Tarzan
Tarzan (John Clayton II, Viscount Greystoke) is a fictional character, an archetypal feral child raised in the African jungle by the Mangani great apes; he later experiences civilization, only to reject it and return to the wild as a heroic adv ...
, a
fictional character
In fiction, a character (or speaker, in poetry) is a person or other being in a narrative (such as a novel, play, radio or television series, music, film, or video game). The character may be entirely fictional or based on a real-life person, ...
created by
Edgar Rice Burroughs
Edgar Rice Burroughs (September 1, 1875 – March 19, 1950) was an American author, best known for his prolific output in the adventure, science fiction, and fantasy genres. Best-known for creating the characters Tarzan and John Carter, he ...
, first appeared in the 1912 novel ''
Tarzan of the Apes
''Tarzan of the Apes'' is a 1912 story by American writer Edgar Rice Burroughs, and the first in the Tarzan series. It was first serialized in the pulp magazine '' The All-Story'' beginning October 1912 before being released
as a novel in June ...
'', and then in twenty-four sequels by Burroughs and numerous more by other authors. The character proved immensely popular and quickly made the jump to other media, first and most notably
to comics and
film
A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...
. This article concerns Tarzan's appearance in film and other non-print media.
Film
The earlier ''Tarzan'' films were silent pictures adapted from the original ''Tarzan'' novels which appeared within a few years of the character's creation. With the advent of talking pictures, a popular ''Tarzan'' movie franchise was developed, which was anchored by actor
Johnny Weissmüller
Johnny Weissmuller (born Johann Peter Weißmüller; June 2, 1904 – January 20, 1984) was an American Olympic swimmer, water polo player and actor. He was known for having one of the best competitive swimming records of the 20th century. H ...
in the title role, which lasted from 1932 to 1948. ''Tarzan'' films under Weissmüller often featured the character's chimpanzee companion,
Cheeta
Cheeta (sometimes billed as Cheetah, Cheta, and Chita) is a chimpanzee character that appeared in numerous Hollywood Tarzan films of the 1930s–1960s, as well as the 1966–1968 television series, as the ape sidekick of the title character, Ta ...
. Later ''Tarzan'' films after Weissmüller have been occasional and somewhat idiosyncratic.
Silent film
The earlier Tarzan films were eight silent features and serials released between 1918 and 1929, most based on novels in the original series.
Elmo Lincoln
Elmo Lincoln (born Otto Elmo Linkenhelt; February 6, 1889June 27, 1952) was an American stage and film actor whose career in motion pictures spanned the silent and sound eras. He performed in over 100 screen productions between 1913 and 1952 and ...
starred in the first Tarzan feature, ''
Tarzan of the Apes
''Tarzan of the Apes'' is a 1912 story by American writer Edgar Rice Burroughs, and the first in the Tarzan series. It was first serialized in the pulp magazine '' The All-Story'' beginning October 1912 before being released
as a novel in June ...
'' (1918), a faithful cinematic rendering of Burroughs' first Tarzan novel. The first portion of the film featured
Gordon Griffith
Gordon S. Griffith (July 4, 1907 – October 12, 1958) was an American assistant director, film producer, and one of the first child actors in the American movie industry. Griffith worked in the film industry for five decades, acting in over ...
as the young Tarzan, so Griffith could technically be considered the first screen Tarzan. (Early in the film, Tarzan is also shown as a baby played by at least two different uncredited children.) Elmo Lincoln returned for two sequels. Additional silents were produced in the 1920s with other actors (three of these films – ''
The Romance of Tarzan
''The Romance of Tarzan'' is a 1918 American silent action adventure film directed by Wilfred Lucas starring Elmo Lincoln, Enid Markey, Thomas Jefferson, and Cleo Madison. The movie was the second Tarzan movie ever made, and is based on Edgar R ...
'' (1918, Elmo Lincoln), ''
The Revenge of Tarzan
''The Revenge of Tarzan'' (1920) is a silent adventure film, originally advertised as ''The Return of Tarzan'', and the third Tarzan film produced. The film was produced by the Great Western Film Producing Company, a subsidiary of the Numa ...
'' (1920, Gene Pollar), and ''
Tarzan the Mighty
''Tarzan the Mighty'' is a 1928 American action film serial directed by Jack Nelson and Ray Taylor. It was nominally based on the collection ''Jungle Tales of Tarzan'' by Edgar Rice Burroughs. The film is now considered to be lost.
Cast
* ...
'' (1928, Frank Merrill) – have been
lost
Lost may refer to getting lost, or to:
Geography
*Lost, Aberdeenshire, a hamlet in Scotland
* Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail, or LOST, a hiking and cycling trail in Florida, US
History
*Abbreviation of lost work, any work which is known to have bee ...
). One of the silents, ''
Tarzan and the Golden Lion
''Tarzan and the Golden Lion'' is an adventure novel by American writer Edgar Rice Burroughs, the ninth in his series of twenty-four books about the title character Tarzan. It was first published as a seven part serial in ''Argosy All-Story Week ...
'' (1927), featured the then-unknown
Boris Karloff
William Henry Pratt (23 November 1887 – 2 February 1969), better known by his stage name Boris Karloff (), was an English actor. His portrayal of Frankenstein's monster in the horror film ''Frankenstein'' (1931) (his 82nd film) established h ...
as a villainous native chieftain. Other actors who portrayed the character in 1920s films were
P. Dempsey Tabler and
James Pierce
James Hubert Pierce (August 8, 1900 – December 11, 1983) was an American actor and the fourth actor to portray Tarzan on film. He appeared in films from 1924 to 1951.
Background
Pierce was born in Freedom, Indiana. He was an All-America ...
(who married the daughter of Edgar Rice Burroughs). The first Tarzan sound film was ''
Tarzan the Tiger
''Tarzan the Tiger'' (1929) is a Universal movie serial based on the novel '' Tarzan and the Jewels of Opar'' by Edgar Rice Burroughs. It stars Frank Merrill as Tarzan, Natalie Kingston as Jane, and Al Ferguson. It was directed by Henry M ...
'' (1929), featuring
Frank Merrill
Frank Dow Merrill (December 4, 1903 – December 11, 1955) was a United States Army general and is best remembered for his command of Merrill's Marauders, officially the 5307th Composite Unit (provisional), in the Burma Campaign of World War II ...
as the Ape Man, shot as a silent but partially dubbed for release. It was Merrill’s second Tarzan movie, and it cost him the role, as his voice was deemed unsuitable for the part.
The Weissmüller era
The most popular series of Tarzan films began with ''
Tarzan the Ape Man Tarzan, the Ape Man may refer to
* Tarzan, a fictional character
* ''Tarzan the Ape Man'' (1932 film), with Johnny Weissmuller
* ''Tarzan, the Ape Man'' (1959 film) with Denny Miller
* ''Tarzan, the Ape Man'' (1981 film) with Richard Harris and ...
'' (1932), starring
Johnny Weissmüller
Johnny Weissmuller (born Johann Peter Weißmüller; June 2, 1904 – January 20, 1984) was an American Olympic swimmer, water polo player and actor. He was known for having one of the best competitive swimming records of the 20th century. H ...
and
Maureen O'Sullivan
Maureen O'Sullivan (17 May 1911 – 23 June 1998) was an Irish-American actress, who played Jane in the ''Tarzan'' series of films during the era of Johnny Weissmuller. She performed with such actors as Laurence Olivier, Greta Garbo, William ...
. Weissmüller, the son of ethnic-German immigrants from
Hungarian part of
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary, often referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire,, the Dual Monarchy, or Austria, was a constitutional monarchy and great power in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. It was formed with the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of ...
, was already well known as a five-time
Olympic
Olympic or Olympics may refer to
Sports
Competitions
* Olympic Games, international multi-sport event held since 1896
** Summer Olympic Games
** Winter Olympic Games
* Ancient Olympic Games, ancient multi-sport event held in Olympia, Greece b ...
gold medalist in swimming. He became the most famous and longest-lasting screen Tarzan, starring as the Ape Man in a total of twelve films, through 1948, the first six produced by
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and abbreviated as MGM, is an American film, television production, distribution and media company owned by amazon (company), Amazon through MGM Holdings, founded o ...
and the final six from
RKO
RKO Radio Pictures Inc., commonly known as RKO Pictures or simply RKO, was an American film production and distribution company, one of the "Big Five" film studios of Hollywood's Golden Age. The business was formed after the Keith-Albee-Orpheu ...
. The beauteous and scantily clad O'Sullivan was a major factor in the early popularity of the series. The role of Jane in the films was reduced after O'Sullivan departed in 1942 following the sixth film in the series (and the last for MGM), ''
Tarzan's New York Adventure
''Tarzan's New York Adventure'' (also known as ''Tarzan Against the World'') is a 1942 black-and-white adventure film from Metro Goldwyn Mayer, produced by Frederick Stephani, directed by Richard Thorpe, that stars Johnny Weissmuller and Maureen ...
''. Two Jane-less films followed before
Brenda Joyce took over the role for the last four Weissmüller Tarzan films.
Starting afresh with an extremely free adaptation of ''
Tarzan of the Apes
''Tarzan of the Apes'' is a 1912 story by American writer Edgar Rice Burroughs, and the first in the Tarzan series. It was first serialized in the pulp magazine '' The All-Story'' beginning October 1912 before being released
as a novel in June ...
'' which threw out everything that had gone before, the Weissmüller series was a boon to the franchise if not to the character. In contrast to the articulate nobleman of Burroughs's novels, Weissmuller's Tarzan was a natural hero with a limited vocabulary. The
ersatz
An ersatz good () is a substitute good, especially one that is considered inferior to the good it replaces. It has particular connotations of wartime usage.
Etymology
''Ersatz'' is a German word literally meaning ''substitute'' or ''replacement ...
pidgin
A pidgin , or pidgin language, is a grammatically simplified means of communication that develops between two or more groups of people that do not have a language in common: typically, its vocabulary and grammar are limited and often drawn from s ...
of his dialogue has often been mocked as "Me Tarzan, you Jane," although that particular line was never spoken in any of the films (see insert).
