Greystoke - The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes
Encyclopedia
Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes is a 1984 British film directed by Hugh Hudson
and based on Edgar Rice Burroughs
' novel Tarzan of the Apes
(1912). Christopher Lambert
stars as Tarzan
(though the name Tarzan is never used in the film's dialogue) and Andie MacDowell
as Jane
; the cast also includes Sir Ralph Richardson, Ian Holm
, James Fox
, Cheryl Campbell
, and Ian Charleson
.
The film received Academy Award nominations for "Best Supporting Actor" (Richardson), "Best Adapted Screenplay" and "Best Makeup".
) are marooned in Africa
. Lady Greystoke gives birth to a son, then she dies and her husband is killed by an ape. Their infant son is adopted and reared by a family of chimpanzees as he grows up naked, wild
, and free
.
At age 5, Tarzan (Danny Potts) tries to fit in with his ape family. When a black panther
attacks, he manages to learn how to swim in order to evade it while another chimp was killed (humans can swim while great apes
can't).
At age 12, Tarzan (Eric Langlois) discovers the tree-house in which he lived as a baby with his mother and father and finds there a wooden block, with pictures of both a man and a monkey (a chimpanzee
) painted on it. It is there, after seeing himself in a mirror, that the physical difference between him and the rest of his ape "family" is discovered more fully. He later discovers a hunting knife and how it works. The objects fascinate the naked ape boy who carries them with him.
Years pass and Tarzan (still naked, but now wearing a hunting belt to hold his hunting knife) becomes the dominant male of the ape group. He protects and shows love toward his adopted "mother", "father" and siblings. He loses his mother Kala to a bunch of natives and kills one of them.
Years later, a now half-naked Tarzan (Christopher Lambert
) is found by Philippe D'Arnot (Ian Holm
) who is injured by natives while exploring the surrounding jungle. Tarzan nurses him back to health and D'Arnot teaches him to speak some rudimentary English, albeit with a French accent. D'Arnot knows of the fate of Earl Greystoke and his wife and convinces "Jean" (the French version of John, the name of his father) as he calls him, to return to England with him to reunite with his family.
On arrival at Greystoke, the family estate, Jean is welcomed by his Grandfather the Earl of Greystoke (Ralph Richardson
in his last performance on film) and his ward, a young American woman called Jane (Andie MacDowell
). The Earl is now elderly and has obviously suffered at the loss of his son and daughter-in-law years earlier, displaying eccentric behaviour and sometimes forgetting that John is his grandson, not his son returned.
John finds it difficult to be seen as anything but a novelty by the local social set and some of his behaviour is seen as being somewhat threatening and savage. He befriends a young mentally disabled worker on the estate and in his company is able to relax into his natural behavior.
Jane takes it upon herself to try to teach John more English, French and social skills (such as table manners and dancing) and the two become very close, making love one evening in secret.
Lord Greystoke seems to enjoy renewed vigour at the return of his grandson and, reminiscing about his childhood game of using a silver tray as a toboggan to travel down the large flight of stairs in the grand house, does so again with disastrous consequences. He dies, apparently from a head injury, in the arms of his grandson, who displays similar emotion and lack of understanding about death as he does earlier in the story when his adoptive mother was killed in Africa.
John and Jane become engaged.
At a visit to the Natural History Museum
in London John is very disturbed by the crude displays of stuffed animals that he recognises from his upbringing in Africa and, slipping into rooms behind the displays discovers his adoptive ape father in a cage, having been captured in Africa and brought to England.
They immediately recognise one another and John breaks open the cage and escapes with his ape companion, releasing other caged animals as he does so, pursued by police and museum officials. They make it to a woodland park nearby but the ape is fatally shot and John is devastated to lose yet another whom he loves.
