{ "id": "epeq0kd9qb", "slug": "tarzan-and-his-mate", "title": "Tarzan and His Mate", "updated": "2026-11-01", "topic_path": [ { "id": "culture", "label": "Arts and culture", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture" }, { "id": "culture.performance", "label": "Screen and stage", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen", "label": "Film and television", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.films", "label": "Films and standalone screen works", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.films" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works", "label": "Individual films by title and year", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.franchise-series", "label": "Franchise and series entries as standalone works", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.franchise-series" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.franchise-series.franchise-series.overview", "label": "Franchise and series film entries — overview and cross-series topics", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.franchise-series.franchise-series.overview" } ], "geo": [ { "id": "geo.us.t1800.culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.franchise-series", "label": "United States · 1800 to 1945: Franchise and series entries as standalone works", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t1800.culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.franchise-series", "path": [ { "id": "geo.us", "label": "United States", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us" }, { "id": "geo.us.t1800", "label": "United States · 1800 to 1945", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t1800" }, { "id": "geo.us.t1800.culture", "label": "Arts and culture", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t1800.culture" }, { "id": "geo.us.t1800.culture.performance", "label": "Screen and stage", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t1800.culture.performance" }, { "id": "geo.us.t1800.culture.performance.screen", "label": "Film and television", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t1800.culture.performance.screen" }, { "id": "geo.us.t1800.culture.performance.screen.films", "label": "Films and standalone screen works", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t1800.culture.performance.screen.films" }, { "id": "geo.us.t1800.culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works", "label": "Individual films by title and year", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t1800.culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works" }, { "id": "geo.us.t1800.culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.franchise-series", "label": "Franchise and series entries as standalone works", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t1800.culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.franchise-series" } ] } ], "excerpt": "Tarzan and His Mate (1934) is MGM's second Johnny Weissmuller Tarzan film, with Maureen O'Sullivan as Jane, directed by Cedric Gibbons and famous for its censored nude underwater swimming scene doubled by Josephine McKim.", "snippet": "Tarzan and His Mate (1934) is MGM's second Johnny Weissmuller Tarzan film, with Maureen O'Sullivan as Jane, directed by Cedric Gibbons and famous for its censored nude underwater swimming scene doubled by Josephine McKim.", "node": "culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.franchise-series.franchise-series.overview", "markdown": "# Tarzan and His Mate\n\n**Tarzan and His Mate** is a 1934 American adventure film from [Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer](https://www.edgepedia.org/metro-goldwyn-mayer) and the second of the Tarzan pictures starring [Johnny Weissmuller](https://www.edgepedia.org/johnny-weissmuller), who returns with [Maureen O'Sullivan](https://www.edgepedia.org/maureen-osullivan) and Neil Hamilton from *Tarzan, the Ape Man* (1932). It was released on 20 April 1934, near the end of the pre-Code (era before Hollywood's 1934 censorship rules were strictly enforced) era, and is remembered above all for its underwater nude swimming sequence, which became one of the landmark cases of Hollywood film censorship.[1](https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/MovieDetails/5873) • [2](https://www.tcm.com/articles/76281/tarzan-and-his-mate)\n\n| Key fact | Detail |\n|---|---|\n| Release | 20 April 1934, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer; 92 or 105 minutes depending on version[1](https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/MovieDetails/5873) |\n| Leads | Johnny Weissmuller (Tarzan), Maureen O'Sullivan (Jane Parker), Neil Hamilton (Harry Holt), Paul Cavanagh (Martin Arlington)[1](https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/MovieDetails/5873) • [3](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/tarzan_and_his_mate/cast-and-crew) |\n| Director | Cedric Gibbons, head of M-G-M's art department, received his only directing credit on the film[1](https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/MovieDetails/5873) |\n| Famous scene | Underwater ballet in which Jane, doubled by Olympic swimmer Josephine McKim, appears completely nude[2](https://www.tcm.com/articles/76281/tarzan-and-his-mate) |\n| Censorship | Rejected by the Production Code office on 10 April 1934; all prints ordered changed by 24 April 1934[1](https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/MovieDetails/5873) |\n| Restoration | The original uncensored version returned when Ted Turner issued the film on video in 1991[2](https://www.tcm.com/articles/76281/tarzan-and-his-mate) |\n\n## Spoilers\n\n### Story and cast\n\nThe story continues from the first film. Harry Holt (Neil Hamilton), who visited the jungle in *Tarzan, the Ape Man*, returns to Africa seeking ivory, accompanied by his friend Martin Arlington (Paul Cavanagh). Holt also hopes to bring Jane back to civilization, but she refuses his overtures. Tarzan eventually tries to stop the expedition from plundering the sacred elephant burial grounds, confronting wild animals along the way.