Tarzan The Mighty

Tarzan The Mighty

1928

Tarzan The Mighty

  • Tarzan: Frank Merrill
  • Mary Trevor: Natalie Kingston
  • Black john: Al Ferguson
  • Lord greystoke, Tarzans uncle: Lorimer Johnston
  • Director: Jack Nelson, Ray Taylor
  • Release Date: October 29, 1928
  • Run Time: 15 episodes
  • Language: Silent Film, English intertitles

Plot

Mary and her brother, survivors of a shipwreck, are constantly harassed by Black John, a thief and cruel descendant of a pirate. Black John has taken a strong liking to Mary and wants to marry her. Tarzan has befriended Mary and protected her and her brother from Black John’s friends who are cruel to them. As Tarzan could not read, he wasn’t aware that the papers he had been keeping were very important. Mary read some of the documents only to discovered that Tarzan is sole heir to the Greystoke estate. Tarzan’s uncle arrives to try to find his nephew but before he can, Black John shoots Tarzan, then hides Mary’s bother and Tarzan’s uncle in a cave. Black John poses as Lord Greystoke and plans to go to England with Mary as his bride.

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Tarzan and the Golden Lion

Tarzan and the Golden Lion

1927

Tarzan and the Golden Lion

  • Tarzan: James H. Pierce
  • Jane: Dorothy Dunbar
  • Owaza: Boris Karloff
  • Tarzans sister, Betty Greystoke: Edna Murphy
  • Director: J. P. McGowan
  • Producer: Edwin C. King
  • Release Date: March 20, 1927
  • Run Time: 57 min
  • Language: Silent Film, English intertitles

Plot

While Tarzan is away from Greystoke, John Gordon (Weesimbo) manages to take refuge at Lord Greystoke’s estate and tells everyone at Greystoke the story of how he was held captive in the Temple of Diamonds by the Tangani tribe. Flora Hawkes and her Aunt Jane arrive in time to hear the story Weesimbo is telling. News of the diamonds travels to the chief of a band of thieves, Esteban Miranda, who is able to intrude onto the Greystoke estate pretending to be Tarzan. He and his band capture Weesimbo and Flora and force Weesimbo to take them to the diamonds. The evil high priest at the Temple of Diamonds captures Flora intending to sacrifice her to Numa, the lion god of the Tangani. Once Tarzan hears what has happened he and Jad-bal-ja fight their way to the Temple of Diamonds along with a band of Wiziri warriors to an exciting conclusion.

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The Adventures of Tarzan

The Adventures of Tarzan

1921

The Adventures of Tarzan

  • Tarzan: Elmo Lincoln
  • Jane: Louise Lorraine
  • Director: Robert F. Hill and Scott Sidney
  • Producer: Louis Weiss
  • Release Date: December 1, 1921
  • Language: Silent film, English Intertitles

Plot

Tarzan rescues Jane from Arab slave-traders after they have been marooned in Africa. They return to the cabin where his parents lived before their death. Jane is captured by Queen La of Opar, taken to that hidden city, and is to be made a sacrifice. Tarzan rescues her and they escape. Nikolas Rokoff and William Cecil Clayton, the usurper to Tarzan’s title of Lord Greystoke, learn that Jane has a map to the city (which contains fabulous riches in exotic jewels), tattooed onto her back. They kidnap her and attempt to loot the city. Tarzan braves many perils, finally rescues Jane, defeats the villains and escapes La’s amorous clutches.

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The Son of Tarzan

The Son of Tarzan

1920

The Son of Tarzan

  • Tarzan: Perce Dempsey Tabler
  • Jane: Karla Schramm
  • Korak/jack clayton: Kamuela C. Searle
  • Korak as a child: Gordon Griffith
  • Director: Arthur J. Flaven and Harry Revier
  • Producer: David P. Howells
  • Release Date: 1920 (First Chapter) January 27, 1921 (Final Chapter)
  • Run Time: 253 min (15 chapters)
  • Language: Silent film, English intertitles

Plot

Tarzan and Jane have left Africa, married and settled in London. Their pre-teen son, Jack, dreams of jungle adventures like his father’s, but is discouraged by his parents. He sneaks away to see a trained ape called Ajax (in reality, Akut, an old friend from Tarzan’s youth). The ape’s trainer is really Ivan Paulovich, an old enemy of Tarzan’s, who is looking for a way to enact vengeance. He kidnaps Jack and takes him to Africa.

Jack escapes with Akut, and survives on his own in the wild much like his father before him. He is given the Ape name Korak, which means “Killer” in their language. Korak rescues Meriem, a young French girl held captive by Arab slave traders, and they grow to adulthood in the jungle. Paulovich hopes to receive a ransom from her wealthy parents for her return as well, and attempts to capture both of them.