His overall failure to assimilate to human society forces him to make the decision to return to Africa.
in his mock-biography Tarzan Alive, most notably Farmer's explanation of how the speech-deprived ape man was later able to acquire language by showing Tarzan to be a natural mimic. According to Burroughs' original concept, the apes who raised Tarzan actually had a rudimentary vocal language, and this is portrayed in the film.
Greystoke rejected the common film portrayal of Tarzan as a simpleton that was established by Johnny Weissmuller
's 1930s renditions, reasserting Burroughs' characterization of an articulate and intelligent human being, not unlike the so-called "new look" films that Sy Weintraub
produced in the 1960s.
The second half of the film departs radically from Burroughs' original story. Tarzan is discovered and brought to Cumberland
, where he fails to adapt to civilization. His return to the wild is portrayed as a matter of necessity rather than choice, and he is separated forever from Jane, who "could not have survived" in his world.
In his book Harlan Ellison's Watching
, Harlan Ellison
explains that the film's promotion as "the definitive version" of the Tarzan legend is misleading. He details production and scripting failures which in his opinion contribute to the film's inaccuracy.
The film was shot in Korup National Park
in western Cameroon
and in Scotland
. Several great house
s in the UK
were used for the Greystoke family seat:
Screenwriter Robert Towne
was slated to direct this film based on his screenplay, but he was sacked following the box-office failure of his directorial debut, Personal Best. Towne retaliated by demanding that the name of his dog (P.H. Vazak) appear in the screen credit for his screenplay. Ironically, P.H. Vazak received an Oscar
nomination for best adapted screenplay.
The dialogue of Andie MacDowell, who played Jane, was dubbed
in post-production
by Glenn Close
because of her southern accent, apparently deemed unsuitable for the character, though not to provide an English accent for her character as some have held. The young Jane featured at the beginning of the film is portrayed as American, which is consistent with Burroughs.
Both Danny Potts (Tarzan, aged 5) and Eric Langlois (Tarzan, aged 12) were completely nude in all of their scenes.
Ralph Richardson
, who played the Sixth Earl of Greystoke, died shortly after filming ended, and he received a posthumous Oscar
nomination for Best Supporting Actor
. The film was dedicated to his memory.
Several actors from Chariots of Fire
appear in Greystoke: Ian Charleson
, Ian Holm
, Cheryl Campbell
, Nicholas Farrell
, Nigel Davenport
, and Richard Griffiths
.
Though the name Tarzan
is in the film's title, it is not mentioned at all in the film itself. The Ape Man is referred to either as Lord Greystoke or John.
Hugh Hudson
Hugh Hudson is an English film director. His best-known international success is the 1981 multiple Academy Award-winning film, Chariots of Fire.- Early life :...
and based on Edgar Rice Burroughs
Edgar Rice Burroughs
Edgar Rice Burroughs was an American author, best known for his creation of the jungle hero Tarzan and the heroic Mars adventurer John Carter, although he produced works in many genres.-Biography:...
' novel Tarzan of the Apes
Tarzan of the Apes
Tarzan of the Apes is a novel written by Edgar Rice Burroughs, the first in a series of books about the title character Tarzan. It was first published in the pulp magazine All-Story Magazine in October, 1912; the first book edition was published in 1914. The character was so popular that Burroughs...
(1912). Christopher Lambert
Christopher Lambert
Christophe Guy Denis "Christopher" Lambert is an American-born French actor who has appeared in French, European and American productions. He is best known for his role as Connor MacLeod, or simply "The Highlander", from the movie and subsequent movie franchise series of the same name...
stars as Tarzan
Tarzan
Tarzan is a fictional character, an archetypal feral child raised in the African jungles by the Mangani "great apes"; he later experiences civilization only to largely reject it and return to the wild as a heroic adventurer...
(though the name Tarzan is never used in the film's dialogue) and Andie MacDowell
Andie MacDowell
Rosalie Anderson "Andie" MacDowell is an American model and actress. She has received the Golden Camera and an Honorary César.-Early life:...
as Jane
Jane Porter (Tarzan)
Jane Porter is a major character in Edgar Rice Burroughs's series of Tarzan novels, and in adaptations of the saga to other media, particularly film.- In the novels :...
