Tarzan’s Greatest Adventure 1959

Under the cover of night, the African village of Mantu is raided for its dynamite, and the village doctor and radio operator are fatally shot. Before dying, the operator gasps,

Slade

over the shortwave radio.

The next morning, Tarzan, Gordon Scott, is awakened by drums that signal trouble. He leaves his treehouse and arrives at Mantu, where a funeral is being held for the fallen villagers. A police inspector informs Tarzan of the raid, and he sets out by canoe to catch his old nemesis Slade, Anthony Quayle, and his gang of raiders. Along the way, a small plane taunts Tarzan with low flyovers. But the engine stalls, and the aircraft crashes, dumping an American ex-fashion model, Angie, Sara Shane, into the river. Unwilling to abandon her, Tarzan brings Angie to the hunt.

Meanwhile, Slade and his quartet of thieves are just miles ahead, traveling by riverboat toward a secret diamond mine where they will use the stolen dynamite to excavate gems. When their boat malfunctions, the thieves begin to quarrel among themselves. One of them leaves the boat and later drowns in quicksand; another dies when Tarzan, who has now caught up with the raiders, nails him with a bow and arrow. Tarzan is wounded, and Angie tends to his wounds. She attempts to steal medical supplies from Slade’s boat but is captured. Slade uses her to lure Tarzan into a trap, but the ploy fails, costing the life of another accomplice. Only Slade and a single ally, Kreiger, survive.

There is no honor among thieves, as Kreiger demonstrates when he tries to kill Slade after they reach the mine. Slade retaliates, and when Kreiger offers him all the diamonds if he lets him go, Slade remains unmoved and kills Kreiger. Back on the river, Tarzan is nursed back to health by Angie. He continues his quest to capture Slade, much to her displeasure. Tarzan thanks Angie for her help, and Tarzan, Gordon Scott, continues his pursuit toward a final confrontation with Slade.

High atop a river bluff, Slade fires rifle shots at Tarzan, who reaches him despite the gunfire. At first Slade gains the upper hand by lassoing Tarzan with a wire noose. However, Tarzan’s strength and endurance win out, and he pushes Slade over the cliff onto the rocks below. Tarzan then travels back upriver to Mantu and his treehouse.