Eventually Paulovich lures Jane to Africa in order to extort a ransom, but Tarzan soon follows. Tarzan and Jane, living at their African estate, find Meriem and informally adopt her. They discover her parentage and send for her father. The film climaxes with a battle pitting Korak against Paulovich, his henchmen and the slave traders. An elephant rescues Korak, who is bound to a stake, and he and Meriem are reunited with their parents, and all sail for England.[3]

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The Revenge of Tarzan

The Revenge of Tarzan

1920

The Revenge of Tarzan

  • Tarzan: Gene Pollar (a former firefighter, made no other films, and returned to his old job after the film was completed
  • Jane: Karla Schramm
  • Director: Harry Revier and George M. Merrick
  • Producer: Great Western Producing Company
  • Release Date: May 30, 1920
  • Run Time: 90 min
  • Language: Silent film, English intertitles

Plot

Tarzan and Jane are traveling to Paris to help his old friend Countess de Coude, who is being threatened by her brother, Nikolas Rokoff. Rokoff has Tarzan tossed overboard. He survives, comes ashore in North Africa, and goes to Paris to search for Jane.

In Paris, Tarzan reunites with his old friend Paul D’Arnot, who informs him that Jane was taken to Africa.

Tarzan returns just in time to save Jane from a lion attack, and soon defeats Rokoff and his henchmen.

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The Romance of Tarzan

The Romance of Tarzan

1918

The Romance of Tarzan

  • Tarzan: Elmo Lincoln
  • Jane: Enid Markey
  • Director: Wilfred Lucas
  • Producer: William Parsons
  • Release Date: September 16,1918
  • Run Time: 96 min
  • Language: Silent film, English intertitles

Plot

The film opens with flashbacks from Tarzan of the Apes to establish the back story. The African expedition led by Professor Porter (Thomas Jefferson) to find Tarzan (Elmo Lincoln), the ape-raised heir of Lord Greystoke, has been crowned with success, and Tarzan and Porter’s daughter Jane (Enid Markey) are in love. The party now prepares to return to civilization when it is attacked by natives and separated from the ape-man. Tarzan’s cousin Clayton (Colin Kenny), the current Lord Greystoke, desiring to keep his wealth and title, reports having seen the savages kill Tarzan. Believing him dead, they leave without their charge. But Tarzan has in fact survived, and is eager to be reunited with Jane. Finding his new friends gone he swims out to another boat to follow. Eventually he reaches California in the United States of America, and is landed near the Porters’ San Francisco ranch. Tarzan in civilization is like a bull in a china shop, as is demonstrated early in a destructive incident in a dance hall, where his prowess impresses La Belle Odine (Cleo Madison). Things get back on track when Jane is kidnapped by outlaws, presenting him with the opportunity to rescue her. Jane, however, is cold to him, as Clayton has falsely convinced her he is in love with the other woman. Heartbroken, Tarzan swears off civilization and returns to Africa. Belatedly learning the truth from Odine, Jane follows, and is happily reunited with her lover in the jungle.

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Tarzan of the Apes

Tarzan of the Apes

1918

Tarzan of the Apes

  • Tarzan: Elmo Lincoln
  • Jane: Enid Markey
  • Director: Scott Sidney
  • Producer: William Parsons
  • Release Date: January 27,1918 (Broadway, New York)
  • Run Time: 73 min
  • Language: Silent film, English intertitles

Plot

John and Alice Clayton, Lord and Lady Greystoke (True Boardman and Kathleen Kirkham), are passengers on the Fuwalda, a ship bound for Africa. When the vessel is taken over by mutineers the sailor Binns (George B. French) saves them from being murdered, but they are marooned on the tropical coast. After their deaths their infant son is adopted by Kala, an ape, who raises him as her own. The young Tarzan (Gordon Griffith) grows to maturity among the apes, becoming their king. Binns, returning to find the Claytons after ten years’ captivity among the Arabs, discovers the ape man and travels to England to report his survival to his family. An expedition led by scientist Professor Porter (Thomas Jefferson), a scientist, is launched to investigate. Meanwhile, Kala has been killed by a native, who is killed in turn by the now-adult Tarzan (Elmo Lincoln). The villagers kidnap Porter’s daughter Jane (Enid Markey); Tarzan rescues and romances her, and she comes to accept his love.

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Jim Morris to be special guest of honor at the Tarzan / John Carter Centennial Celebration on August 18, 2012 at Warner Center Marriott Hotel

Jim Morris

Tarzana, CA – Mr. Jim Morris, General Manager & Executive Vice President, Production at Pixar Animation Studios and Producer of the movie JOHN CARTER, willbe a Special Guest of Honor at the Tarzan/John Carter Centennial Celebration to be heldon the evening of Saturday, August 18, 2012. The celebration is part of a three-dayBurroughs Bibliophiles Convention to be held August l6-18, 2012 at the Warner CenterManiott Hotel in Woodland Hills. CA

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