; the cast also includes Sir Ralph Richardson, Ian Holm
Ian Holm
Sir Ian Holm, CBE is an English actor known for his stage work and for many film roles. He received the 1967 Tony Award for Best Featured Actor for his performance as Lenny in The Homecoming and the 1998 Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor for his performance in the title role of King Lear...
, James Fox
James Fox
James Fox, OBE is an English actor.-Early life:James Fox was born in London, England to theatrical agent Robin Fox and actress Angela Worthington. He is the brother of actor Edward Fox and film producer Robert Fox. The actress Emilia Fox is his niece and the actor Laurence Fox is his son. His...
, Cheryl Campbell
Cheryl Campbell
Cheryl Campbell is an English actor of stage, film and television.-Early years:Cheryl Campbell was educated at Francis Bacon Grammar School, St Albans; London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art...
, and Ian Charleson
Ian Charleson
Ian Charleson was a Scottish stage and film actor. He is best known internationally for his starring role as Olympic athlete and missionary Eric Liddell, in the Oscar-winning 1981 film Chariots of Fire. He is also well known for his portrayal of Rev...
.
The film received Academy Award nominations for "Best Supporting Actor" (Richardson), "Best Adapted Screenplay" and "Best Makeup".
Plot
The heir to the Earl of Greystoke (Paul Geoffrey) and his wife Alice (Cheryl CampbellCheryl Campbell
Cheryl Campbell is an English actor of stage, film and television.-Early years:Cheryl Campbell was educated at Francis Bacon Grammar School, St Albans; London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art...
) are marooned in Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
. Lady Greystoke gives birth to a son, then she dies and her husband is killed by an ape. Their infant son is adopted and reared by a family of chimpanzees as he grows up naked, wild
Wild
The term wild generally refers to:* Wildlife, all non-domesticated plants, animals, and other organisms* Wilderness or Wilderness area, a natural environment on Earth* Wildness, the quality of being wild or untamedWild may also refer to:...
, and free
Liberty
Liberty is a moral and political principle, or Right, that identifies the condition in which human beings are able to govern themselves, to behave according to their own free will, and take responsibility for their actions...
.
At age 5, Tarzan (Danny Potts) tries to fit in with his ape family. When a black panther
Black panther
A black panther is typically a melanistic color variant of any of several species of larger cat. Wild black panthers in Latin America are black jaguars , in Asia and Africa they are black leopards , and in North America they may be black jaguars or possibly black cougars A black panther is...
attacks, he manages to learn how to swim in order to evade it while another chimp was killed (humans can swim while great apes
Great Apes
Great Apes may refer to*Great apes, species in the biological family Hominidae, including humans, chimpanzees, gorillas, and orangutans*Great Apes , a 1997 novel by Will Self...
can't).
At age 12, Tarzan (Eric Langlois) discovers the tree-house in which he lived as a baby with his mother and father and finds there a wooden block, with pictures of both a man and a monkey (a chimpanzee
Chimpanzee
Chimpanzee, sometimes colloquially chimp, is the common name for the two extant species of ape in the genus Pan. The Congo River forms the boundary between the native habitat of the two species:...
) painted on it. It is there, after seeing himself in a mirror, that the physical difference between him and the rest of his ape "family" is discovered more fully. He later discovers a hunting knife and how it works. The objects fascinate the naked ape boy who carries them with him.
Years pass and Tarzan (still naked, but now wearing a hunting belt to hold his hunting knife) becomes the dominant male of the ape group. He protects and shows love toward his adopted "mother", "father" and siblings. He loses his mother Kala to a bunch of natives and kills one of them.
Years later, a now half-naked Tarzan (Christopher Lambert
Christopher Lambert
Christophe Guy Denis "Christopher" Lambert is an American-born French actor who has appeared in French, European and American productions. He is best known for his role as Connor MacLeod, or simply "The Highlander", from the movie and subsequent movie franchise series of the same name...