Tarzan and Jane were clearly married in the novels, but their legal status was left ambiguous in the Weissmuller films, even though they shared a jungle treehouse and (particularly in the second film of the series, ''
Tarzan and His Mate
''Tarzan and His Mate'' is a 1934 American pre-Code action adventure film based on the Tarzan character created by Edgar Rice Burroughs. Directed by Cedric Gibbons, it w ...
'') a strong sexual chemistry. In keeping with
Motion Picture Production Code
The Motion Picture Production Code was a set of industry guidelines for the self-censorship of content that was applied to most motion pictures released by major studios in the United States from 1934 to 1968. It is also popularly known as the ...
requirements, their son "Boy" was found and adopted rather than born to Jane. The "Boy" character, played by
Johnny Sheffield
Johnny Sheffield (born John Matthew Sheffield Cassan, April 11, 1931 – October 15, 2010) was an American child actor who, between 1939 and 1947, portrayed Boy in the Tarzan film series and, between 1949 and 1955, played Bomba the Jungle Boy.
...
, appeared in eight consecutive films in the series, starting with ''
Tarzan Finds a Son'' (1939). Weissmüller's yodel-like "Tarzan yell" became so associated with the character that it was sometimes dubbed into later films featuring different actors.
Cheeta
Cheeta (sometimes billed as Cheetah, Cheta, and Chita) is a chimpanzee character that appeared in numerous Hollywood Tarzan films of the 1930s–1960s, as well as the 1966–1968 television series, as the ape sidekick of the title character, Ta ...
the chimpanzee provided comic relief through the series.
Due to complex licensing issues relating to Tarzan, a number of competing films starring other actors were made during the Weissmüller period. The first of these was ''
Tarzan the Fearless
''Tarzan the Fearless'' is a 12 chapter American Pre-Code film serial starring Buster Crabbe in his only appearance as Tarzan. It was also released as a 61-minute feature film which consisted of the first four chapters edited together, and whi ...
'' (1933), featuring another Olympic swimmer,
Buster Crabbe
Clarence Linden Crabbe II (; February 7, 1908 – April 23, 1983), known professionally as Buster Crabbe, was an American two-time Olympic swimmer and film and television actor. He won the 1932 Olympic gold medal for 400-meter freestyle swimmi ...
, that was the first Tarzan film produced by
Sol Lesser
Sol Lesser (February 17, 1890 – September 19, 1980) was an American film producer. He received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1960 and was awarded the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award in 1961.
Biography
In 1913, while living in San F ...
, later to become producer of the franchise when it moved to RKO. ''
The New Adventures of Tarzan
''The New Adventures of Tarzan'' is a 1935 American film serial in 12 chapters starring Herman Brix. The serial presents a more authentic version of the character than most other film adaptations, with Tarzan as the cultured and well-educated gent ...
'' (1935), hearkening back to the original concept of the character as an intelligent Englishman, was a serial featuring
Herman Brix
Bruce Bennett (born Harold Herman Brix, also credited Herman Brix; May 19, 1906February 24, 2007) was an American film and television actor who prior to his screen career was a highly successful college athlete in football and in both intercol ...
that was reedited into two feature films, the first released in the same year and with the same title as the serial, and the second, ''
Tarzan and the Green Goddess
''The New Adventures of Tarzan'' is a 1935 American film serial in 12 chapters starring Herman Brix. The serial presents a more authentic version of the character than most other film adaptations, with Tarzan as the cultured and well-educated gent ...
'' released in 1938. Brix, another Olympian (shotput) changed his name in 1939 and, as Bruce Bennett, enjoyed a long career in film and television. ''
Tarzan's Revenge
''Tarzan's Revenge'' is a 1938 American adventure film starring Glenn Morris in his only outing as Tarzan. Eleanor Holm, a popular swimming star, co-starred as Eleanor Reed. The film was produced by Sol Lesser, written by Robert Lee Johnson and ...
'', also released in 1938, starred
Glenn Morris
Glenn Edgar Morris (June 18, 1912 – January 31, 1974) was a U.S. track and field athlete. He won a gold medal in the Olympic decathlon in 1936, setting new world and Olympic records. He attended Colorado A&M
— now known as Colorado State U ...
,
gold medal
A gold medal is a medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture.
Since the eighteenth century, gold medals have bee ...
winner in the Olympic
decathlon
The decathlon is a combined event in Athletics (sport), athletics consisting of ten track and field events. The word "decathlon" was formed, in analogy to the word "pentathlon", from Greek language, Greek δέκα (''déka'', meaning "ten") and ...
in
1936
Events
January–February
* January 20 – George V of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India, dies at his Sandringham Estate. The Prince of Wales succeeds to the throne of the United Kingdom as King E ...
and female swimmer
Eleanor Holm
Eleanor G. Holm (December 6, 1913 – January 31, 2004) was an American competition swimmer and Olympic gold medalist. An Olympian in 1928 and 1932, she was expelled from the 1936 Summer Olympics team by Avery Brundage under controversial circu ...
who was expelled from the 1936 Olympics and featured opposite Weissmüller and Crabbe in
Billy Rose's Aquacade
''Billy Rose's Aquacade'' was a music, dance and swimming show produced by Billy Rose at the Great Lakes Exposition in Cleveland, Ohio during its second year, in 1937. The show featured Olympians Johnny Weissmuller, Eleanor Holm Jarret, Dick D ...
; the film again produced by Sol Lesser.
With the exception of ''
The New Adventures of Tarzan
''The New Adventures of Tarzan'' is a 1935 American film serial in 12 chapters starring Herman Brix. The serial presents a more authentic version of the character than most other film adaptations, with Tarzan as the cultured and well-educated gent ...
'', which was partially filmed in Guatemala, the Tarzan movies of this period were mostly filmed on Hollywood sound stages, with stock jungle and wildlife footage edited into the final product.
The franchise after Weissmüller
After ''
Tarzan and the Mermaids
''Tarzan and the Mermaids'' is a 1948 adventure film based on the Tarzan character created by Edgar Rice Burroughs. Directed by Robert Florey, it was the last of twelve Tarzan films to star Johnny Weissmuller in the title role. It was also the fi ...
'' in 1948, Weissmuller retired from the series, believing that he was now too old to play the loincloth-clad character. He went on, however, to appear in a long series of similar adventures wearing a safari suit as
Jungle Jim
Jungle Jim is the fictional hero of a series of jungle adventures in various media. The series began on January 7, 1934, as an American newspaper comic strip chronicling the adventures of Asia-based hunter Jim Bradley, who was nicknamed Jungle ...
.
After Weissmüller's departure, producer
Sol Lesser
Sol Lesser (February 17, 1890 – September 19, 1980) was an American film producer. He received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1960 and was awarded the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award in 1961.
Biography
In 1913, while living in San F ...
led a nationwide search for a replacement, auditioning over 200 actors. The winner was
Lex Barker
Alexander Crichlow Barker Jr. (May 8, 1919 – May 11, 1973), known as Lex Barker, was an American actor. He was known for playing Tarzan for RKO Pictures between 1949 and 1953, and portraying leading characters from Karl May's novels, notably as ...
, a tall and strikingly handsome 29-year-old who had grown up in wealth and privilege in
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
. Barker portrayed Tarzan in five films (1949–1953), each with a different actress portraying Jane (the first one being
Brenda Joyce, a carry-over from the Weissmüller series). These were mostly low budget affairs similar to Weissmuller's RKO films, although the third one, ''
Tarzan's Peril
''Tarzan's Peril'' is a 1951 film directed by Byron Haskin and starring Lex Barker as Tarzan and Virginia Huston as Jane, and featuring Dorothy Dandridge as "Melmendi, Queen of the Ashuba." Some of it was shot in Kenya
)
, national_anthem ...
'' (1951), was an attempt to upgrade the series by filming on actual African locations and using local Africans in the cast. Despite Barker's aristocratic bearing and good acting credentials, Lesser insisted that he emulate Weissmüller's "Me Tarzan, you Jane" characterization.
Next came six films starring
Gordon Scott
Gordon Scott (born Gordon Merrill Werschkul; August 3, 1926 – April 30, 2007) was an American film and television actor known for his portrayal of the fictional character Tarzan in five films (and one compilation of three made-as-a ...
(1955–1960), a bodybuilder who was discovered while lifeguarding at a hotel in
Las Vegas
Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...
. His first three Tarzan films, produced by Sol Lesser, continued in the Weissmüller formula. Lesser also produced several episodes of a Tarzan
television pilot
A television pilot (also known as a pilot or a pilot episode and sometimes marketed as a tele-movie), in United States television, is a standalone episode of a television series that is used to sell a show to a television network or other distri ...
starring Scott that was edited into a feature film called ''
Tarzan and the Trappers
''Tarzan and the Trappers'' is a 1958 action adventure film featuring Edgar Rice Burroughs' famous jungle hero Tarzan and starring Gordon Scott, Eve Brent, Rickie Sorensen and Lesley Bradley. It was filmed as three pilot episodes for a television ...
''.
Then the series was taken over by producer
Sy Weintraub
Sy Weintraub (May 28, 1923 – April 4, 2000) was an American film and television producer best known for his series of Tarzan films and television episodes between 1959 and 1968. Weintraub broke with the Johnny Weissmuller formula of portraying ...
, who wanted to move the character closer to Burroughs's original conception. The result starred Scott in two of the best-received entries in the entire franchise, ''
Tarzan's Greatest Adventure
''Tarzan's Greatest Adventure'' is a 1959 Eastmancolor adventure film directed by John Guillermin, produced by Sy Weintraub and Harvey Hayutin, and written by Les Crutchfield, based on the character created by Edgar Rice Burroughs. With a st ...
'' (1959) and ''
Tarzan the Magnificent
''Tarzan the Magnificent'' is a 1960 British Eastmancolor film, the follow-up to ''Tarzan's Greatest Adventure'' (1959). Its plot bears no relation to that of the 1939 Edgar Rice Burroughs novel of the same name. The film was directed by Ro ...