[2](https://www.tcm.com/articles/76281/tarzan-and-his-mate) • [6](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/tarzan_and_his_mate) Forrester Harvey plays Beamish and Nathan Curry plays Saidi.[3](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/tarzan_and_his_mate/cast-and-crew)\n\nWeissmuller, a champion swimmer rather than a trained actor, threw himself into the physical sequences, briefly riding a rhinoceros, though Alfred Codona doubled for him in the treetop swinging scenes and Bert Nelson wrestled the lions.[2](https://www.tcm.com/articles/76281/tarzan-and-his-mate) Weissmuller's swimming credentials were extraordinary: from entering competitive swimming in 1921 until retiring seven years later he never lost a race, winning 36 individual AAU championships and 67 world championships, becoming the first swimmer to break one minute for 100 meters, and holding 51 world records and 94 American records.[2](https://www.tcm.com/articles/76281/tarzan-and-his-mate)\n\n## Production\n\nFilming began on 2 August 1933, with [Cedric Gibbons](https://www.edgepedia.org/cedric-gibbons) given responsibility for the first unit.[4](https://geostan.ca/mate.html) The production was troubled from the start. [The Hollywood Reporter](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-hollywood-reporter)'s production schedule of six months was described as the longest in cinematic history at the time, and by 1 July 1933 W.S. Van Dyke, who had directed the first film, was dropped from the project and Gibbons announced as sole director.[1](https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/MovieDetails/5873) TCM's account differs, stating that less than a month into shooting Gibbons himself was replaced by Jack Conway, with no record of why; Rotten Tomatoes and the TCM credits list both men as directors.[2](https://www.tcm.com/articles/76281/tarzan-and-his-mate) • [3](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/tarzan_and_his_mate/cast-and-crew) Rod La Rocque was pulled from the cast and replaced by Paul Cavanagh because of miscasting, and William Stack and Desmond Roberts also took over roles originally cast with other actors.[1](https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/MovieDetails/5873) • [2](https://www.tcm.com/articles/76281/tarzan-and-his-mate) Much footage was re-shot, but the Toronto Film Society's notes observe that none of these disruptions show on screen.[5](https://torontofilmsociety.com/film-notes/tarzan-mate-1934/)\n\nGibbons, a celebrated art director, never directed again; he worked on hundreds of pictures between 1924 and the late 1950s but *Tarzan and His Mate* was the only one. In later years O'Sullivan insisted that most of the film was actually directed by James C. McKay.[2](https://www.tcm.com/articles/76281/tarzan-and-his-mate)\n\n## The nude swimming scene and censorship\n\nThe film's most famous sequence is an underwater ballet in which Tarzan and Jane swim together and Jane is completely nude. O'Sullivan was doubled by Josephine McKim, an Olympic swimmer who won bronze in the 400 meter freestyle at the 1928 Amsterdam Games and gold in the 4x100 meter relay at the 1932 Los Angeles Games; when Jane rises from the water, O'Sullivan resumes the role.[2](https://www.tcm.com/articles/76281/tarzan-and-his-mate) • [7](https://www.erbzine.com/mag63/6394.html)\n\nAccording to the censorship files in the MPAA/PCA Collection at the AMPAS Library, the sequence caused serious trouble with the Hays Office. On 10 April 1934, [Joseph I](https://www.edgepedia.org/joseph-i). Breen, director of public relations of the MPPDA, reported to Will H. Hays that the film had been rejected because of shots in which \"the girl was shown completely in the nude.\" Producer [Irving Thalberg](https://www.edgepedia.org/irving-thalberg) protested by citing the earlier M-G-M film *White Shadows of the South Seas*, but jurors who screened that film determined none of its women were naked. By 24 April 1934 all prints in all territories were ordered changed, and the trailer, which also contained the nude shots, was ordered changed as well.[1](https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/MovieDetails/5873)\n\nM-G-M had prepared three versions of the scene: one with Jane fully clothed, one with only her breasts exposed, and one completely nude. US states could enact individual censorship laws, and the versions were filmed so each state could select the one conforming to its laws.[1](https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/MovieDetails/5873) • [8](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0025862/alternateversions/) All three were eventually removed after protests from conservative religious groups, particularly the Catholic Legion of Decency, and the offending scene was cut from the film's negative.[8](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0025862/alternateversions/) • [1](https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/MovieDetails/5873) A June 1934 Breen memo still pressed for elimination of underwater views where breasts were unduly exposed.