) is found by Philippe D'Arnot (Ian Holm
Ian Holm
Sir Ian Holm, CBE is an English actor known for his stage work and for many film roles. He received the 1967 Tony Award for Best Featured Actor for his performance as Lenny in The Homecoming and the 1998 Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor for his performance in the title role of King Lear...
) who is injured by natives while exploring the surrounding jungle. Tarzan nurses him back to health and D'Arnot teaches him to speak some rudimentary English, albeit with a French accent. D'Arnot knows of the fate of Earl Greystoke and his wife and convinces "Jean" (the French version of John, the name of his father) as he calls him, to return to England with him to reunite with his family.
On arrival at Greystoke, the family estate, Jean is welcomed by his Grandfather the Earl of Greystoke (Ralph Richardson
Ralph Richardson
Sir Ralph David Richardson was an English actor, one of a group of theatrical knights of the mid-20th century who, though more closely associated with the stage, also appeared in several classic films....
in his last performance on film) and his ward, a young American woman called Jane (Andie MacDowell
Andie MacDowell
Rosalie Anderson "Andie" MacDowell is an American model and actress. She has received the Golden Camera and an Honorary César.-Early life:...
). The Earl is now elderly and has obviously suffered at the loss of his son and daughter-in-law years earlier, displaying eccentric behaviour and sometimes forgetting that John is his grandson, not his son returned.
John finds it difficult to be seen as anything but a novelty by the local social set and some of his behaviour is seen as being somewhat threatening and savage. He befriends a young mentally disabled worker on the estate and in his company is able to relax into his natural behavior.
Jane takes it upon herself to try to teach John more English, French and social skills (such as table manners and dancing) and the two become very close, making love one evening in secret.
Lord Greystoke seems to enjoy renewed vigour at the return of his grandson and, reminiscing about his childhood game of using a silver tray as a toboggan to travel down the large flight of stairs in the grand house, does so again with disastrous consequences. He dies, apparently from a head injury, in the arms of his grandson, who displays similar emotion and lack of understanding about death as he does earlier in the story when his adoptive mother was killed in Africa.
John and Jane become engaged.
At a visit to the Natural History Museum
Natural History Museum
The Natural History Museum is one of three large museums on Exhibition Road, South Kensington, London, England . Its main frontage is on Cromwell Road...
in London John is very disturbed by the crude displays of stuffed animals that he recognises from his upbringing in Africa and, slipping into rooms behind the displays discovers his adoptive ape father in a cage, having been captured in Africa and brought to England.
They immediately recognise one another and John breaks open the cage and escapes with his ape companion, releasing other caged animals as he does so, pursued by police and museum officials. They make it to a woodland park nearby but the ape is fatally shot and John is devastated to lose yet another whom he loves.
His overall failure to assimilate to human society forces him to make the decision to return to Africa.
Production
In a departure from most previous Tarzan films, Greystoke returned to Burroughs' original novel for many elements of its plot. It also utilized a number of corrective ideas first put forth by science fiction author Philip José FarmerPhilip José Farmer
Philip José Farmer was an American author, principally known for his award-winning science fiction and fantasy novels and short stories....
in his mock-biography Tarzan Alive, most notably Farmer's explanation of how the speech-deprived ape man was later able to acquire language by showing Tarzan to be a natural mimic. According to Burroughs' original concept, the apes who raised Tarzan actually had a rudimentary vocal language, and this is portrayed in the film.
Greystoke rejected the common film portrayal of Tarzan as a simpleton that was established by Johnny Weissmuller
Johnny Weissmuller
Johnny Weissmuller was an Austro-Hungarian-born American swimmer and actor best known for playing Tarzan in movies. Weissmuller was one of the world's best swimmers in the 1920s, winning five Olympic gold medals and one bronze medal. He won fifty-two US National Championships and set sixty-seven...
