Since its initial publication in 1912, Hollywood released dozens of film versions of Tarzan of the Apes. Even the Disney studio had explored this more than once, first in the 1930s during the production of Snow White and then during the early 1950s while planning the live-action film Treasure Island and playing with it during the rest of the decade. It was in October of 1968, though, when the studio began planning the final version of Tarzan. Proposed during a fishing trip with Ken Anderson, studio executive Card Walker suggested that a "modern classic" novel should be the subject for the Disney animated film following Pocahontas. Bill Anderson, Larry Clemmons, and Wolfgang Reitherman approved this in a follow-up meeting back at the studio. At one point, it was suggested that the African setting be relocated to the Amazon rainforest, but the writers defeated this notion due to the great apes being integral to the story. Reitherman wanted a film with an adventurous and comical tone and he partially got his wish. Production fell behind schedule because of the development of the settings and the tedious process of auditioning voice actors. Hence, this is the first film to recycle several sequences from previous Disney films.
After a brutal mutiny aboard a ship traveling from Africa back to the United Kingdom, John and Alice Clayton, respectively titled Lord and Lady Greystoke, are stranded in the jungles of Africa and build a treehouse for protection from the jungle predators. Unfortunately, they both die tragically not long after the birth of their son, John Clayton II. A female ape named Kala explores the old treehouse after their death and stumbles upon the surviving baby and gives him a second name: Tarzan. He is raised among the apes, initially struggling to fit in due to his human appearance and relative lack of strength. He persists in earning their approval, with his ultimate task fighting the most vicious lions and tigers in the jungle. He even teaches himself how to read and speak simple English. Everything seems to be going fine until a group of humans shows up to study the apes and gorillas in the area. Among them is Tarzan’s cousin William Cecil Clayton, and an American girl named Jane Porter and her father. Having never met anyone who looked like him before, Tarzan’s world where he grew up in soon finds himself colliding with human civilization, and he has no idea where he wants to end up or any clue to bridge the two together.
Tarzan premiered at the Radio City Music Hall in New York City on November 8, 1973, and was released through the rest of the United States the following day. It was a box office success, earning $33 million worldwide. Critical reviews, however, were much more divisive. Critics praised Tarzan for its voice acting and Phil Harris, in particular, received high praise. It was also deemed fun for audiences of all ages, both young and old, thanks to its balance of comedy with drama. On the other hand, the film earned criticism for its animation (aside from the color palette) being a step down from all of Disney’s previous works. The recycled scenes and sequences from other features did not help. Some critics also observed that the indigenous African peoples were undeservedly overlooked and underutilized given its African setting. The most common criticism of Tarzan was that narratively it did nothing new that other Tarzan of the Apes adaptations before it did not. It was re-released twice to theaters in 1982 and 1990 and made its home video premiere in 1991. It has gained a cult following over the years. By its initial DVD release in 2000, it had become a fan favorite, achieving higher popularity than most animated films released in the 1970s.
A/N: Sorry for the delays. Just a lot has been going on, including abandoning and starting some TLs and struggling with what to juggle. Anyway, we're about to be heading into a dark age for Disney if you couldn't tell, with Pocahontas being the first step and Tarzan taking more steps in that direction. Will we hit rock bottom next time? Stay tuned.