'' (1960). MGM released a remake of ''
Tarzan, the Ape Man'' in 1959, a poorly received film starring
Denny Miller
Denny Scott Miller (born Dennis Linn Miller; April 25, 1934 – September 9, 2014) was an American actor, perhaps best known for his regular role as Duke Shannon on ''Wagon Train'', his guest-starring appearances on ''Gilligan's Island'' and ''C ...
. The Weintraub series continued in two films featuring veteran stuntman
Jock Mahoney
Jacques Joseph O'Mahoney (February 7, 1919 – December 14, 1989), known professionally as Jock Mahoney, was an American actor and stuntman. He starred in two Action/Adventure television series, ''The Range Rider'' and ''Yancy Derringer''. He ...
(1962–1963), three with former pro-football player
Mike Henry (1966–1968), and two (feature versions of television episodes) with
Ron Ely
Ronald Pierce Ely (born June 21, 1938) is an American actor and novelist born in Hereford, Texas, and raised in Amarillo.
Ely is best known for having portrayed Tarzan in the 1966–1968 NBC series ''Tarzan'' and for playing the lead role in ...
(1970). The Mike Henry films were filmed before the Ron Ely TV series, but were released to theatres after the TV series debuted. Weintraub had intended Henry to star in the TV series, but Henry declined because of the injuries and illnesses he had suffered during back to back location filming.
The Weintraub productions, including the Ron Ely television series (see below), dropped the character of Jane and portrayed Tarzan as an intelligent but apparently rootless adventurer. The Mike Henry entries, starting with ''
Tarzan and the Valley of Gold
''Tarzan and the Valley of Gold'' is a 1966 Eastmancolor adventure film starring Mike Henry in his debut as Tarzan. The Panavision film, produced by Sy Weintraub, written by Clair Huffaker, and directed by Robert Day, is remembered for its ve ...
'' (1966), were produced at the height of the
James Bond
The ''James Bond'' series focuses on a fictional British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short-story collections. Since Fleming's death in 1964, eight other authors have ...
craze, and had a well-tailored Tarzan jetting around the world to take on dangerous missions. In contrast to most earlier Tarzan films, the Weintraub productions were in color and were shot in exotic locations such as Kenya, India, Thailand, Malaysia, Mexico, and Brazil.
By 1965, films starring Tarzan had collectively grossed over worldwide, making him the
highest-grossing film
Films generate income from several revenue streams, including theatrical exhibition, home video, television broadcast rights, and merchandising. However, theatrical box-office earnings are the primary metric for trade publications in assess ...
character up until then. Tarzan's total gross greatly exceeded
John Wayne
Marion Robert Morrison (May 26, 1907 – June 11, 1979), known professionally as John Wayne and nicknamed The Duke or Duke Wayne, was an American actor who became a popular icon through his starring roles in films made during Hollywood's Gol ...
, who was the
highest-grossing actor at the time.
Later films
After 1970, the movie Tarzan went on hiatus until 1981, when MGM released its third version of ''
Tarzan, the Ape Man'' with
Miles O'Keeffe
Miles O'Keeffe (born June 20, 1954) is an American film and television actor. O'Keeffe got his first big break playing the title role in the 1981 version of '' Tarzan, the Ape Man''.
Youth
O'Keeffe was born in Ripley, Tennessee. A star footb ...
in the title role and
Bo Derek
Bo Derek (born Mary Cathleen Collins, November 20, 1956) is an American actress and model. Her breakthrough film role was in the romantic comedy '' 10'' (1979). Her first husband John Derek directed her in '' Fantasies''; '' Tarzan, the Ape Man ...
as Jane. The film was financially successful, but critically panned.
The better-received ''
Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes'' followed in 1984, starring
Christopher Lambert
Christophe Guy Denis "Christopher" Lambert (; ; born March 29, 1957) is a French-American actor, producer, and novelist. He started his career playing supporting parts in several French films, and became internationally famous for portraying Ta ...
. Returning to the source material, it updated Burroughs’ original novel in the light of 1980s sensibilities and science, utilizing a number of corrective ideas first put forth by
science fiction
Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel unive ...
author
Philip José Farmer
Philip José Farmer (January 26, 1918 – February 25, 2009) was an American author known for his science fiction and fantasy novels and short stories.
Obituary.
Farmer is best known for his sequences of novels, especially the ''World of Tiers ...
in his 1972 mock-biography ''Tarzan Alive: A Definitive Biography of Lord Greystoke''. While restoring Tarzan’s identity as an intelligent human being, ''Greystoke'' portrayed his adaptation to civilization as a failure, and his return to the wild as a matter of necessity rather than choice.
The next live-action Tarzan movie was ''
Tarzan and the Lost City
''Tarzan and the Lost City'' is a 1998 American adventure film directed by Carl Schenkel, and starring Casper Van Dien and Jane March with Steven Waddington. The screenplay by Bayard Johnson and J. Anderson Black is loosely based on the Tarzan stor ...
'' (1998) which starred
Casper Van Dien
Casper Robert Van Dien Jr. (born December 18, 1968) is an American actor. He is best known for his lead role as Johnny Rico in the 1997 science-fiction action film ''Starship Troopers''. He has also appeared in a large number of television and ...
. Essentially a follow-on to ''Greystoke'', this film was set in the 1920s and attempted to capture the flavor of some of the later novels in the Tarzan series, in which the ape-man encountered increasingly fantastic civilizations hidden in the deep jungles.
The latest live-action Tarzan film ''
The Legend of Tarzan'' (2016), produced by
Warner Brothers
Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American Film studio, film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios, Burbank, Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, Califo ...
and
Jerry Weintraub
Jerome Charles "Jerry" Weintraub (September 26, 1937 – July 6, 2015) was an American film producer, talent manager and actor whose television films won him three Emmys.
He began his career as a talent agent, having managed relatively unknown ...
& directed by
David Yates
David Yates (born 8 October 1963) is an English film director, producer and screenwriter, who has directed feature films, short films, and television productions. He is best known for directing the final four films in the Harry Potter (film se ...
, was released on July 1, 2016. It stars
Alexander Skarsgård
Alexander Johan Hjalmar Skarsgård (; born August 25, 1976) is a Swedish actor. Born in Stockholm, he began acting at age seven but quit at 13. After serving in the Swedish military, Skarsgård returned to acting and gained his first role in th ...
and
Margot Robbie
Margot Elise Robbie (; born 2 July 1990) is an Australian actress and producer. Known for her work in both blockbuster and independent films, she has received several accolades, including nominations for two Academy Awards, four Golden Glob ...
as Tarzan and Jane, along with
Samuel L. Jackson
Samuel Leroy Jackson (born December 21, 1948) is an American actor and producer. One of the most widely recognized actors of his generation, the films in which he has appeared have collectively grossed over $27 billion worldwide, making him ...
,
Christoph Waltz
Christoph Waltz (; born 4 October 1956) is an Austrian-German actor. Since 2009 he has been primarily active in the United States. His accolades include two Academy Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, two British Academy Film Awards and two Sc ...
and
Djimon Hounsou
Djimon Gaston Hounsou (; ; born April 24, 1964) is a Beninese-American actor and model. He began his career appearing in music videos. He made his film debut in '' Without You I'm Nothing'' (1990) and earned widespread recognition for his role as ...
. The new approach blended the characters and the setting from the Burroughs novels with the events of the Belgian Congo in the late 1880s and historical figures with a significant role at the time, such as
Leon Rom as portrayed by Waltz.
On September 30, 2022, The Hollywood Reporter has announced that
Sony Pictures
Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Sony Pictures or SPE, and formerly known as Columbia Pictures Entertainment, Inc.) is an American diversified multinational mass media and entertainment studio Conglomerate (company), conglom ...
has picked up the screen rights to Tarzan and is looking to deliver a "total reinvention" of the character.
Animated films
Disney's
The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...
animated ''
Tarzan
Tarzan (John Clayton II, Viscount Greystoke) is a fictional character, an archetypal feral child raised in the African jungle by the Mangani great apes; he later experiences civilization, only to reject it and return to the wild as a heroic adv ...
'' (1999) marked a new beginning for the ape man, taking its inspiration equally from Burroughs and ''
Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes''. Its major innovations were recasting the original fictitious ape species that adopted Tarzan as
gorilla
Gorillas are herbivorous, predominantly ground-dwelling great apes that inhabit the tropical forests of equatorial Africa. The genus ''Gorilla'' is divided into two species: the eastern gorilla and the western gorilla, and either four or fi ...
s and turning William Cecil Clayton, his paternal cousin and rival for the affections of Jane in the early novels, into a brawny out-and-out villain known only as "Clayton." Tarzan was voiced by actor
Tony Goldwyn
Anthony Howard Goldwyn (born May 20, 1960) is an American actor, singer, producer, director, and political activist. He made his debut appearing as Darren in the slasher film '' Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives'' (1986), and had his breakthr ...
and Jane by
Minnie Driver
Amelia Fiona Jessica "Minnie" Driver (born 31 January 1970) is an English actress. She rose to prominence with her break-out role in 1995's '' Circle of Friends''. She went on to star in a wide range of films including the cult classic ''Grosse ...
.
Two direct-to-video sequels followed, ''
Tarzan & Jane
''Tarzan & Jane'' is a 2002 American animated adventure comedy film produced by Walt Disney Television Animation, Released on July 23, 2002, it is a direct-to-video sequel to the Disney's 1999 animated feature ''Tarzan'', and uses three then-unair ...
'' (2002), and ''
Tarzan II
''Tarzan II'' (also known as ''Tarzan 2'' and ''Tarzan 2: The Legend Begins'') is a 2005 American direct-to-video musical animated film, and the third and final Disney ''Tarzan'' film after ''Tarzan and Jane'', though it chronologically takes pla ...
'' (2005), a re-exploration of the ape man’s childhood. In ''Tarzan & Jane'',
Goldwyn and
Driver were replaced by
Michael T. Weiss
Michael Terry Weiss (born February 2, 1962) is an American actor known for his role as Jarod in the television series '' The Pretender''.
