Tarzan and the Trappers (1960)
Directed by Charles F. Haas and H. Bruce Humberstone, and released in 1960, Tarzan and the Trappers is an American jungle action-adventure film produced by Sol Lesser Productions and distributed by Banner Productions. Starring Gordon Scott in his third outing as Edgar Rice Burroughs’ iconic Lord of the Jungle, alongside Eve Brent as Jane, Rickie Sorensen as Boy, and Les Tremayne, this 74-minute feature is a unique assembly of three unsold television pilots stitched together into a feature film.
Plot Overview
Deep in the African wilderness, Tarzan (Gordon Scott) lives peacefully with Jane (Eve Brent) and Boy (Rickie Sorensen). The tranquility of the jungle is shattered by the arrival of the ruthless Sayer brothers, Schroeder (Les Tremayne) and René (William St. John), who have sneaked onto protected land to illegally trap rare wildlife for commercial zoos and the black market, showing complete disregard for native animal populations.
After Tarzan foils the poachers’ initial traps and frees their captives, the feud turns deadly when the trappers team up with Sayer (Saul Gorss), an greedy treasure seeker intent on looting the ancient, lost city of Zarba. The armed greed-seekers kidnap Jane and Boy, holding them hostage to force Tarzan to lead them safely through the jungle’s most perilous hazards and guard them against hostile tribes. Using his knowledge of the terrain, his formidable strength, and his ability to summon the beasts of the jungle, Tarzan launches a multi-front assault to rescue his family, safeguard the sacred ruins of Zarba, and bring the ruthless trappers to justice.
Cast
- Gordon Scott as Tarzan
- Eve Brent as Jane
- Rickie Sorensen as Boy
- Les Tremayne as Prophet / Schroeder
- William St. John as René
- Peter Whitney as Morgan
- Saul Gorss as Sayer
- Carl Benton Reid as Commissioner
Production Notes & Trivia
- Unsold Television Experiment: Producer Sol Lesser originally shot three 25-minute pilot episodes in 1958 for a proposed syndicated Tarzan television series. When networks passed on the show, Lesser edited the three episodes together to create this feature film for theatrical and television syndication in 1960.
- Gordon Scott’s Muscular Era: Gordon Scott played Tarzan in six films between 1955 and 1960. He is widely praised by fans for transitioning the character away from the famous monosyllabic “me Tarzan, you Jane” trope into an articulate, intelligent hero closer to Edgar Rice Burroughs’ original literary vision.
- Black-and-White Anomaly: While Gordon Scott’s theatrical Tarzan films like Tarzan’s Greatest Adventure (1959) were shot in widescreen color on location, Tarzan and the Trappers was shot in 1.33:1 black-and-white on Hollywood soundstages and backlots specifically intended for standard 1950s television sets.
