From 1991 to 1994, Larson starred in the French-Canadian-Mexican series Tarzén. He met with producer Sy Weintraub and signed a seven year contract. Since Burroughs had a hand in making this film, Brix's Tarzan resembled the one of the books. It wasn't long until Hollywood took notice of this popular literary character and decided that he should become a movie character too. On his own, he supported himself by working in the steel industry until 1945, when he landed a small part in the film Doll Face. from seaching there is quite a few people looking for a copy too. :). When Scott left the Tarzan role, he moved to Italy where he became a popular action star making "sword and sorcerer" films. I,m still waiting for that one movie that depicts Tarzan like he is in the books. A string of minor film roles followed, but his big break came in 1949 when he was cast as Tarzan in Tarzan's Magic Fountain. It was Miller's only venture as the ape man. In 1938 a second film, Tarzan and the Green Goddess, was released. He eventually retired to Florida, where he died in 1971 at the age of 79. Pierce moved to California and in 1924 he got his first movie role, in the film Leatherstocking. Tarzan in Manhattan (TV movie) and Tarzan the Epic Adventures. Highly sought after biography of Herman Brix who would go on to have a successful acting career as Bruce Bennett. From reading this article I'm surprised by the staggering list of all the actors that played the ape man. Scott got his big break as Tarzan after being spotted by a talent agent while working as a hotel lifeguard in Las Vegas. Right there at the party he offered Pierce the lead role in Tarzan and the Golden Lion. Barker married five times and two of those marriages were to famous actresses: Arlene Dahl (1951-52) and Lana Turner (1953-57). The French actor starred in 1984's Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes opposite Andie MacDowell as Jane. However, Pierce and his wife Joan were the voices of Tarzan and Jane on national radio between 1932-34. I did not realize there were so mant Tarzans. Part of the problem was that Ely insisted on doing his own stunts but had no stuntman training. Numa wouldn't release him from his contract, so Pollar went back to being Joseph Pohler and fighting fires in New York. The movie (and his acting) were panned and he never tried to expand on his acting career. He's faded some due to weak writing, but he's still Tarzan, my childhood hero - at least to me. Silver Screen Collection/Getty, Credit: Denny Miller was playing basketball at UCLA when he was discovered by a Hollywood agent and signed to a contract with MGM Studios in 1959. It was a cheap movie that included a lot of footage from previously filmed Tarzan movies. In this Disney animated tale, the orphaned Tarzan (Tony Goldwyn) grows up in the remote African wilderness, raised by the gentle gorilla Kala (Glenn Close). I thought he was such a badass.". Christopher Lambert born in New York, but raised in Geneva, Switzerland and Paris, France. Hulton Archive/Getty, Credit: Another Olympic medalist to play Tarzan, Herman Brix won a silver medal for the shot put track and field event in the 1928 games. Beginning in the summer of 1920, Tabler starred in a 15-chapter movie serial, The Son of Tarzan, based on a Edgar Rice Burroughs story of the same title. His later Tarzan films were Tarzan and the Lost Safari (1957), Tarzan and the Trappers"(1958), Tarzan's Fight for Life (1958), Tarzan's Greatest Adventure (1959), and Tarzan the Magnificent (1960). Weissmuller was a swimmer in the 1920s and considered one of the best in the world, winning five Olympic gold medals and one bronze for the United States during his athletic career. When he went back into the fire station I let out with the yell. Mahoney's health suffered from working on the films and he was released from his contract. Ronald Adair, in the 1921 Broadway play. Tarzan (Lord Greystoke), already well educated and fed up with civilization, returns to the jungle and, more or less assisted by chimpanzee Cheetah and orphan boy Jai, wages war against poachers and other bad guys. Four movies, made mostly from material filmed for several two-part episodes, came out in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Weissmuller died of pulmonary edema in 1984 at the age of 79. ... Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes. That's a ton of Tarzans, lots of loincloths and muscles! I grew up in the '60s and '70's idolizing Tarzan. He went to New York City and spent six months there taking a theater course at Marymount Manhattan College. Mike Henry was a line backer for the Pittsburgh Steelers (1958-61) and the Los Angeles Rams (1962-64) before turning his attention to acting. In 1920, Searle took the role of a young Tarzan in the 15-part movie serial The Son of Tarzan. I never knew there was so many Tarzan movies. But I will do some more research to make sure I haven't missed anyone. I grew up in the 50's and 60's. Nice info. Samuel Cooper Searle was born in Hawaii in 1890. Glory Miller (author) from USA on September 05, 2012: @anonymous: Thanks for the comment and the visit. I do not remember the incident. I live in southern Indiana in the woods surrounded by Yellowwood Foresty and a neibor down the valley about a mile is a movie buff and our local fire chief ask me one day if I have heard a Tarzan yell