Early life
Michael Terry Weiss was born in Chicago, Illinois on February 2, 1962. His father was a steel i ...
and
Olivia d'Abo.
Also in 1999, a direct-to-video animated version of ''
Tarzan of the Apes
''Tarzan of the Apes'' is a 1912 story by American writer Edgar Rice Burroughs, and the first in the Tarzan series. It was first serialized in the pulp magazine '' The All-Story'' beginning October 1912 before being released
as a novel in June ...
'' aimed at younger children was released by
Sony Wonder
Sony Wonder (founded as Sony Kids’ Music) is the kids and family entertainment label of Sony Pictures Home Entertainment and the former record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment.
Despite the similarity in name, Sony Wonder is not direct ...
.
In 2013, Germany's
Constantin Film
The Constantin Film AG is a German mini-major film production and distribution company based in Munich. The company, which belongs to Swiss media conglomerate Highlight Communications AG, is a large independent German maker and distributor of pr ...
released a ''
Tarzan
Tarzan (John Clayton II, Viscount Greystoke) is a fictional character, an archetypal feral child raised in the African jungle by the Mangani great apes; he later experiences civilization, only to reject it and return to the wild as a heroic adv ...
''
3D animated feature
These lists of animated feature films compiles animated feature films from around the world and is organized alphabetically under the year of release (the year the completed film was first released to the public). Theatrical releases as well as ...
in
CGI with
motion capture
Motion capture (sometimes referred as mo-cap or mocap, for short) is the process of recording the movement of objects or people. It is used in military, entertainment, sports, medical applications, and for validation of computer vision and robo ...
. Reinhard Klooss directed.
Kellan Lutz
Kellan Christopher Lutz (born March 15, 1985) is an American actor and model. He made his film debut in ''Stick It'' (2006), and is best known for playing Emmett Cullen in ''The Twilight Saga'' film series (2008–2012). He has since played Pos ...
and
Spencer Locke
Spencer Locke (born September 20, 1991) is an American actress known for her roles as Kylie in ''Cougar Town,'' Jenny Bennett in '' Monster House,'' Ione in '' Detention'', and K-Mart in the ''Resident Evil'' film series.
Life and career
Prior ...
voiced Tarzan and Jane Porter, respectively. The film opened in a number of countries in late 2013 and early 2014, but received mostly negative reviews and as a result no theatrical release was planned for the U.S. Instead, the film was released directly to DVD and Blu-ray in the U.S. in August 2014.
Other
The film Tarzan corpus also includes a number of documentaries, most of them either made for television or to accompany video sets of Tarzan movies, a number of derivative foreign-language productions from
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
,
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
, and
Turkey
Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...
, and various spoofs and parodies. Among the latter is ''Starzan'', a
Philippine
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República de Filipinas
* hil, Republ ...
Cinema comedy film loosely based on the original Tarzan franchise satirizing western entertainment. It stars Filipino comedic actor
Joey De Leon
Jose Maria Ramos de Leon Jr. (born October 14, 1946), professionally known as Joey de Leon, is a Filipino comedian, actor, television presenter and songwriter. He hosts the noontime variety show ''Eat Bulaga!'' He is a member of the comedy trio ...
as Starzan,
Rene Requiestas
Renato L. Requiestas (January 22, 1957 – July 24, 1993), professionally known as Rene Requiestas (), was a Filipino actor and comedian. Requiestas was one of the top Filipino comedy, comedians of the late 1980s up to the early 1990s. Requiestas ...
as "Chitae", and
Zsa Zsa Padilla as Jane.
Steve Sipek
Stjepan Šipek (Sisak 1942 – June 23, 2019), also known by his screen name Steve Hawkes, was a Croatian-born American actor and animal sanctuary owner.
Life
Sipek was born in Yugoslavia, what is now Croatia, relocated to Canada in 1959, and subs ...
also known as Steve Hawkes played Tarzan in two films produced by a Spanish company and intended for world markets. The first was variously titled ''Tarzán en la gruta del oro''/''King of the Jungle''/''Tarzan in the Golden Grotto'' (1969) and portions were filmed in
Suriname
Suriname (; srn, Sranankondre or ), officially the Republic of Suriname ( nl, Republiek Suriname , srn, Ripolik fu Sranan), is a country on the northeastern Atlantic coast of South America. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north ...
, Florida, Africa, Spain and Italy, with interruptions when the producers ran out of money. Sipek claimed the film company could not pay the huge licensing fees from
Edgar Rice Burroughs
Edgar Rice Burroughs (September 1, 1875 – March 19, 1950) was an American author, best known for his prolific output in the adventure, science fiction, and fantasy genres. Best-known for creating the characters Tarzan and John Carter, he ...
' estate and settled for the name "Zan" or "Karzan" for the character.
A 1972 sequel, ''
Tarzan and the Brown Prince
''Tarzan and the Brown Prince'' is a 1972 Spanish/Italian co-production Tarzan film with Steve Sipek and Kitty Swan repeating their roles from 1968's ''King of the Jungle''. The film became a serialised Filipino graphic novel written in Tagalog ...
'' (1972), had portions filmed in
Rainbow Springs
Rainbow Springs, formerly known as Blue Spring, is a first-magnitude artesian spring formation in Marion County, Florida, United States, several miles north of the city of Dunnellon. Rainbow Springs is the focal point of Rainbow Springs Stat ...
, Florida. where Sipek was burned in a fire that got out of control.
Stage
A 1921 Broadway production of ''Tarzan of The Apes'' starred Ronald Adair as Tarzan and Ethel Dwyer as Jane Porter.
In 1976,
Richard O'Brien
Richard Timothy Smith. known professionally as Richard O'Brien, is a British-New Zealand actor, writer, musician, composer, and television presenter. He wrote the musical stage show ''The Rocky Horror Show'' in 1973, which has remained in conti ...
wrote a musical entitled ''T. Zee'', loosely based on the idea of Tarzan but restyled in a rock idiom.
''
Tarzan
Tarzan (John Clayton II, Viscount Greystoke) is a fictional character, an archetypal feral child raised in the African jungle by the Mangani great apes; he later experiences civilization, only to reject it and return to the wild as a heroic adv ...
'', a musical stage adaptation of the 1999 animated feature, opened at the
Richard Rodgers Theatre
The Richard Rodgers Theatre (formerly Chanin's 46th Street Theatre and the 46th Street Theatre) is a Broadway theater at 226 West 46th Street in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. Opened in 1925, it was designed by Herb ...
on Broadway on May 10, 2006. The show, a
Disney Theatrical
Disney Theatrical Productions Limited (DTP), also known as Disney on Broadway, is the flagship stageplay and musical production company of the Disney Theatrical Group, a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Studios, a major business unit of The Walt ...
production, was directed and designed by Bob Crowley. The show played its final performance July 8, 2007. Tarzan was played by
Josh Strickland
Joshua Strickland (born October 23, 1983) is an American singer and actor from Charleston, South Carolina. He graduated from high school at the Charleston County School of the Arts, where he studied vocal with Robin A. Rogers. He attended the Co ...
. Jane was played by
Jenn Gambatese
Jenn Gambatese (born September 10, 1975) is an American actress and singer. Gambatese has performed in the musical production of Disney's ''Tarzan'' as Jane. Gambatese also played Glinda on the first National Tour of ''Wicked''.
Early life and ...
. Terk, Tarzan's best friend, was played by
Chester Gregory
Chester Gregory, also known as CHΞSS (born December 10, 1972), is an American actor, singer and songwriter from Gary, Indiana. His breakthrough came with his portrayal of Jackie Wilson in ''The Jackie Wilson Story'', which led to his Broadway d ...
. Kerchak, Tarzan's ape father was played by
Shuler Hensley
Shuler Paul Hensley (born March 6, 1967) is an American singer and actor.
Early life
Hensley was born in Atlanta, Georgia. The youngest of three children, Hensley grew up in Marietta, Georgia. His father, Sam P. Hensley Jr., is a former Georgia T ...
and
Robert Evan. Kala, Tarzan's ape mother was played by
Merle Dandridge
Merle Dandridge (born May 31, 1975) is an American actress and singer. She is best known for performing in Broadway musicals such as ''Jesus Christ Superstar'', ''Spamalot'', ''Rent'', and ''Once on This Island'', as well as her video game roles ...
. Professor Porter (Jane's father) was played by
Tim Jerome
Timothy Jerome (born December 29, 1943, Los Angeles, California) is an American stage, film, and television actor.Willis, John (1991)''Theatre World, 1989-1990'' p. 204. Crown Publishers.
Biography
After attending Cornell University, Ithaca ...
. Mr. Clayton (Jane's "love interest") was played by
Donnie Keshawarz
Donnie Keshawarz (born July 30, 1969) is a Canadian-born American stage, film and television actor.
Biography
He was born on July 30, 1969 in Guelph, Ontario, Canada to Afghan parents. Keshawarz grew up in Jonesboro, Arkansas and attended Jon ...
. And Young Tarzan was played by
Daniel Manche,
Dylan Riley Snyder
Dylan Riley Jacob Snyder (born January 24, 1997) is an American actor, filmmaker, and Twitch streamer. Beginning his acting career in community theatre at the age of five, Snyder is known for his acting, singing, and dancing abilities, starring ...
,
J. Bradley Bowers, and
Alex Rutherford Alex Rutherford is the collective pen name of two writers, Diana Preston and her husband Michael Preston.
"Rutherford" is known for the six-book historical fiction series '' Empire of the Moghul''.
The Prestons studied at the University of Oxfor ...
.
The same version of Tarzan that was played at the
Richard Rodgers Theatre
The Richard Rodgers Theatre (formerly Chanin's 46th Street Theatre and the 46th Street Theatre) is a Broadway theater at 226 West 46th Street in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. Opened in 1925, it was designed by Herb ...
played throughout Europe and was a success in the Netherlands.
Tarzan also appeared in the ''Tarzan Rocks!'' show at the Theatre in the Wild at
Walt Disney World Resort
The Walt Disney World Resort, also called Walt Disney World or Disney World, is an entertainment resort complex in Bay Lake, Florida, Bay Lake and Lake Buena Vista, Florida, Lake Buena Vista, Florida, United States, near the cities of Orlando ...
