As someone who "likes movies about gladiators" TARZAN AND THE
CITY OF GOLD has always been one of my favorite Edgar Rice Burroughs
tales. I first came across the story as a two-part comic adaptation
from Gold Key in TARZAN OF THE APES No.186 (Aug
1969) and TARZAN OF THE APES No.187 (Sept. 1969). In this story,
illustrated by Doug Wildey, I found a Tarzan that I didn't know from
watching the movies of Johnny Weissmuller, Lex Barker, and Gordon Scott.
And the story itself was something like I'd see
on THE SONS OF HERCULES television show. What with it's sexy, sadistic
queen of a lost nation who desires the muscular hero who she forces
into battle in the arena. Now if Maciste only had a pet lion like
Tarzan's Jad-Bal-Ja.
Casting a movie adaptation would have been a snap. Gordon Scott had
been playing Tarzan in Hollywood productions at the start of the peplum
movie cycle. And after his vine - swinging days were over he
transitioned to sinew & sandal flicks like GOLIATH
VS. THE VAMPIRES (1961) and SAMSON AND THE 7 MIRACLES OF THE WORLD (1961). So it's easy to imagine him playing the Lord of the Jungle in
one last movie. Especially one based on this story.
Though I usually imagine Chelo Alonso playing La of Opar in a Tarzan flick. Another good choice would have been model turned actress Sylvia Lopez. In her most famous role Lopez portrayed Queen Omphale of Lydia who seduces Steve Reeves in HERCULES UNCHAINED (1959). In this flick she brings the term "trophy boy friend" to a whole different level. When she tires of a lover she has him stuffed and mounted. This comes to an end once she falls for Hercules.
You can't mention gladiators and jungle heroes without mentioning Dave Goode, and with that, we present this classic, albeit brief, interview with the man himself:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hope you enjoyed this weeks' blog! Help support us by buying cool items!!
MONSTER MAGAZINE 4 IS HERE!!! GET YOURS HERE:
And a signed edition:
No comments:
Post a Comment