A Snapshot of the Actors who Portrayed Tarzan in Old Hollywood
Hollywood has a long history of producing films about Tarzan, the king in the jungle. It might surprise you to know, that the character Tarzan started out as a book character. Also, there have been a lot of different actors and athletes that have played this famous he-man on the screen and on TV.
The first film about Tarzan was made in 1918, and it was a silent movie. Not only was it silent, but also Tarzan was a boy, played by the child actor Gordon Griffith. In the same year, another silent film on Tarzan was made by actor Elmo Lincoln, but this time he was all grown up. It was the first film in the movie industry to gross over $1,000,000. Strange as it may sound, Elmo starred in the critically acclaimed movie Birth of a Nation in 1915.
During the run of popular Tarzan movies, there would be 14 more that would play the role. After Lincoln, an over weight fireman from New York filled the shoes of Tarzan. A man named Tabler from the state of Tennessee, and an athlete to boot, would fill the role on screen. James Pierce was the next in line, and he related to the author the Tarzan legend and books, Burrough. Frank Merrill would be the 5th Tarzan, and he would make Tarzans feet famous, because he was the first to wear shoes for the character.
Along with Weissmuller that would play Tarzan after Merrill, athletes would become identified with the role. Weissmuller’s handsome and rugged good looks, made him famous, along with his role as the ape-man of the jungle. Most people today remember him as the man that played in the role, but there would be others. Buster Crabbe was an Olympic winner just like Weissmuller, and he would star several times as Tarzan. Another star athlete and later a film star played him too. Morris was next in line, and he was a championship runner.
The line of athletes was broken when a Tarzan role went to an actor that later married the famous film goddess, Lana Turner. Again though, athletes were in demand for the role, but it became a little diversified. A host of basketball, stuntmen and football players took the role, and made the Tarzan character even more famous. The role was first piped into American homes when Ron Ely made it famous for TV. Many kids of the 1960s remember the famous TV series that made Ely famous.
The role of Tarzan would not be complete without Jane. Like Tarzans role there was a whole host of Jane’s. From a lady name Markey to Morison, Jane completed the manhood of Tarzan. After all, that many good looking men, needing a life long companion as his love interest. The most famous couple of the big screen was Weissmuller and Maureen O’Sullivan. From the early 1930s to the early 1940s, they lit up the screen with passion and adventure.
O’Sullivan and Weissmuller got along onset, but neither one of them really cared for their roles as Tarzan or Jane. Maureen was from Ireland and seemed to fit the part perfectly because she was feminine, out spoken, and dared to put up with the Tarzans escapades. The set was full of hazards for both. Mosquito and money bites were a common occurrence, and at that time O’Sullivan had to give most of her lines behind props because she was pregnant. Weissmuller even got his nose broken when he ran into the side of an elephant. Today it would be hard to imagine any actor or actress that would not want a CG artist to paint the animals and landscape in, especially when one of them was pregnant.
The role of Tarzan is part of the great Americana film history and legend. It goes on today, and it is a sure thing it will never die out, but go on as it always has, with intrigue and wonder for the movie audience.