's
Disney's Animal Kingdom
Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park is a zoological theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida, near Orlando. Owned and operated by The Walt Disney Company through its Parks, Experiences and Products division, it is the l ...
. The show closed in 2006. ''The Tarzan Encounter'' currently plays in
Disneyland Park (Paris)
Disneyland Park, originally Euro Disneyland Park, is a theme park found at Disneyland Paris in Marne-la-Vallée, France. The park opened on 12 April 1992 as the first of the two parks built at the resort. Designed and built by Walt Disney Ima ...
, similar to the show at Disney's Animal Kingdom.
Radio
''See main article, ''
Tarzan (radio program)
Tarzan is a generic title that can be applied to any of three radio jungle adventure programs in the United States. Two were broadcast in the 1930s and one in the 1950s.
Format
As told in the ''Tarzan'' book series, the episodes centered around ...
''.''
Tarzan was the hero of two popular radio programs. The first began on 12 September 1932 with
James H. Pierce in the role of Tarzan, adapting the novel ''Tarzan of the Apes'' in 77 installments, airing three times each week, on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Each episode, not counting commercials, ran for about ten minutes. This series was followed by two original stories, written by Rob Thompson, "Tarzan and the Diamond of Ashair", 39 episodes airing every weekday starting 1 May 1935, and "Tarzan and the Fires of Tohr", 39 episodes, airing during 1936. Both of these stories Rob Thompson later adapted for the Tarzan comic strip and again for the Dell Tarzan comic book.
The second Tarzan radio program began 1 November 1951 and ran for 75 half-hour episodes, ending on 27 June 1953.
Lamont Johnson
Ernest Lamont Johnson Jr. (September 30, 1922 – October 24, 2010) was an American actor and film director who has appeared in and directed many television shows and movies. He won two Emmy Awards.
Early years
Johnson was born in Stoc ...
played Tarzan.
Television
Meanwhile, television had emerged as a primary vehicle bringing the character to the public, as the corpus of Tarzan films, especially those of Johnny Weissmuller and Lex Barker, became staples on Saturday morning TV. In 1958, in the middle of his six-film reign as Tarzan,
Gordon Scott
Gordon Scott (born Gordon Merrill Werschkul; August 3, 1926 – April 30, 2007) was an American film and television actor known for his portrayal of the fictional character Tarzan in five films (and one compilation of three made-as-a ...
filmed three episodes for a prospective television series. The program did not sell, and in 1966 the three pilots were edited into a 90-minute television feature entitled ''
Tarzan and the Trappers
''Tarzan and the Trappers'' is a 1958 action adventure film featuring Edgar Rice Burroughs' famous jungle hero Tarzan and starring Gordon Scott, Eve Brent, Rickie Sorensen and Lesley Bradley. It was filmed as three pilot episodes for a television ...
''.
A live action ''
Tarzan
Tarzan (John Clayton II, Viscount Greystoke) is a fictional character, an archetypal feral child raised in the African jungle by the Mangani great apes; he later experiences civilization, only to reject it and return to the wild as a heroic adv ...
'' series starring
Ron Ely
Ronald Pierce Ely (born June 21, 1938) is an American actor and novelist born in Hereford, Texas, and raised in Amarillo.
Ely is best known for having portrayed Tarzan in the 1966–1968 NBC series ''Tarzan'' and for playing the lead role in ...
ran on
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an Television in the United States, American English-language Commercial broadcasting, commercial television network, broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Enterta ...
1966–1968 (57 hour-long episodes). The executive producer was
Sy Weintraub
Sy Weintraub (May 28, 1923 – April 4, 2000) was an American film and television producer best known for his series of Tarzan films and television episodes between 1959 and 1968. Weintraub broke with the Johnny Weissmuller formula of portraying ...
, and the series was basically a follow-on to Weintraub's series of Tarzan films that began with ''
Tarzan's Greatest Adventure
''Tarzan's Greatest Adventure'' is a 1959 Eastmancolor adventure film directed by John Guillermin, produced by Sy Weintraub and Harvey Hayutin, and written by Les Crutchfield, based on the character created by Edgar Rice Burroughs. With a st ...
'' in 1959. Weintraub had dispensed with Jane and portrayed his ape man as well-spoken and sophisticated. Though Ely's Tarzan did not have Jane, he was accompanied by Cheeta the chimpanzee from the movies and a child sidekick, the orphan boy Jai (
Manuel Padilla, Jr.), who also played the similar roles of Ramel and Pepe in ''
Tarzan and the Valley of Gold
''Tarzan and the Valley of Gold'' is a 1966 Eastmancolor adventure film starring Mike Henry in his debut as Tarzan. The Panavision film, produced by Sy Weintraub, written by Clair Huffaker, and directed by Robert Day, is remembered for its ve ...
'' (1966) and ''
Tarzan and the Great River
''Tarzan and the Great River'' is a 1967 adventure film starring Mike Henry in his second of three film appearances as Tarzan. The film was produced by Sy Weintraub and Steve Shagan, written by Bob Barbash (from a story by Barbash and Lewis Ree ...
'' (1967). The character Jai first appeared in the film ''
Tarzan Goes to India
''Tarzan Goes to India'' (1962) is the first film featuring Jock Mahoney as Tarzan. It was written by Robert Hardy Andrews and directed by John Guillermin, who also directed ''Tarzan's Greatest Adventure''. The film also stars Indian Bollywood ac ...
'', played by a young actor of the same name.
An animated series from
Filmation
Filmation Associates was an American production company that produced animation and live-action programming for television from 1963 until 1989. Located in Reseda, California, the animation studio was founded in 1962. Filmation's founders and pr ...
, ''
Tarzan, Lord of the Jungle
''Tarzan, Lord of the Jungle'' is an American animated series created by the Filmation studio for Saturday mornings on CBS, starting in 1976. This was the first animated series about the jungle hero. There are 36 episodes produced over four seas ...
'', aired from 1976–1977, with new and repeat episodes in the anthology programs ''
Batman/Tarzan Adventure Hour'' (1977–1978), ''
Tarzan and the Super 7
''Tarzan and the Super 7'' is a Saturday morning cartoon series, produced by Filmation and originally airing from 1978–1980 on CBS.
The show consisted of separate installments featuring seven groups of adventurers:
* ''Tarzan, Lord of the Jungle ...
'' (1978–1980), ''
The Tarzan/Lone Ranger Adventure Hour
''The Tarzan/Lone Ranger Adventure Hour'' is an animated television series produced by Filmation that aired on CBS during the early 1980s.
The series consisted of reruns of ''Tarzan, Lord of the Jungle'' paired with new episodes of Filmation's ver ...
'' (1980–1981), and ''
The Tarzan/Lone Ranger/Zorro Adventure Hour'') (1981–1982). In that show, Tarzan is voiced by
Robert Ridgely
Robert Ridgely (December 24, 1931 – February 8, 1997) was an American actor, known for both on-camera roles and extensive voice-over work.
Biography
Born in Teaneck, New Jersey, Ridgely worked as a cabaret entertainer.Staff"Robert Ridgely, 65 ...
and Danton Burroughs.
Following this
Joe Lara
William Joseph Lara (October 2, 1962 – May 29, 2021) was an American actor, martial artist, and musician, known for the role of Tarzan in the American TV series '' Tarzan: The Epic Adventures''.
Career
Lara played Tarzan in the 1989 TV movie ' ...
starred in the title role in ''
Tarzan in Manhattan
''Tarzan in Manhattan'' is a 1989 action adventure CBS television film. Joe Lara portrays Tarzan, and Kim Crosby appears as Jane Porter. Tony Curtis and Jan-Michael Vincent co-star. The telefilm was produced by Max A. Keller, Micheline H. ...
'' (1989), an offbeat TV movie, and would later return in a completely different interpretation in ''
Tarzan: The Epic Adventures'' (1996), a new live-action series. In between the two productions with Lara, ''
Tarzán
''Tarzán'' is a television series that aired in syndication from 1991–1994. In this version of the show, Tarzan (Wolf Larson) was portrayed as a blond environmentalist, with Jane (Lydie Denier) turned into a French ecologist. The series aired ...
'', a half-hour syndicated series, ran from 1991 through 1994. In this version of the show, Tarzan was portrayed by
Wolf Larson
Wolf Larson (born Wolfgang von Wyszecki on December 22, 1959) is a German-Canadian former actor, screenwriter, and producer.
Biography
Larson was born in West Germany to Gunther and Ingeborg, he has a younger sister. In his teens he worked as ...
as a blond environmentalist, with Jane turned into a French ecologist.
Disney’s animated series ''
The Legend of Tarzan'' (2001–2003) was a spin-off from its animated film with
Michael T. Weiss
Michael Terry Weiss (born February 2, 1962) is an American actor known for his role as Jarod in the television series '' The Pretender''.
Early life
Michael Terry Weiss was born in Chicago, Illinois on February 2, 1962. His father was a steel i ...
as the voice of Tarzan (see ''Tarzan and Jane'' in "Animated Films" above).
The latest television series was the live-action ''
Tarzan
Tarzan (John Clayton II, Viscount Greystoke) is a fictional character, an archetypal feral child raised in the African jungle by the Mangani great apes; he later experiences civilization, only to reject it and return to the wild as a heroic adv ...
'' (2003), which starred male model
Travis Fimmel
Travis Fimmel (born 15 July 1979) is an Australian actor and former model. He is known for his role as Ragnar Lothbrok in the History Channel television series ''Vikings'' (2013–2017),Prudom, LaurVikings On History: Travis Fimmel Previews The ...
and updated the setting to contemporary
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
with Jane as a police detective. The series failed to meet studio expectations and was cancelled after only eight episodes.
Netflix
Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fil ...
aired an animated series titled ''
Edgar Rice Burroughs’ Tarzan and Jane'' set in modern-day where 16-year-old Tarzan (voiced by
Giles Panton
Giles Panton (born September 13, 1982) is a Canadian actor. He has worked in television, film, stage, and web media, and is also known for his voiceover work.
