Though her busiest period was the thirties, O'Sullivan's career spanned over sixty years. Late in her career, she made many television movies and spent a year on All My Children. She even appeared with her famous daughter, Mia Farrow, in Hannah and Her Sisters (1986).
Despite the variety of roles in her long, successful career, all of them have been overshadowed by her most famous role, as Jane in the most popular Tarzan series. O'Sullivan starred with Johnny Weismuller in six of the Tarzan movies; her association with the series spanned ten years. Though all the movies in the series enjoyed some popularity, the first two, which came out before the production code, have an easy, sexy charm that distinguishes them from the rest.
Tarzan the Ape Man (1932)
Directed by: W.S. Van Dyke
Also starring: Johnny Weissmuller, Neil Hamilton, C. Aubrey Smith
Jane comes to Africa to meet her father (Smith), who is there with his partner (Hamilton) [who is smitten with Jane] in search of the ivory treasures of the elephant graveyard. She brings six trunks and a jar of cold cream with her, but soon abandons it all to join the men on their hunt. The three miraculously stay alive, despited the fact that the natives they've hired to carry supplies keep falling off cliffs and getting eaten by alligators.
Just when the trip is starting to get really difficult, they hear a mysterious call in the trees. Tarzan appears, and soon Jane is in the treetops with him. While she struggles with him at first, her fear turns into fascination, and then delight. Thereafter, Tarzan seems to save Jane from just about every predator in the jungle and Jane is rightfully impressed. Despite her travel companion's pleas that she return home, Jane decides to stay with in the jungle with Tarzan and his ape Cheetah.
The first film in the series, Tarzan the Ape Man was an enormous success. With an attractive leading couple and plenty of action, it had something to please everyone. While the censors were wary of the skimpy costumes and suggestive plot line, the movie was released with little interference.
Tarzan and His Mate (1934)
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