's 1930s renditions, reasserting Burroughs' characterization of an articulate and intelligent human being, not unlike the so-called "new look" films that Sy Weintraub
Sy Weintraub
Sy Weintraub was a movie and television producer best known for his series of Tarzan films and television episodes between 1959 and 1968. Weintraub broke with the Johnny Weissmuller formula of portraying Tarzan as a pidgin-speaking noble savage who lives in a treehouse with Jane and Boy...
produced in the 1960s.
The second half of the film departs radically from Burroughs' original story. Tarzan is discovered and brought to Cumberland
Cumberland
Cumberland is a historic county of North West England, on the border with Scotland, from the 12th century until 1974. It formed an administrative county from 1889 to 1974 and now forms part of Cumbria....
, where he fails to adapt to civilization. His return to the wild is portrayed as a matter of necessity rather than choice, and he is separated forever from Jane, who "could not have survived" in his world.
In his book Harlan Ellison's Watching
Harlan Ellison's Watching
Harlan Ellison's Watching is a 1989 compilation of 25 years worth of essays and film reviews written by Harlan Ellison for Cinema magazine, the Los Angeles Free Press, Starlog magazine, and The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction among others.In the book, Ellison explains, in an entertaining...
, Harlan Ellison
Harlan Ellison
Harlan Jay Ellison is an American writer. His principal genre is speculative fiction.His published works include over 1,700 short stories, novellas, screenplays, teleplays, essays, a wide range of criticism covering literature, film, television, and print media...
explains that the film's promotion as "the definitive version" of the Tarzan legend is misleading. He details production and scripting failures which in his opinion contribute to the film's inaccuracy.
The film was shot in Korup National Park
Korup National Park
Korup National Park is in the Southwest Province of Cameroon and extends over 1,260 km2 of mostly undisturbed primary forest. It is reputedly one of Africa’s oldest and richest rainforests in terms of floral and faunal diversity. It is the most accessible rainforest national park in Cameroon...
in western Cameroon
Cameroon
Cameroon, officially the Republic of Cameroon , is a country in west Central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west; Chad to the northeast; the Central African Republic to the east; and Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the Republic of the Congo to the south. Cameroon's coastline lies on the...
and in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. Several great house
Great house
A great house is a large and stately residence; the term encompasses different styles of dwelling in different countries. The name refers to the makeup of the household rather than to any particular architectural style...
s in the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
were used for the Greystoke family seat:
- Floors CastleFloors CastleFloors Castle, on the western outskirts of Kelso, south-east Scotland, is the seat of the Duke of Roxburghe. Despite its name it is a country house, rather than a fortress. It was built in the 1720s by the architect William Adam for the 1st Duke, possibly incorporating an earlier tower house...
in Scotland used for the exterior and ballroom scenes, - Hatfield HouseHatfield HouseHatfield House is a country house set in a large park, the Great Park, on the eastern side of the town of Hatfield, Hertfordshire, England. The present Jacobean house was built in 1611 by Robert Cecil, First Earl of Salisbury and Chief Minister to King James I and has been the home of the Cecil...
in Hertfordshire (entrance hall, grand staircase), - Blenheim PalaceBlenheim PalaceBlenheim Palace is a monumental country house situated in Woodstock, Oxfordshire, England, residence of the dukes of Marlborough. It is the only non-royal non-episcopal country house in England to hold the title of palace. The palace, one of England's largest houses, was built between...
in Oxfordshire.
Screenwriter Robert Towne
Robert Towne
Robert Towne is an American screenwriter and director. His most notable work may be his Academy Award-winning original screenplay for Roman Polanski's Chinatown .-Film:...
was slated to direct this film based on his screenplay, but he was sacked following the box-office failure of his directorial debut, Personal Best. Towne retaliated by demanding that the name of his dog (P.H. Vazak) appear in the screen credit for his screenplay. Ironically, P.H. Vazak received an Oscar
Academy Awards
An Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...
nomination for best adapted screenplay.