Career
Giles Panton trained as an actor at the William Davis Centre of Vancouver's V ...
) returns from the African jungle to a London boarding school where he meets Jane (voiced by
Rebecca Shoichet
Rebecca Shoichet ( ; born February 16, 1975) is a Canadian voice actress and singer who has voiced in English dubs of Japanese anime and other shows for Ocean Productions in Vancouver. She took over Saffron Henderson's role of Sota Higurashi in ...
), who helps him solve environmental injustice, crimes and mysteries.
Television sketches/spoofs
A 1981 television special, ''
The Muppets Go to the Movies
''The Muppets Go to the Movies'' is a one-hour television special starring Jim Henson's Muppets. It first aired May 20, 1981 on ABC as promotion for ''The Great Muppet Caper'', which was released in the United States a month later.
Plot
With the ...
'', features a short sketch entitled "Tarzan and Jane."
Lily Tomlin
Mary Jean "Lily" Tomlin (born September 1, 1939) is an American actress, comedian, writer, singer, and producer. She started her career as a stand-up comedian as well as performing off-Broadway during the 1960s. Her breakout role was on the vari ...
plays Jane opposite
The Great Gonzo
Gonzo, also known as The Great Gonzo or Gonzo the Great, is a Muppet. Aside from his trademark enthusiasm for performance art, another defining trait of Gonzo is the ambiguity of his species, which has become a running gag in the franchise. He has ...
as Tarzan. In addition, the Muppets have made reference to Tarzan on half a dozen occasions since the 1960s.
''
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
''The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson'' was an American late-night talk show hosted by Johnny Carson on NBC, the third iteration of the ''Tonight Show'' franchise. The show debuted on October 1, 1962, and aired its final episode on May 22, ...
'' on August 14, 1981 featured a Tarzan sketch in which
Johnny Carson
John William Carson (October 23, 1925 – January 23, 2005) was an American television host, comedian, writer and producer. He is best known as the host of ''The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson'' (1962–1992). Carson received six Pr ...
and
Betty White
Betty Marion White (January 17, 1922December 31, 2021) was an American actress and comedian. A pioneer of early television, with a television career spanning almost seven decades, White was noted for her vast work in the entertainment indust ...
portray Tarzan and Jane as a bickering married couple.
In an episode of ''
The Fairly OddParents
''The Fairly OddParents'' is an American animated television series created by Butch Hartman for Nickelodeon. The series follows the adventures of Timmy Turner, a 10-year-old boy with two fairy godparents named Cosmo and Wanda who grant him w ...
'', a spoof of Tarzan appears as "Lord of the Drapes", and "Lord of the Shapes", instead of Lord of the Apes.
Series One, Episode Two of ''
The Two Ronnies
''The Two Ronnies'' is a British television comedy sketch show starring Ronnie Barker and Ronnie Corbett. It was created by Bill Cotton and aired on BBC1 from April 1971 to December 1987. The usual format included sketches, solo sections, seria ...
'' includes a "Tarzan in Suburbia" sketch with Ronnie Barker as Tarzan.
The British ITV Schools series Writers' Workshop has a 1976 episode called Our Hero, discussing the character of Tarzan and featuring Arne Gordon as Tarzan in an extended sketch.
''
Saturday Night Live
''Saturday Night Live'' (often abbreviated to ''SNL'') is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC and Peacock. Michaels currently serves a ...
'' featured recurring sketches with the
speech-impaired
Speech disorders or speech impairments are a type of communication disorder in which normal speech is disrupted. This can mean stuttering, lisps, etc. Someone who is unable to speak due to a speech disorder is considered mute. Speech skills are ...
trio of "
Tonto, Tarzan, and Frankenstein's Monster". In these sketches, Tarzan is portrayed by
Kevin Nealon
Kevin Nealon (; born November 18, 1953) is an American comedian and actor. He was a cast member on ''Saturday Night Live'' from 1986 to 1995, acted in several of the Happy Madison films, played Doug Wilson on the Showtime series '' Weeds'', and pr ...
.
Animated series
The Japanese ''Jungle no Ouja Ta-chan'' (King of the Jungle Ta-chan) series, originally a manga by Tokuhiro Masaya, was based loosely on Tarzan. It featured the characters of Tarzan and his wife Jane, who had become obese after settling down with Tarzan. The series begins as a comical parody of Tarzan, but later expands to other settings, such as a martial arts tournament in China, professional wrestling in America, and even a fight with vampires.
In another anime, ''
One Piece
''One Piece'' (stylized in all caps) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Eiichiro Oda. It has been serialized in Shueisha's ''shōnen'' manga magazine ''Weekly Shōnen Jump'' since July 1997, with its individual chapte ...
'', Roronoa Zoro is seen doing a Tarzan call imitation during the Skypiea arc.
Video games
Taito
is a Japanese company that specializes in video games, toys, arcade cabinets and game centers, based in Shinjuku, Tokyo. The company was founded by Michael Kogan in 1953 as the importing vodka, vending machines and jukeboxes into Japan. It b ...
's 1982
arcade game
An arcade game or coin-op game is a coin-operated entertainment machine typically installed in public businesses such as restaurants, bars and amusement arcades. Most arcade games are presented as primarily games of skill and include arcade v ...
''
Jungle King'' featured a character who resembled Tarzan. Copyright issues required Taito to rename the game, producing ''
Jungle Hunt
re-released as is a side-scrolling action game developed by Taito and released for arcades in 1982. It was originally distributed as ''Jungle King'', then quickly modified and re-released as ''Jungle Hunt'' due to a copyright dispute over the ...
''. The company retained the original character, albeit dressed in safari clothing complete with
pith helmet
The pith helmet, also known as the safari helmet, salacot, sola topee, sun helmet, topee, and topi) is a lightweight cloth-covered helmet made of sholapith. The pith helmet originates from the Spanish Empire, Spanish military adaptation of the na ...
. Gameplay remained unchanged; the player still fought crocodiles and swung from trees, but by ropes instead of vines. ''Jungle Hunt'' was subsequently adapted for play on numerous video game consoles and personal computers.
''Tarzan Goes Ape'' was released in the 1980s for the
Commodore 64
The Commodore 64, also known as the C64, is an 8-bit home computer introduced in January 1982 by Commodore International (first shown at the Consumer Electronics Show, January 7–10, 1982, in Las Vegas). It has been listed in the Guinness ...
.
Martech Games Ltd released ''
Tarzan
Tarzan (John Clayton II, Viscount Greystoke) is a fictional character, an archetypal feral child raised in the African jungle by the Mangani great apes; he later experiences civilization, only to reject it and return to the wild as a heroic adv ...
'' in 1986 for the
ZX Spectrum
The ZX Spectrum () is an 8-bit computing, 8-bit home computer that was developed by Sinclair Research. It was released in the United Kingdom on 23 April 1982, and became Britain's best-selling microcomputer.
Referred to during development as t ...
, among other computing platforms.
In 1999, games based on Disney's animated film ''Tarzan'' were released for the
PlayStation
is a video gaming brand that consists of five home video game consoles, two handhelds, a media center, and a smartphone, as well as an online service and multiple magazines. The brand is produced by Sony Interactive Entertainment, a divisi ...
,
Windows
Windows is a group of several proprietary graphical operating system families developed and marketed by Microsoft. Each family caters to a certain sector of the computing industry. For example, Windows NT for consumers, Windows Server for serv ...
, and
Game Boy Color
The (commonly abbreviated as GBC) is a handheld game console, manufactured by Nintendo, which was released in Japan on October 21, 1998 and to international markets that November. It is the successor to the Game Boy and is part of the Game ...
. The PlayStation and Windows version was later ported to the
Nintendo 64
The (N64) is a home video game console developed by Nintendo. The successor to the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, it was released on June 23, 1996, in Japan, on September 29, 1996, in North America, and on March 1, 1997, in Europe and Au ...
in 2000.
Other games focusing on Disney's version of Tarzan include ''
Tarzan Untamed'' (2001) for the
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 (PS2) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on 4 March 2000, in North America on 26 October 2000, in Europe on 24 November 2000, and in Australia on 3 ...
and
GameCube
The is a home video game console developed and released by Nintendo in Japan on September 14, 2001, in North America on November 18, 2001, and in PAL territories in 2002. It is the successor to the Nintendo 64 (1996), and predecessor of the Wii ...
and ''
Disney's Tarzan: Return to the Jungle'' (2002) for the
Game Boy Advance
The (GBA) is a 32-bit handheld game console developed, manufactured and marketed by Nintendo as the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001, in North America on June 11, 2001, in the PAL region on June 22, 2 ...
. Characters from the animated film have also appeared in ''
Disney's Extreme Skate Adventure
''Disney's Extreme Skate Adventure'' is a 2003 skateboarding video game developed by Toys for Bob and published by Activision for GameCube, PlayStation 2 and Xbox. The Game Boy Advance version was ported by Vicarious Visions. The game uses the sa ...
'' and ''
Kingdom Hearts
is a series of action role-playing games developed and published by Square Enix (originally by Square (video game company), Square). It is a collaboration between Square Enix and The Walt Disney Company and is under the leadership of Tetsuya ...
''.
In the first ''
Rayman
''Rayman'' is a franchise of platform video games, created by video game designer Michel Ancel for Ubisoft. Since the release of the original ''Rayman'' game in 1995, the series has produced a total of 45 games across multiple platforms.
The s ...
'', a
Tarzanesque
Tarzanesque (in French: ''Tarzanide'') is a term created by Frenchman Francis Lacassin used to describe characters in comic books inspired by Tarzan. A tarzanesque character resembles Tarzan in his physical resourcefulness, within a line of acti ...
version of Rayman named Tarayzan appears in the Dream Forest.
Miscellaneous
There have been several Tarzan
View-Master
View-Master is the trademark name of a line of special-format stereoscopes and corresponding View-Master "reels", which are thin cardboard disks containing seven Stereoscopic 3-D pairs of small transparent color photographs on film.Mary Ann & Wo ...
reels and packets, plus numerous Tarzan coloring books, children's books, follow-the-dots and activity books.
