James Pierce, the screen's fourth Lord of the Jungle, was chosen for the role by ERB himself, who met him at a party. The following year, Pierce married Burrough's daughter Joan, and the couple went on to play Tarzan and Jane on the radio. This film also features Boris Karloff as a traitorous native chief.
Seeing this reminds me of Burroughs 1933 novel "Tarzan and the Lion Man". The main story of the novel is about a film crew in Africa filming a jungle man picture, and the leading man gets hit on the head and believes he really is the "Lion Man" of the movie and goes off into the jungle. Tarzan goes to rescue him but ends up in some sort of adventure the requires him to backup the Lion Man's belief that he is "Tarzan". There's the usual capture and escape action. And the conflict is resolved at the same time the actor gets his memory back. In the final chapters, Tarzan ends up visiting Hollywood. He appears to be doing it more out of curiosity than wanting to break into the movies. And in the end finds it all too silly, and heads back to his East African plantation.
ReplyDeleteI'very read them all, but don't remember that. Sounds like a hoot.I
ReplyDeleteHere's a link to the book on the Gutenberg site, where they have have most of Burrough's work posted. Once had a full set of both Ballentine and Ace paperbacks of these. Bought them mostly for a dollar or two used and new. I have copies of most of those covers now on my screen saver.
ReplyDeletehttp://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks06/0600711h.html
Burroughs was unhappy with the "Me Tarzan, you Jane"-type portrayals by Johnny Weissmuller and Buster Crabbe in the movies, so maybe "Tarzan and the Lion Man" was a satire of Hollywood.
ReplyDeleteJim Pierce also played Prince Thun of the Kingdom of Lion Men, in the 1936 Flash Gordon movie serial.
Listen can't find jonnhy wesimuller tarzan full moveied
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