Posted on 11/22/2018 1:40:23 PM PST by CaliforniaCraftBeer
Tarzan (John Clayton, 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 adventurer. Created by Edgar Rice Burroughs, Tarzan first appeared in the novel Tarzan of the Apes (magazine publication 1912, book publication 1914), and subsequently in 25 sequels, several authorized books by other authors, and innumerable works in other media, both authorized and unauthorized. The film version of Tarzan as the noble savage (“Me Tarzan, You Jane”), as acted by Johnny Weissmuller, does not reflect the original character in the novels, who is gracious and highly sophisticated.
I read all of the novels in my early teens.
Tarzan was never gracious nor sophisticated.
He remained a Savage though he was capable of love, and some degree of loyalty. The graciousness and sophistication were a thin veneer.
Contemplating “Tarzan and the Jewels of Opar” the modern word which best categorizes Tarzan would be “sociopath”
That said, the books are a hell of a lot more fun to read than most modern books. If you’re fourteen anyway.
“Tarzan (John Clayton, Viscount Greystoke)”
No, Tarzan was Johnny Weismuller
The Weissmuller version of Tarzan my not be true to the original books, but that’s the version I remember from my childhood.
Our local elementary school would set up a projector and screen in the library during summer break and show the Weissmuller Tarzan movies and sometimes 3 Stooges shorts free of charge(there was no summer school).
If you absolutely had nothing else in the world to do and were bored to death, you would walk down a dirt road, barefoot, to the school and sit in folding chairs and watch for an hour or so, then walk back home. The films ran all afternoon and there were usually 5 or 6 kids watching at any one time. I’m not even sure they had complete Tarzan movies, seems like they had 20 or 30 minute clips, and they switched between different films (although the films were pretty much the same anyway). Cheeta was the favorite and got a cheer anytime he appeared onscreen.
Weissmuller was from my hometown.
In the first book, the methods and ease with which he dispatched the natives was that of an animal, free of conscience, killing for it's own enjoyment.
And Maureen O’Sullivan is the only Jane.
I’m sorry they made her change outfits.
My favorite ERB was always Pellucidar. I always gotta be the weird one.
Frank Sinatra’s mother-in-law was HOT.
R.I.P., Dave (my childhood best friend) really enjoyed the Tarzan books and the Weissmuller movies.
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