Few things seem to shock us in today’s cinema.
The ultraviolence of A Clockwork Orange and the raw sexuality of Blue Is The Warmest Color
has almost become passé today.
But almost a century ago, audiences would get shocked at certain explicit material in
cinema – especially nudity.
In 1932, the movie Tarzan the Ape Man was released and it shocked audiences because
of its nudity.
This film was one of the “pre-code” films that inspired the strict censorship that would
dominate Hollywood for the next decade.
So how did Tarzan the Ape Man get made?
And was there any controversy after the release of the film?
Join FactsVerse to learn about how viewers couldn’t handle the nudity in Tarzan the
Ape Man…
THE BEGINNINGS
You’re probably already familiar with the Tarzan stories from the modern-day film adaptations
and popular cartoons.
Even if you’ve never seen a Tarzan film or TV episode, you know the famous Tarzan
yell or the romance between Tarzan and Jane.
The Tarzan stories are a unique exploration of civilization versus the wild.
They are an exploration of the relationship that humans have with other animals – most
notably our closest cousins, the great apes.
The character of Tarzan is seen as a symbol of manliness and masculine power.
Yet in the various Tarzan stories, we’ve also seen his softer and caring side – also
part of being a man – when he cares for Jane and when he shows affection to his mother!
The American pulp magazine The All-Story published a story in 1912 called Tarzan of the Apes.
Written by Edgar Rice Burroughs, The unusual story followed a young man named Tarzan who
was raised by apes and eventually emulated their ways.
He one day comes across a beautiful young woman, Jane, who was exploring the jungle
with her father.
Along with Jane and her father, comes another traveler, Harry Holt who is attracted to Jane
and wants to protect her from Tarzan.
Yet, as fate would have it, Jane comes into contact with Tarzan and the two fall in love.
But it wasn’t this unusual love story that viewers in 1932 couldn’t handle!
Before we tell you more about the controversies surrounding Tarzan the Ape Man, please like
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Now, back to the video…
THE CONTROVERSY
Tarzan the Ape Man had lots of nudity and sexuality which was shocking to audiences
in 1932.
Both Tarzan and Jane wore skimpy outfits – with Tarzan remaining bare chested for much of
the film.
Jane wore revealing outfits which showed off her legs and thighs – practically unheard
of for the time.
There was also one scene where both Tarzan and Jane were swimming together – completely
naked!
As one would expect, there was greater controversy to Maureen O’Sullivan’s revealing outfits.
America was still a conservative country and audiences likely didn’t want a heroine to
have the raw sexuality of a villainous woman – they would prefer her to be more innocent.
Tarzan the Ape Man was one of the controversial films that inspired the Hays Code.
The Hays Code set out a stringent set of guidelines for films.
The Hays Code wanted films to be decent and wanted to rid Hollywood of graphic violence,
sexuality, nudity, and “immoral” ideas.
Perhaps by today’s standards, Tarzan the Ape Man is tame and not really shocking at
all.
But it just shows us how desensitized we’ve become to graphic sexuality in cinema and
in entertainment in general.
FUN FACTS ABOUT THE FILM
Let’s now look at some of the facts on the creation of the film.
For the role of Tarzan, MGM wanted to cast a handsome man who could prance around shirtless
and romance the beautiful Jane.
They decided to cast Johnny Weissmuller in the role.
He was a retired swimmer and had the perfect body for the role.
He had also acted in a few films and had established himself as a leading man.
To top it off, he was also a model which meant that he’d be perfect for a film that would
include sensuous scenes.
In fact, Johnny Weissmuller was so successful in the role that he ended up acting in 12
other Tarzan films.
Maureen O’Sullivan began her acting career in the early 1930s, shortly after emigrating
to the United States from Ireland.
Her role as Jane was one of her earliest roles and she was so successful in the role that
she worked in 6 other Tarzan films.
The two actors had great on-screen chemistry and their sultry scenes together no doubt
enticed audiences.