The dialogue of Andie MacDowell, who played Jane, was dubbed
Dubbing (filmmaking)
Dubbing is the post-production process of recording and replacing voices on a motion picture or television soundtrack subsequent to the original shooting. The term most commonly refers to the substitution of the voices of the actors shown on the screen by those of different performers, who may be...
in post-production
Post-production
Post-production is part of filmmaking and the video production process. It occurs in the making of motion pictures, television programs, radio programs, advertising, audio recordings, photography, and digital art...
by Glenn Close
Glenn Close
Glenn Close is an American actress and singer of theatre and film, known for her roles as a femme fatale Glenn Close (born March 19, 1947) is an American actress and singer of theatre and film, known for her roles as a femme fatale Glenn Close (born March 19, 1947) is an American actress and...
because of her southern accent, apparently deemed unsuitable for the character, though not to provide an English accent for her character as some have held. The young Jane featured at the beginning of the film is portrayed as American, which is consistent with Burroughs.
Both Danny Potts (Tarzan, aged 5) and Eric Langlois (Tarzan, aged 12) were completely nude in all of their scenes.
Ralph Richardson
Ralph Richardson
Sir Ralph David Richardson was an English actor, one of a group of theatrical knights of the mid-20th century who, though more closely associated with the stage, also appeared in several classic films....
, who played the Sixth Earl of Greystoke, died shortly after filming ended, and he received a posthumous Oscar
Academy Awards
An Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...
nomination for Best Supporting Actor
Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor
Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize an actor who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry. Since its inception, however, the...
. The film was dedicated to his memory.
Several actors from Chariots of Fire
Chariots of Fire
Chariots of Fire is a 1981 British film. It tells the fact-based story of two athletes in the 1924 Olympics: Eric Liddell, a devout Scottish Christian who runs for the glory of God, and Harold Abrahams, an English Jew who runs to overcome prejudice....
appear in Greystoke: Ian Charleson
Ian Charleson
Ian Charleson was a Scottish stage and film actor. He is best known internationally for his starring role as Olympic athlete and missionary Eric Liddell, in the Oscar-winning 1981 film Chariots of Fire. He is also well known for his portrayal of Rev...
, Ian Holm
Ian Holm
Sir Ian Holm, CBE is an English actor known for his stage work and for many film roles. He received the 1967 Tony Award for Best Featured Actor for his performance as Lenny in The Homecoming and the 1998 Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor for his performance in the title role of King Lear...
, Cheryl Campbell
Cheryl Campbell
Cheryl Campbell is an English actor of stage, film and television.-Early years:Cheryl Campbell was educated at Francis Bacon Grammar School, St Albans; London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art...
, Nicholas Farrell
Nicholas Farrell
Nicholas Farrell is an English stage, film and television actor. His early screen career included the role of Aubrey Montague in the 1981 film Chariots of Fire. In 1983, he starred as Edmund Bertram in a television adaptation of the Jane Austen novel, Mansfield Park...
, Nigel Davenport
Nigel Davenport
Nigel Davenport is an English stage, television and film actor.- Early life :Davenport was born Arthur Nigel Davenport, however he goes by the first name of Nigel. Davenport was born in Shelford, Cambridgeshire, the son of Katherine Lucy and Arthur Henry Davenport. Davenport's father was a bursar...
, and Richard Griffiths
Richard Griffiths
Richard Griffiths, OBE is an English actor of stage, film and television. He has received the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor, the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Play, the Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Featured Actor and a Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor...
.
Though the name Tarzan
Tarzan
Tarzan is a fictional character, an archetypal feral child raised in the African jungles by the Mangani "great apes"; he later experiences civilization only to largely reject it and return to the wild as a heroic adventurer...
is in the film's title, it is not mentioned at all in the film itself. The Ape Man is referred to either as Lord Greystoke or John.