
If Tarzan & Jane had seen on the front page of a newspaper about Tarzan making a 200 foot dive from the Brooklyn Bridge, would they buy a copy and keep it to remember their adventure in New York?
Those cops who tried to apprehend Tarzan on the Brooklyn Bridge probably were yelled at by their superiors because the ape-man made a 200 foot dive before they can arrest. If Tarzan heard some of the civilians on the bridge rooting for him to get away from the law, he must‘ve been surprised.
He was a good diver but I kind of doubt that he jumped from there. But he was a good Tarzan and Maureen O'Sullivan made a good Jane they had good chemistry
Tarzan should‘ve been impressed that some of the people on the Brooklyn Bridge were rooting for him to get away from the police. Jane sure was certain he will survive a 200 foot dive from the bridge.
That is not only not Johnny jumping off the bridge but I don't think he was even in NYC during any of this scene. It looks like a set with some rear projection.