No doubt there were audiences who wanted a lustful relationship as they saw in the Tarzan
films.
The films were extremely successful and are still used by filmmakers today who wish to
direct remakes or new adaptations of the Tarzan stories.
One of the most famous aspects of the Tarzan films is the yell that Tarzan screams.
In the original films, Johnny Weissmuller always performed the screams himself.
While the Tarzan stories take place in Africa, the early films featured Asian elephants who
were generally more flexible and easier to control.
And while the films were set in Africa, they were mostly shot in studios or on location
in the USA.
Tarzan the Ape Man was filmed largely in Ocala, Florida.
In fact, some of the monkeys used in the film escaped from the film set and legend has it
that their descendants still live in Ocala today!
One of the most interesting – and perhaps unknown facts – about the film is that one
actor who was considered for the role of Tarzan was Clark Gable!
While we know him now as one of Hollywood’s greatest legends he was still an unknown actor
at the time.
And that’s why he didn’t secure the role as MGM wanted a well-known actor and Johnny
Weissmuller fit the role.
Of course, today, Clark Gable is remembered as an icon while Johnny Weissmuller has largely
faded away – except for die-hard fans of Tarzan!
Nevertheless, Johnny Weissmuller’s performance as Tarzan and Maureen O’Sullivan’s portrayal
as Jane are seen as templates for any actors who want to play these roles in new adaptations
of the Tarzan stories.
The film, despite its controversy, was a huge hit and led to many sequels and related films.
It’s these initial successful films that has made Tarzan such a popular franchise – a
long way from the short stories written by Edgar Rice Burroughs.
PRE-CODE AND THE HAYS CODE
Let’s wrap up by looking at the Pre-Code films and the Hays Code that followed it.
In the early days of American cinema, there was little to no citizenship.
Cinema was still only seen by a handful of Americans across the country.
As a result, the powerful elites of America weren’t too worried about the influence
of this rather new artistic medium.
As a result, many filmmakers had free reign to push their audiences and test their limits.
Many filmmakers didn’t have to think much about whether they were allowed to show nudity
or anything else that might offend the conservative attitudes of America at the time.
Plus, the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution protects the free expression of all citizens.
The First Amendment has always been protection for artistic mediums such as cinema.
However, by the 1930s, cinema was the medium that was taking the country – and the world
by storm.
As a result, some high-level officials were getting concerned about the security of American
society and culture.
This is when Will H. Hays, the former Postmaster General, decided to create a Motion Picture
Code – commonly known as ‘The Hays Code.’
This was a set of guidelines for filmmakers to follow with the intention of making films
more decent and less immoral for audiences.
Among the many rules, showing nudity and sexuality were heavily limited.
No doubt, Tarzan the Ape Man wouldn’t have been able to get made under The Hays Code.
The Code eventually came to an end and filmmakers had more freedom from censorship.
However, the Hays Code was replaced by a rating system that judged whether a film was suitable
for families or solely adults.
Many cinemas preferred to show films that weren’t explicitly for adults.
This put pressure on filmmakers to cut down on the explicit content of their films just
to get wider distribution.
This is still the case for filmmakers today.
In the days of streaming that we now live in, creators are at the behest of what the
streaming platform deems acceptable in order to keep their content up!
Tarzan the Ape Man is tame by today’s standards as are many of the Pre-Code films.
But they bring up a great discussion today.
On one hand, these films played an important role in challenging audiences and challenging
censorship by the larger audiences.
These films have done their part in honoring America’s First Amendment.
Another larger question is whether these films have played their part in making films less
decent and vulgar.
As content consumes so much of our life today, we need to think deeper on how explicit material
is affecting our minds and our culture.
Are you a fan of Tarzan the Ape Man?
Are you eager to watch the film if you haven’t?
Now, here’s what we’d like to know from you:
Do you think that audiences today are shocked by nudity and sexuality at all?
Or do you think that nudity and violence aren’t shocking these days and there are other things
that offend audiences?
Let’s hear your thoughts in the comments.
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