In the film ''Histoire de Pen'' there is a character named after Tarzan and another named after
The Phantom
''The Phantom'' is an American adventure comic strip, first published by Lee Falk in February 1936. The main character, the Phantom, is a fictional costumed crime-fighter who operates from the fictional African country of Bangalla. The charact ...
.
''Superman's Song'' by the
Canadian
Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...
rock band
A rock band or pop band is a small musical ensemble that performs rock music, pop music, or a related genre. A four-piece band is the most common configuration in rock and pop music. In the early years, the configuration was typically two guita ...
the
Crash Test Dummies
Crash Test Dummies are a Canadian rock band from Winnipeg, Manitoba.
The band is most identifiable through Brad Roberts (vocals, guitar) and his distinctive bass-baritone voice. The band members have fluctuated over the years, but its best kno ...
compares Tarzan unfavourably to
Superman
Superman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, and debuted in the comic book ''Action Comics'' #1 (cover-dated June 1938 and publi ...
.
''
One Leg Too Few'' is a comedy sketch by
Peter Cook
Peter Edward Cook (17 November 1937 – 9 January 1995) was an English actor, comedian, satirist, playwright and screenwriter. He was the leading figure of the British satire boom of the 1960s, and he was associated with the anti-establishme ...
concerning a one-legged man attempting to audition for the role of Tarzan.
There is a song by
Danish
Danish may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to the country of Denmark
People
* A national or citizen of Denmark, also called a "Dane," see Demographics of Denmark
* Culture of Denmark
* Danish people or Danes, people with a Danish ance ...
pop group
Toy-Box
Toy-Box is a Danish bubblegum pop group, consisting of vocalists Anila Mirza and Amir El-Falaki. Mirza was born on 8 October 1974 in Frederiksværk, Denmark to Indian-Iranian-Pakistani parents. El-Falaki was born 12 August 1973 in Copenhagen, ...
called "
Tarzan & Jane
''Tarzan & Jane'' is a 2002 American animated adventure comedy film produced by Walt Disney Television Animation, Released on July 23, 2002, it is a direct-to-video sequel to the Disney's 1999 animated feature ''Tarzan'', and uses three then-unair ...
", first released as a single in
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
in 1998, and then released worldwide in 1999 to coincide with the release of the Disney film ''Tarzan'' (see "Film").
Authorized filmography
Silents Era
Feature Films:
Silent Serials
Sound Era
Franchise films:
Serials and remakes
Animated films
Television
Tarzan
Tarzan (John Clayton II, Viscount Greystoke) is a fictional character, an archetypal feral child raised in the African jungle by the Mangani great apes; he later experiences civilization, only to reject it and return to the wild as a heroic adv ...
originated in a series of novels, from which a large number of serial films were derived. Television later emerged as a primary vehicle bringing the character to the public. From the mid-1950s, all the extant sound Tarzan films became staples of Saturday morning television aimed at young and teenaged viewers. In 1958, movie Tarzan
Gordon Scott
Gordon Scott (born Gordon Merrill Werschkul; August 3, 1926 – April 30, 2007) was an American film and television actor known for his portrayal of the fictional character Tarzan in five films (and one compilation of three made-as-a ...
filmed three episodes for a prospective television series. The program did not sell, but a number of later series were produced.
Documentaries
* ''
Tarzan: The Legacy of Edgar Rice Burroughs'' (1996)
* ''
Tarzan at the Movies, Part 1: Johnny Weissmuller'' (1996)
* ''
Tarzan at the Movies, Part 2: The Many Faces of Tarzan'' (1996)
* ''
Investigating Tarzan'' (1997)
* ''
The One, the Only, the Real Tarzan
''The'' () is a grammatical Article (grammar), article in English language, English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite ...
'' (2004)
* ''
Tarzan: Silver Screen King of the Jungle'' (2004)
* ''
I,Tarzan'' (1996)
Unauthorized films
* ''
Tarzan in the Golden Grotto
Tarzan (John Clayton II, Viscount Greystoke) is a fictional character, an archetypal feral child raised in the African jungle by the Mangani great apes; he later experiences civilization, only to reject it and return to the wild as a heroic adv ...
'' (1969) (
Steve Hawkes
Stjepan Šipek ( Sisak 1942 – June 23, 2019), also known by his screen name Steve Hawkes, was a Croatian-born American actor and animal sanctuary owner.
Life
Sipek was born in Yugoslavia, what is now Croatia, relocated to Canada in 1959, and sub ...
) (unauthorized by Burroughs' estate)
* ''
Carry on up the Jungle'' (1970) Tarzan parody (unauthorized by Burroughs' estate)
* ''
Tarzan and the Brown Prince
''Tarzan and the Brown Prince'' is a 1972 Spanish/Italian co-production Tarzan film with Steve Sipek and Kitty Swan repeating their roles from 1968's ''King of the Jungle''. The film became a serialised Filipino graphic novel written in Tagalog ...
'' (1972) (Steve Hawkes) (unauthorized by Burroughs' estate)
* ''
Adventures of Tarzan
''Adventures of Tarzan'' is a 1985 Indian Hindi-language film directed by Babbar Subhash, starring Hemant Birje, Dalip Tahil, Kimi Katkar and Om Shivpuri. The film was much talked about in its time, mainly due to the steamy scenes between the ...
'' (1985) (
Hemant Birje
Hemant Birje (born 19 August 1965) is an Indian actor who works primarily in Hindi language films. In 1985, he debuted as Tarzan in Babbar Subhash's ''Adventures of Tarzan'', also starring Kimi Katkar. He has had mixed success in later films. ...
) (unauthorized by Burroughs' estate)
* ''
Lady Tarzan
Vijayalakshmi Vadlapati (2 December 1960 – 23 September 1996), better known by her stage name Silk Smitha, was an Indian actress and dancer who worked predominantly in Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada and Hindi films. Smitha was part of seve ...
'' (1990) (
Silk Smitha
Vijayalakshmi Vadlapati (2 December 1960 – 23 September 1996), better known by her stage name Silk Smitha, was an Indian actress and dancer who worked predominantly in Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada and Hindi films. Smitha was part of seve ...
) (unauthorized by Burroughs' estate)
* ''
Tarzan Ki Beti'' (2002) (Hemant Birje) (unauthorized by Burroughs' estate)
Actors who have portrayed Tarzan
On film (adult)
*
Elmo Lincoln
Elmo Lincoln (born Otto Elmo Linkenhelt; February 6, 1889June 27, 1952) was an American stage and film actor whose career in motion pictures spanned the silent and sound eras. He performed in over 100 screen productions between 1913 and 1952 and ...
1918, 1918, 1921 (all silent)
*
Gene Pollar
Gene Pollar (September 16, 1892 - October 20, 1971) was the screen name of New York City firefighter Joseph Pohler, who in his very brief movie career played Tarzan.
Background
At age 28, the 6'2", 215-pound Joseph Charles Pohler became the se ...
1920 (silent)
*
P. Dempsey Tabler 1920 (silent)
*
James Pierce
James Hubert Pierce (August 8, 1900 – December 11, 1983) was an American actor and the fourth actor to portray Tarzan on film. He appeared in films from 1924 to 1951.
Background
Pierce was born in Freedom, Indiana. He was an All-America ...
1927 (silent)
*
Frank Merrill
Frank Dow Merrill (December 4, 1903 – December 11, 1955) was a United States Army general and is best remembered for his command of Merrill's Marauders, officially the 5307th Composite Unit (provisional), in the Burma Campaign of World War II ...
1928, 1929 (all silent)
*
Johnny Weissmuller
Johnny Weissmuller (born Johann Peter Weißmüller; June 2, 1904 – January 20, 1984) was an American Olympic swimmer, water polo player and actor. He was known for having one of the best competitive swimming records of the 20th century. H ...
1932, 1934, 1936, 1939, 1941, 1942, 1943, 1943, 1945, 1946, 1947, 1948
*
Buster Crabbe
Clarence Linden Crabbe II (; February 7, 1908 – April 23, 1983), known professionally as Buster Crabbe, was an American two-time Olympic swimmer and film and television actor. He won the 1932 Olympic gold medal for 400-meter freestyle swimmi ...
1933
*
Herman Brix
Bruce Bennett (born Harold Herman Brix, also credited Herman Brix; May 19, 1906February 24, 2007) was an American film and television actor who prior to his screen career was a highly successful college athlete in football and in both intercol ...
later billed as
Bruce Bennett
Bruce Bennett (born Harold Herman Brix, also credited Herman Brix; May 19, 1906February 24, 2007) was an American film and television actor who prior to his screen career was a highly successful college athlete in football and in both intercol ...
1935, 1938
*
Glenn Morris
Glenn Edgar Morris (June 18, 1912 – January 31, 1974) was a U.S. track and field athlete. He won a gold medal in the Olympic decathlon in 1936, setting new world and Olympic records. He attended Colorado A&M
— now known as Colorado State U ...
1938
*
Lex Barker
Alexander Crichlow Barker Jr. (May 8, 1919 – May 11, 1973), known as Lex Barker, was an American actor. He was known for playing Tarzan for RKO Pictures between 1949 and 1953, and portraying leading characters from Karl May's novels, notably as ...
1949, 1950, 1951, 1952, 1953
*
Gordon Scott
Gordon Scott (born Gordon Merrill Werschkul; August 3, 1926 – April 30, 2007) was an American film and television actor known for his portrayal of the fictional character Tarzan in five films (and one compilation of three made-as-a ...
1955, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960
*
Denny Miller
Denny Scott Miller (born Dennis Linn Miller; April 25, 1934 – September 9, 2014) was an American actor, perhaps best known for his regular role as Duke Shannon on ''Wagon Train'', his guest-starring appearances on ''Gilligan's Island'' and ''C ...
1959
*
Jock Mahoney
Jacques Joseph O'Mahoney (February 7, 1919 – December 14, 1989), known professionally as Jock Mahoney, was an American actor and stuntman. He starred in two Action/Adventure television series, ''The Range Rider'' and ''Yancy Derringer''. He ...