[1](https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/MovieDetails/5873) The film's general pre-Code sensibility, including Jane's scant costume and the couple sharing a bed, also drew Code attention, and wardrobe in the later Weissmuller films became more modest.[5](https://torontofilmsociety.com/film-notes/tarzan-mate-1934/) • [9](https://algae-cat-j9jc.squarespace.com/news-and-features/tarzan-and-his-mate)\n\n## Reception and afterlife\n\nThe film was a popular success, seen by roughly twelve million people worldwide, though it was banned in [Nazi Germany](https://www.edgepedia.org/nazi-germany), where the regime objected to an Aryan-looking hero portrayed in a violent, primitive setting.[10](https://cadenaser.com/nacional/2026/04/29/la-pelicula-de-aventuras-que-triunfo-en-todo-el-mundo-salvo-en-la-alemania-nazi-cadena-ser/) Critics have treated it generously: Rotten Tomatoes records a 100% Tomatometer from 19 reviews, and reviewers have singled out the rubber-crocodile battle, the photography, and the film's raw energy for its time.[6](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/tarzan_and_his_mate)\n\nThe uncensored version returned when [Ted Turner](https://www.edgepedia.org/ted-turner) issued the film on video in 1991, and the Warner Archive Collection Blu-ray restores the full underwater sequence along with previously cut warfare footage.[2](https://www.tcm.com/articles/76281/tarzan-and-his-mate) • [9](https://algae-cat-j9jc.squarespace.com/news-and-features/tarzan-and-his-mate) Scholars have also examined the film's portrayal of Africa: a 2001 study in *Africa Today* analyzed how its music helped generate stereotyped notions of African peoples, and the Toronto Film Society notes that the film is shown less often today partly because of its cavalier treatment of native characters.[11](https://www.africabib.org/rec.php?DB=p&RID=242907288) • [5](https://torontofilmsociety.com/film-notes/tarzan-mate-1934/)\n\n## References\n\n1. [Tarzan and His Mate (1934), AFI Catalog of Feature Films](https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/MovieDetails/5873)\n2. [Paul Tatara, \"Tarzan and His Mate,\" Turner Classic Movies (2004)](https://www.tcm.com/articles/76281/tarzan-and-his-mate)\n3. [Tarzan and His Mate | Cast and Crew | Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/tarzan_and_his_mate/cast-and-crew)\n4. [Tarzan and His Mate, geostan.ca production history](https://geostan.ca/mate.html)\n5. [Tarzan and His Mate (1934) film notes, Toronto Film Society](https://torontofilmsociety.com/film-notes/tarzan-mate-1934/)\n6. [Tarzan and His Mate, Rotten Tomatoes (cast, crew, and reviews)](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/tarzan_and_his_mate)\n7. [ERBzine 6394: Tarzan of the Apes Film Centennial XIII](https://www.erbzine.com/mag63/6394.html)\n8. [Tarzan and His Mate (1934), Alternate versions, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0025862/alternateversions/)\n9. [Tarzan and His Mate, Warner Archive Collection film review](https://algae-cat-j9jc.squarespace.com/news-and-features/tarzan-and-his-mate)\n10. [La película de aventuras que triunfó en todo el mundo… salvo en la Alemania nazi, Cadena SER (2026)](https://cadenaser.com/nacional/2026/04/29/la-pelicula-de-aventuras-que-triunfo-en-todo-el-mundo-salvo-en-la-alemania-nazi-cadena-ser/)\n11. [Clara Henderson, \"'When Hearts Beat Like Native Drums': Music and the Sexual Dimensions of the Notions of 'Savage' and 'Civilized' in Tarzan and His Mate, 1934,\" Africa Today 48.4 (2001)](https://www.africabib.org/rec.php?DB=p&RID=242907288)\n\n---\n*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Films and standalone screen works › Individual films by title and year › Franchise and series entries as standalone works › Franchise and series film entries — overview and cross-series topics*\n\n*Initially written Oct 3, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*\n\n*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*\n\nLicense: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license\n", "same_as": [], "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/tarzan-and-his-mate", "markdown_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/tarzan-and-his-mate.md", "license": { "name": "Edgepedia Community License 1.0", "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license", "summary": "Free with credit, commercial use included. AI training is open to everyone. For other uses, organizations over USD 100M in revenue or 100M monthly users license separately.", "spdx": "LicenseRef-Edgepedia-Community-1.0" }, "credit": "\"Tarzan and His Mate\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/tarzan-and-his-mate. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "credit_md": "\"[Tarzan and His Mate](https://www.edgepedia.org/tarzan-and-his-mate)\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), [https://www.edgepedia.org/tarzan-and-his-mate](https://www.edgepedia.org/tarzan-and-his-mate). [Edgepedia Community License 1.0](https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license).", "credit_html": "\"Tarzan and His Mate\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/tarzan-and-his-mate. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "speakable": "Tarzan and His Mate is MGM's second Johnny Weissmuller Tarzan film, with Maureen O'Sullivan as Jane, directed by Cedric Gibbons and famous for its censored nude underwater swimming scene doubled by Josephine McKim." }