Kings of the Jungle

Cast, production credits, release date, and running time are provided for each of the Tarzan films. The plot synopses include the storyline, background information on the making of the film, and contemporary critical commentary. Also examined is Tarzan on television, from the TV movie Tarzan and the Trappers (1958) to the 1991 series. Heavily illustrated. This entry refers to the LARGE PRINT edition. For the standard edition please see ISBN 978-0-7864-1109-2.

David Fury is a freelance writer and songwriter from Minneapolis, Minnesota. He lives in Minneapolis.

David Fury
Foreword by Maureen O’Sullivan
Format: softcover (7 x 10), large print
Pages: 416
Bibliographic Info: 92 photos, appendices, notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2008 [1994]
pISBN: 978-0-7864-3314-8
Imprint: McFarland

Acknowledgments      vi
Foreword by Maureen O’Sullivan      1
Introduction      5
Edgar Rice Burroughs Discovers Tarzan      9

I. THE SILENT ERA TARZANS
1918 Tarzan of the Apes (Elmo Lincoln)      17
1918 The Romance of Tarzan (Elmo Lincoln)      28
1920 The Revenge of Tarzan (Gene Pollar)      33
1920 The Son of Tarzan (P. Dempsey Tabler)      40
1921 The Adventures of Tarzan (Elmo Lincoln)      48
1927 Tarzan and the Golden Lion ( James Pierce)      54
1928 Tarzan the Mighty (Frank Merrill)      61
1929 Tarzan the Tiger (Frank Merrill)      68

II. THE JOHNNY WEISSMULLER ERA
Johnny Weissmuller: A Biography      75
Maureen O’Sullivan: A Biography      87
1932 Tarzan, the Ape Man ( Johnny Weissmuller)      94
1934 Tarzan and His Mate ( Johnny Weissmuller)      110
1936 Tarzan Escapes ( Johnny Weissmuller)      123
1939 Tarzan Finds a Son! ( Johnny Weissmuller)      131
1941 Tarzan’s Secret Treasure ( Johnny Weissmuller)      140
1942 Tarzan’s New York Adventure ( Johnny Weissmuller)      148
1943 Tarzan Triumphs ( Johnny Weissmuller)      155
1943 Tarzan’s Desert Mystery ( Johnny Weissmuller)      163
1945 Tarzan and the Amazons ( Johnny Weissmuller)      168
1946 Tarzan and the Leopard Woman ( J. Weissmuller)      174
1947 Tarzan and the Huntress ( Johnny Weissmuller)      179
1948 Tarzan and the Mermaids ( Johnny Weissmuller)      185

III. MORE HEROIC TARZANS: 1933 TO THE PRESENT
1933 Tarzan the Fearless (Buster Crabbe)      191
1935 The New Adventures of Tarzan (Herman Brix)      198
1938 Tarzan’s Revenge (Glenn Morris)      208
1938 Tarzan and the Green Goddess (Herman Brix)      214
1949 Tarzan’s Magic Fountain (Lex Barker)      219
1950 Tarzan and the Slave Girl (Lex Barker)      225
1951 Tarzan’s Peril (Lex Barker)      230
1952 Tarzan’s Savage Fury (Lex Barker)      235
1953 Tarzan and the She-Devil (Lex Barker)      241
1955 Tarzan’s Hidden Jungle (Gordon Scott)      247
1957 Tarzan and the Lost Safari (Gordon Scott)      253
1958 Tarzan’s Fight for Life (Gordon Scott)      259
1959 Tarzan’s Greatest Adventure (Gordon Scott)      264
1959 Tarzan, the Ape Man (Denny Miller)      274
1960 Tarzan, the Magnificent (Gordon Scott)      281
1962 Tarzan Goes to India ( Jock Mahoney)      288
1963 Tarzan’s Three Challenges ( Jock Mahoney)      295
1966 Tarzan and the Valley of Gold (Mike Henry)      303
1967 Tarzan and the Great River (Mike Henry)      308
1968 Tarzan and the Jungle Boy (Mike Henry)      313
1970 Tarzan’s Deadly Silence (Ron Ely)      319
1970 Tarzan’s Jungle Rebellion (Ron Ely)      322
1981 Tarzan, the Ape Man (Miles O’Keeffe)      325
1984 Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan (Christopher Lambert)      330

IV. TARZAN ON TELEVISION
1958 Tarzan and the Trappers (Gordon Scott)      342
1966 Tarzan Television Series, 1966–1968 (Ron Ely)      346
1989 Tarzan in Manhattan ( Joe Lara)      349
1991 Tarzan Television Series, 1991–1993 (Wolf Larson)      354

Appendix A. Chronological Tarzan Filmography      357
Appendix B. Ron Ely Television Episodes (1966–1968)      359
Appendix C. Wolf Larson Television Episodes      379
Index      391

“delightful”—Film Review; “highly readable and entertaining”—Classic Images; “a must”—Scarlet Street; “detailed”— C&RL News; “chronicles every Tarzan film ever made”—Choice; “affectionately written and well-researched”—Starlog; a knowledgeable, detailed volume that is also very entertaining to read. …excellent black-and-white photos…an excellent job…comprehensive…valuable…a must”—Scarlet Street; “recommended”—Interzone; “[an] in-depth work…a must read”—Movie Collector’s World; “heavily illustrated”—Cult Movies; “fascinating”—Burlington County Times; ““well written and researched”—Erbania; “an exhaustive chronicle”—MPLS St. Paul; “Complete credits.”—Neil Barron, Editor of Fantasy and Horror.