Tarzan the Mighty
Encyclopedia
Tarzan the Mighty is a 1928
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
.
, starring "Big Jim" Pierce
, FBO did not make a sequel. Universal paid Burroughs an undisclosed sum to make a new Tarzan serial based on Jungle Tales of Tarzan
. This serial was later re-titled Tarzan the Mighty.
Merill, who was the National Gymnastics champion from 1916 to 1918, came up with the vine swinging technique. Merrill actually swung on a "vine" (a rope) with Kingston in one arm. The footage was later studied by MGM for Tarzan the Ape Man (1932) and the subsequent series of Tarzan films with Johnny Weissmuller
.
Production began on 12 April and finished on 28 October 1928 The serial was originally intended to be 12 chapters long but it was so successful that it was extended to 15 chapters in length. Tarzan the Mighty was successful enough for a sequel, Tarzan the Tiger
, to be put into production with many of the cast returning (in slightly different roles in some cases).
1928 in film
-Events:Although some movies released in 1928 had sound, most were still silent.* July 28 - Lights of New York is released by Warner Brothers. It is the first "100% Talkie" feature film, in that dialog is spoken throughout the film...
action
Action film
Action film is a film genre where one or more heroes is thrust into a series of challenges that require physical feats, extended fights and frenetic chases...
film serial directed by Jack Nelson and Ray Taylor
Ray Taylor (director)
Ray Taylor was a prolific American film director. He directed 159 films between 1926 and 1949. His debut was the 1926 film serial Fighting with Buffalo Bill.-Selected filmography:...
. It was nominally based on the collection Jungle Tales of Tarzan
Jungle Tales of Tarzan
Jungle Tales of Tarzan is a collection of twelve loosely-connected short stories written by Edgar Rice Burroughs, comprising the sixth book in order of publication in his series about the title character Tarzan...
by Edgar Rice Burroughs
Edgar Rice Burroughs
Edgar Rice Burroughs was an American author, best known for his creation of the jungle hero Tarzan and the heroic Mars adventurer John Carter, although he produced works in many genres.-Biography:...
. The film is now considered to be lost
Lost film
A lost film is a feature film or short film that is no longer known to exist in studio archives, private collections or public archives such as the Library of Congress, where at least one copy of all American films are deposited and catalogued for copyright reasons...
.
Cast
- Frank MerrillFrank Merrill (actor)Frank Merrill was a Southern California and national title-winning gymnast , police officer, stuntman and actor, most famous for being the fifth actor to portray Tarzan on film.Merrill had doubled for the screen's first Tarzan, Elmo Lincoln, in the 1921 movie serial The...
as TarzanTarzanTarzan is a fictional character, an archetypal feral child raised in the African jungles by the Mangani "great apes"; he later experiences civilization only to largely reject it and return to the wild as a heroic adventurer...
. Joe BonomoJoe Bonomo (strongman)Joe Bonomo born 25 December 1901 in Coney Island New York died 28 March 1978 in Los Angeles was a famous American weight lifter, strongman, film stunt performer and actor....
was cast as Tarzan but, while filming Perils of the WildPerils of the WildPerils of the Wild is a 1925 adventure film serial directed by Francis Ford. The film is considered to be lost. This serial was based on The Swiss Family Robinson by Johann David Wyss.-Cast:...
, fractured his left leg and severely injured his sacroiliac jointSacroiliac jointThe sacroiliac joint or SI joint is the joint in the bony pelvis between the sacrum and the ilium of the pelvis, which are joined together by strong ligaments. In humans, the sacrum supports the spine and is supported in turn by an ilium on each side...
while performing a stunt.. Director Jack Nelson remembered Frank Merill from working with him on an earlier production, either Perils of the Jungle (1927) or The Adventures of TarzanThe Adventures of TarzanThe Adventures of Tarzan is a 15 chapter movie serial which features the third and final appearance of Elmo Lincoln as Tarzan. The serial was produced by Louis Weiss, written by Robert F. Hill and Lillian Valentine , and directed by Robert F...
. Whichever production it was, he felt that Merrill was a natural replacement and the new lead actor started filming the next morning. - Al FergusonAl FergusonAl Ferguson was an Irish-born American film actor. He appeared in nearly 300 films between 1912 and 1956.He was born in County Wexford, Ireland and died in Long Island, New York.-Selected filmography:...
as Black John, village ruler of Pirates' descendants - Natalie Kingston as Mary Trevor. There was no JaneJane Porter (Tarzan)Jane Porter is a major character in Edgar Rice Burroughs's series of Tarzan novels, and in adaptations of the saga to other media, particularly film.- In the novels :...
in this production. Kingston was cast as the castaway and love interest Mary Trevor. - Bobby Nelson as Bobby Trevor, Mary's younger brother
- Lorimer JohnstonLorimer JohnstonLorimer Johnston was an American silent film actor and director....
as Lord Greystoke, Tarzan's uncle
Production
After the failure of Tarzan and the Golden LionTarzan and the Golden Lion (film)
Tarzan and the Golden Lion is a Tarzan film based on the 1923 novel of the same title written by Edgar Rice Burroughs, creator of the Tarzan character. The film starred James Pierce as Tarzan, Frederick Peters as Esteban Miranda, Dorothy Dunbar as Jane, and Edna Murphy as Betty Greystoke. The film...
, starring "Big Jim" Pierce
James Pierce
James Hubert Pierce , of Shelbyville, Indiana, was the fourth actor to portray Tarzan on film.-Early life/College/Early film career:...
, FBO did not make a sequel. Universal paid Burroughs an undisclosed sum to make a new Tarzan serial based on Jungle Tales of Tarzan
Jungle Tales of Tarzan
Jungle Tales of Tarzan is a collection of twelve loosely-connected short stories written by Edgar Rice Burroughs, comprising the sixth book in order of publication in his series about the title character Tarzan...
. This serial was later re-titled Tarzan the Mighty.
Merill, who was the National Gymnastics champion from 1916 to 1918, came up with the vine swinging technique. Merrill actually swung on a "vine" (a rope) with Kingston in one arm. The footage was later studied by MGM for Tarzan the Ape Man (1932) and the subsequent series of Tarzan films with Johnny Weissmuller
Johnny Weissmuller
Johnny Weissmuller was an Austro-Hungarian-born American swimmer and actor best known for playing Tarzan in movies. Weissmuller was one of the world's best swimmers in the 1920s, winning five Olympic gold medals and one bronze medal. He won fifty-two US National Championships and set sixty-seven...
.
Production began on 12 April and finished on 28 October 1928 The serial was originally intended to be 12 chapters long but it was so successful that it was extended to 15 chapters in length. Tarzan the Mighty was successful enough for a sequel, Tarzan the Tiger
Tarzan the Tiger
Tarzan the Tiger 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 written by Ian McClosky Heath and directed by Henry MacRae.It was considered lost at one time...
, to be put into production with many of the cast returning (in slightly different roles in some cases).
See also
- List of film serials
- List of film serials by studio
- Tarzan in film and other non-print mediaTarzan in film and other non-print mediaTarzan, a fictional character created by Edgar Rice Burroughs, first appeared in the 1912 novel Tarzan of the Apes, and then in twenty-three sequels. The character proved immensely popular and quickly made the jump to other media, first and most notably to comics and film...
- List of lost films