coming from our woods He said it must be someone playing a recording. The movie was written, directed, and produced by Bo and John Derek. Richardson lost the Academy Award to Cambodian actor Haing S. Ngor, who won for "The Killing Fields." Unfortunately, Ely sustained a variety of injuries while making the series. One of our family favorite photos is one of our dad and Johnny at a pool where they were (it looks like) lifeguards. There were 22 episodes of this series. I think that Mike Henry looked the role like no one else. Lincoln was the very first actor to take on the feral character, who was created by Edgar Rice Burroughs and first appeared in the writer's 1912 publication Tarzan of the Apes. There are many more examples. As a track and field athlete, Glenn Morris set a new record and won a gold medal in the decathlon in the 1936 Olympics. At the party he met Burroughs' daughter Joan. johnny Weissmuller was by far the best Tarzan to grace the big screen even though only in black and white the rest are poor in comparison and Maureen o Sullivan was a natural beauty as Jane They were the best ever pairing for their parts and up to now here in 2015 nearly 70 years since their last Tarzan movie hollywood has not yet been able to recapture the magic that Johnny Weissmuller and Maureen o Sullivan emitted , those were truly the golden years of cinema and as the saying goes ,,they don't make em like that anymore , and how so very true ,,,. The plot followed Tarzan's journey to New York. His two 70's films were Tarzan flicks until they had to change the name to "Zan" for legal reasons. Rice preferred actor Stellen Windrow, who had given up acting at the outbreak of World War I. My first time I'd saw Tarzan was when Ron Ely played him.I didn't know that the guy who starred with Patrick Swayze in The Beast was Tarzan. The list goes on. I grew up on the East Coast of Florida in the '50's and Jon Hall and Frances Langford lived down the road. As far as the movies i did enjoy them growing up. You might remember Van Dien from Tim Burton's Sleepy Hollow, in which he played Brom von Brunt. Other product and company names shown may be trademarks of their respective owners. In 1921 Lincoln starred again as the famous ape man, in the 15-part movie serial The Adventures of Tarzan. Created by Jay Ward and Bill Scott, the duo who created The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show, the cartoon series was designed as a spoof on the Tarzan legend. Crabbe's his real claim to fame, however, was as Flash Gordon in 1936. I am now 69 years old and can still do the yell. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/Getty, Credit: Great lens. I only hope that there will be more to come. He moved to the US in 2004 and found roles the television movie Generation Kill in 2007 and in the series True Blood from 2008-2014. Thus I stand corrected. Actor Brandon Fraser did a big-screen live-action version in 1997 and Cartoon Network ran a new series in 2007 that only lasted for one season. He starred opposite Bo Derek in the 1981 film Tarzan, the Ape Man, which was directed by his costar's then-husband John Derek. The film was a huge success and Weissmuller was on his way to stardom. He should have read Tarzan of the apes it would have explained where he found it in the cabin he was born in on the Afican coast where his mother and father were marooned. I will always love the memorys of Tarzan and I will keep doing the yell till my voice gives out from old age. Lincoln died of a heart attack in 1952. Glory Miller (author) from USA on August 22, 2012: @WriterJanis2: Thanks for the kind words and the visit. One of my favs was Tarzan series with Ron ely 66 -70 . Pohler changed his name to Gene Pollar (some sources show his name spelled as "Polar") and earned $100 a week. Joe Lara had two different outings as Tarzan. It was widely panned by critics, but while it's not the best Tarzan movie out there, it's not the worst. He didn't drive fast cars. Every impressionable young boy considered themselves a type of Tarzan, if only in their daydreams and nightdreams. I smiled and said yes I heard it. My personal favorite Tarzan is Gordon Scott, I believe he most accurately portrayed the physical Tarzan. I don't know why, but I was surprised so many of them were athletes. Where jock mahoney 1962-63 Tarzan plays the bad guy. Also, Edgar Burroughs thought Pierce was the perfect shape and size to play Tarzan. The actor finally got his chance to don the loincloth for The New Adventures of Tarzan in 1935. If you know of any omissions, let me know in the comments section. A great big thanks to Ookie, a reader who tipped me off about Steve Hawkes (sometimes known as Steve Sipek). It had been mentioned "Jon Hall had acted as Tarzan a few years prior". Larson followed the agent's advice, but also started his own video production company, Future World Productions. Deborah Swain from Rome, Italy on December 07, 2010: Johnny Weissmuller will always be my personal favourite! Created by Eric Kripke, Michael Colleary, Mike Werb. Glory Miller (author) from USA on December 23, 2012: @tedwritesstuff24: Heehee, you are not the only one to suggest that Christopher wasn't the best actor to play the role. Griffith's career made the transition from silent films to talkies, but he got smaller roles. 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