1962, 1963
*
Mike Henry 1966, 1967, 1968
*
Ron Ely
Ronald Pierce Ely (born June 21, 1938) is an American actor and novelist born in Hereford, Texas, and raised in Amarillo.
Ely is best known for having portrayed Tarzan in the 1966–1968 NBC series ''Tarzan'' and for playing the lead role in ...
1966, 1967, 1968, 1970
*
Miles O'Keeffe
Miles O'Keeffe (born June 20, 1954) is an American film and television actor. O'Keeffe got his first big break playing the title role in the 1981 version of '' Tarzan, the Ape Man''.
Youth
O'Keeffe was born in Ripley, Tennessee. A star footb ...
1981
*
Christopher Lambert
Christophe Guy Denis "Christopher" Lambert (; ; born March 29, 1957) is a French-American actor, producer, and novelist. He started his career playing supporting parts in several French films, and became internationally famous for portraying Ta ...
1984
*
Casper Van Dien
Casper Robert Van Dien Jr. (born December 18, 1968) is an American actor. He is best known for his lead role as Johnny Rico in the 1997 science-fiction action film ''Starship Troopers''. He has also appeared in a large number of television and ...
1998
*
Tony Goldwyn
Anthony Howard Goldwyn (born May 20, 1960) is an American actor, singer, producer, director, and political activist. He made his debut appearing as Darren in the slasher film '' Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives'' (1986), and had his breakthr ...
1999 (voice of animated
Tarzan
Tarzan (John Clayton II, Viscount Greystoke) is a fictional character, an archetypal feral child raised in the African jungle by the Mangani great apes; he later experiences civilization, only to reject it and return to the wild as a heroic adv ...
)
*
Kellan Lutz
Kellan Christopher Lutz (born March 15, 1985) is an American actor and model. He made his film debut in ''Stick It'' (2006), and is best known for playing Emmett Cullen in ''The Twilight Saga'' film series (2008–2012). He has since played Pos ...
2013 (
performance capture
Motion capture (sometimes referred as mo-cap or mocap, for short) is the process of recording the movement of objects or people. It is used in military, entertainment, sports, medical applications, and for validation of computer vision and robo ...
)
*
Alexander Skarsgård
Alexander Johan Hjalmar Skarsgård (; born August 25, 1976) is a Swedish actor. Born in Stockholm, he began acting at age seven but quit at 13. After serving in the Swedish military, Skarsgård returned to acting and gained his first role in th ...
2016
On film (youth)
*
Gordon Griffith
Gordon S. Griffith (July 4, 1907 – October 12, 1958) was an American assistant director, film producer, and one of the first child actors in the American movie industry. Griffith worked in the film industry for five decades, acting in over ...
(1918, 1918)
*
Tali McGregor Tali may refer to:
Places
* Alternate spelling of Dali, city in China
* Tali, Estonia, village in Saarde Parish, Pärnu County, Estonia
* Tali, Helsinki, Finland
* Tali, township, part of Kozhikode, Kerala, India
* Tali, Arunachal Pradesh, pla ...
(1984)
*
Peter Kyriakous (1984)
*
Danny Potts (1984)
*
Eric Langlois
Cryptopsy is a Canadian technical death metal band from Montreal, formed in 1988.
History Necrosis (1988–1992)
Necrosis was formed in April 1988 by drummer Mike Atkin, guitarist Steve Thibault and vocalist Dan "Lord Worm" Greening, initially ...
(1984)
*
Alex D. Linz
Alexander David Linz (born January 3, 1989) is an American former child actor who starred in several late 1990s and early 2000s films and television series. His film roles include ''Home Alone 3'' (1997) and ''Max Keeble's Big Move'' (2001). He ...
1999 (voice of young animated
Tarzan
Tarzan (John Clayton II, Viscount Greystoke) is a fictional character, an archetypal feral child raised in the African jungle by the Mangani great apes; he later experiences civilization, only to reject it and return to the wild as a heroic adv ...
)
*
Harrison Chad
Harrison Chad is an American actor known for his roles in Broadway musicals, television, and film.
Early life and education
Chad was born in New York City and started performing when he was six years old. He has performed in four Broadway show ...
(2005)
*
Craig Garner
Craig Donald Garner (born 12 July 1971 in Porirua, New Zealand) is a former New Zealand cricketer who played ten first-class matches for the Central Districts Stags in the 1990s and he also played for Nelson in the Hawke Cup
The Hawke Cup is a ...
(2013) (performance capture of 4-year-old CGI/Motion Capture Tarzan film)
*
Anton Zetterholm (2013) (voice of teen CGI/Motion Capture Tarzan film)
*
Rory J. Saper
Rory Jonathon Saper (born 3 April 1996) is an English actor. He is best known for his roles in the film ''Rufus (2012 film), Rufus'' (2012) and the series ''Find Me in Paris'' (2018–2020).
Early life
Saper was born in Slough to parents Camilla ...
(2016)
*
Christian Stevens (2016)
On stage
*
Ronald Adair
"The Adventure of the Empty House", one of the 56 Sherlock Holmes short stories written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, is one of 13 stories in the cycle collected as ''The Return of Sherlock Holmes''. It was first published in ''Collier's'' in the ...
1921 (Broadway)
*
Josh Strickland
Joshua Strickland (born October 23, 1983) is an American singer and actor from Charleston, South Carolina. He graduated from high school at the Charleston County School of the Arts, where he studied vocal with Robin A. Rogers. He attended the Co ...
2006 (Original Broadway Cast – New York, NY)
*
Daniel Manche (Tarzan as a youth) 2006 (Original Broadway Cast – New York, NY)
*
Alex Rutherford Alex Rutherford is the collective pen name of two writers, Diana Preston and her husband Michael Preston.
"Rutherford" is known for the six-book historical fiction series '' Empire of the Moghul''.
The Prestons studied at the University of Oxfor ...
(Tarzan as a youth) 2006 (Original Broadway Cast – New York, NY)
*
Dylan Riley Snyder
Dylan Riley Jacob Snyder (born January 24, 1997) is an American actor, filmmaker, and Twitch streamer. Beginning his acting career in community theatre at the age of five, Snyder is known for his acting, singing, and dancing abilities, starring ...
(Tarzan as a youth) 2006 (Original Broadway Cast – New York, NY)
*
Anton Zetterholm 2008 (Original German Cast – Hamburg)
On radio
*
James Pierce
James Hubert Pierce (August 8, 1900 – December 11, 1983) was an American actor and the fourth actor to portray Tarzan on film. He appeared in films from 1924 to 1951.
Background
Pierce was born in Freedom, Indiana. He was an All-America ...
1932–1934
*
Carlton KaDell 1934–1936
*
Lamont Johnson
Ernest Lamont Johnson Jr. (September 30, 1922 – October 24, 2010) was an American actor and film director who has appeared in and directed many television shows and movies. He won two Emmy Awards.
Early years
Johnson was born in Stoc ...
1951–1953
On television
*
Gordon Scott
Gordon Scott (born Gordon Merrill Werschkul; August 3, 1926 – April 30, 2007) was an American film and television actor known for his portrayal of the fictional character Tarzan in five films (and one compilation of three made-as-a ...
filmed 1958, aired 1966
*
Ron Ely
Ronald Pierce Ely (born June 21, 1938) is an American actor and novelist born in Hereford, Texas, and raised in Amarillo.
Ely is best known for having portrayed Tarzan in the 1966–1968 NBC series ''Tarzan'' and for playing the lead role in ...
1966–1968
*
Robert Ridgely
Robert Ridgely (December 24, 1931 – February 8, 1997) was an American actor, known for both on-camera roles and extensive voice-over work.
Biography
Born in Teaneck, New Jersey, Ridgely worked as a cabaret entertainer.Staff"Robert Ridgely, 65 ...
1976–1982 (voice, Filmation series)
*
Joe Lara
William Joseph Lara (October 2, 1962 – May 29, 2021) was an American actor, martial artist, and musician, known for the role of Tarzan in the American TV series '' Tarzan: The Epic Adventures''.
Career
Lara played Tarzan in the 1989 TV movie ' ...
1989, 1996
*
Wolf Larson
Wolf Larson (born Wolfgang von Wyszecki on December 22, 1959) is a German-Canadian former actor, screenwriter, and producer.
Biography
Larson was born in West Germany to Gunther and Ingeborg, he has a younger sister. In his teens he worked as ...
1991–1994
*
Michael T. Weiss
Michael Terry Weiss (born February 2, 1962) is an American actor known for his role as Jarod in the television series '' The Pretender''.
Early life
Michael Terry Weiss was born in Chicago, Illinois on February 2, 1962. His father was a steel i ...
2001 (voice, Disney series)
*
Travis Fimmel
Travis Fimmel (born 15 July 1979) is an Australian actor and former model. He is known for his role as Ragnar Lothbrok in the History Channel television series ''Vikings'' (2013–2017),Prudom, LaurVikings On History: Travis Fimmel Previews The ...
2003
In video games
*
Tony Goldwyn
Anthony Howard Goldwyn (born May 20, 1960) is an American actor, singer, producer, director, and political activist. He made his debut appearing as Darren in the slasher film '' Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives'' (1986), and had his breakthr ...
,
Kingdom Hearts
is a series of action role-playing games developed and published by Square Enix (originally by Square (video game company), Square). It is a collaboration between Square Enix and The Walt Disney Company and is under the leadership of Tetsuya ...
, 2002
*
Jūrōta Kosugi
is a Japanese voice actor. His major roles include Arlong in ''One Piece'', Asuma Sarutobi in ''Naruto'', Akio Ohtori in ''Revolutionary Girl Utena'', Isamu Kenmochi in ''Kindaichi Case Files'', Big Zenki in ''Zenki,'' and Jotaro Kujo in ''JoJ ...
, Kingdom Hearts, Japanese
Footnotes
External links
ERBzine Silver Screen: A Resource Guide to the Movies of Edgar Rice BurroughsTarzan movie guideTarzan box office{{Tarzan movies
American radio dramas
Fantasy film characters