|
|
|
| Sunday, 7 August 2005 |
 |
|
 |
Features |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
|
Tarzan triumphs at the Olympic games by Maurice Dahanayake I saw 'Tarzan the Apeman' silent movie at the Regal Cinema with my father, when I was 8 years old, which I vaguly remember. Since then I have seen almost all Tarzen films screened in Ceylon. Edgar Rice Borrough's the author, it appears got the idea for the then Tarzan "Thrillers" after Rudyard Kiplling wrote "The Jungle Book". Incidently the colour movie "Jungle Book" starring SABU was screened at Capitol Theatre, Armour Street, 50 years ago when I saw it. Borroughs was a cowboy in Idaho U.S.A., a Miner in Oregon, Soldier & Traffic cop in Salt Lake City, a war correspondent during the second World War, died of a heart attack in 1950. October 1912 Borroughs wrote his first Tarzan Story for 700 dollars, when in the city of Tarzana, USA the name Tarzan taken thus, when he was 37 years old. He wrote about John Clayton - son of Lord Greystroke, when sailing his yacht 'Fu Walda' along the South African seas where he ran into a storm and the son was washed overboard into the sea. The boy was said to have been found by an Ape woman named Carla, adopted by her and became the jungle boy - Tarzan. In 1918 the first silent black and white movie "Tarzan of the Apes" was made with Jim Pierce as Tarzan, son-in-law of Borroughs but stopped half way, due to World War I. Tarzan No. 1 was Elmo Lincoln (Otto Elmo Linkenhelt) 1918 with "Tarzan of the Apes" and "Romance of Tarzana". I was about 13 years when I saw the first movie mentioned above, a 16 mm film of this was screened at the Presbeterian Girls School, near the O.P.D., General Hospital, as a benefit show, with Elmo Lincoln 6'7" Tarzan 1-A Gorden Griffit acted in "Tarzan of the Apes" and "Son of Tarzan". Tarzan No. 2 - 1920 Gene Pollor (Joseph C. Pohler) acted in "Revenge of Tarzan" a Samuel Gold Production. Tarzan No. 3 - 1921 "Son of Tarzan" a 15 chapter Full Serial, starred Perce Dempsey Tabler. 1921 Elmo Lincoln again in "Advetures of Tarzan". 1927 Tarzan No. 4 - James H. Pierce starred in "Tarzan & the Golden Lion" with the famous Boris Karloff. 1927/1928 Tarzan No. 5 - starred Frank Merril "Tarzan the Mighty" a 15 chapter, Full Serial. 1929/1930 'Tarzan the Tiger' Frank Merril again as Tarzan 15 chapter, Full Serial. Tarzan No. 6 - 1932 "Tarzan the Ape Man" a M.G.M. film starred Johnny Weismuller (Peter Johnny Weismuller) with Maureen O. Sullivan, Sir C. Aubrey Smith and Niel Hamilton, 1924 Peter Johnny Weismuller took part in the Olympic Games (Swimming), 100 meters and 400 meters and won two gold Medals 1928 100 meters and won another Gold Medal. 1942 "Tarzan Newyork Adventure", in a scene where Tarzan had to dive from famous Brooklyn Bridge U.S.A. when he was chased by the Police - Weismuller was ready to do this. But his insurance Co. objected - instead stunt man Bert Nelson did this dive. Johnny Weismuller starred in 12 Black andWhite Tarzan films 1. 'Tarzan the Apeman' 2. 'Tarzan and His Mate' with Maureen O. Sullivan 3. 'Tarzan Escapes' 4. 'Tarzan Finds a Son' Johnny Sheffield (the son) 5. 'Tarzan's Secret Treasure' 6. 'Tarzan New York Adventure' 7. 'Tarzan's Triumphs' 8. 'Tarzan's Desert Mistery' 9. 'Tarzan and the Amerzons 10. 'Tarzan and the Leopard Woman' 11. 'Tarzan and the Huntress' 12. 'Tarzan and the Magic Fountain' Later when new Tarzan's came to act, to take his place Weismuller did the role of "Jungle Jim" in several movies and died in 1982 in Acapulco, where he lived. 1933 Tarzan No. 7 - "Tarzan the Fearless" starred Larry "Buster" Crabbe (real name Clarance Linden) in a Full Serial. In 1932 Olympics he won a gold medal for Swimming 400 meters. Later he acted in space movies as "Flash Gordon". 1935 Tarzan No. 8 - Herman Brix, who won a gold medal at the 1928 Olympic Games - Javelin Throw acted in the "New Adventures of Tarzan, "Tarzan and the Green Godess", in 1938 "Hawk of the Wilderness" - a Full Serial which later, I saw at the Capitol Theatre Armour Street - later he changed his name as Bruce Bennet and acted in 'B' Grade Westerns. Tarzan No. 9 - Glenn Morris - Football star 1936 Berlin Olympics starred in "Tarzan's Revenge" for 20th Century Fox in 1938. Tarzan No. 10 - 1949 Lex Barker (name Alexander Crichlow Barker) acted in 5 Tarzan films the first 'Tarzan's "Magic Fountain" and the last 'Tarzan and the She Devil'. 'Tarzan's No. 11 - 1955 Gorden Scott (Gorden Werschull) acted in 5 Tarzan films. First "Tarzan's Hidden Jungle" and the last 'Tarzan the Magnificent'. Tarzan No. 12 - All American Basketball Star 1959, Dennis Miller, starred in the "Tarzan the Apeman" but was not very successful. Tarzan No. 13 - 1962 Jock Mahoney - earlier he was a stand in and double in Johnny Weismuller films. Later starred in 2 Tarzan films 'Tarzan Goes to India' and 'Tarzan's Three Challenges'. Tarzan No. 14 - 1966 Mike Henry all American Football Star, in three Tarzan films. 'Tarzan and the Valley of Gold', Tarzan and the Great River', 'Tarzan and the Jungle Boy'. 1963-1968 Tarzan No. 15 - Ron Eley as Tarzan and TV Screen too, but Fans were disappointed with him. 1981 Tarzan 16-Shot in Kandy, Sri Lanka for M.G.M. films starred Miles O. Keefe 'Tarzan the Apeman' with Bo Dereck - in colour. Johnny Weismullar was loved by his fans in Ceylon and his few lines of dialogue i.e. 'Me Tarzan, You Jane' and 'Tarzan say Men Go'. |
|
| News | Business | Features
| Editorial | Security
| Produced by Lake House |
