Tarzan the Tiger
Encyclopedia
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 but a copy has since been found. Today the serial is available on DVD and, in the public domain, available for download on the internet.
, with Lady Jane and friend Albert Werper, in order to return to Opar
. He needs the treasure of Opar in order to secure his estates in England. Werper, however, is actually interested in the gold himself. He is in league with Arab
slave trader Achmet Zek who wishes revenge on Tarzan and Lady Jane for himself.
Quoted text from the opening credits for each character.
Tarzan the Tiger was a sequel based on the success of Tarzan the Mighty
.
Advertising for the serial, in addition to the usual jungle serial perils (such as elephants, lions, tigers and gorillas), focused on the beautiful women (Lady Jane, La and the women of the slave market scenes). Kingston, as Jane, appeared nude in a swimming sequence. "It is said that fathers sometimes accompanied their sons to the showings."
A further sequel, to create a trilogy of Frank Merrill Tarzan serials, was planned. The third entry would have been called Tarzan the Terrible. However, Merrill's voice was deemed unsuitable for sound films and the sequel was cancelled. Merrill made personal appearances in costume to promote the serial. During these, he realised how much influence he had on children. Combined with the issues over his voice this led him to retire after this serial and devote his life to children. He become a Recreational Director for the Parks commission of the Los Angeles
city administration.
Tarzan the Tiger was a transitional film with one version released as a silent and the other with a partial soundtrack. The soundtrack only covered music and sound effects, but does include the first Tarzan yell
, although it does not sound like the now traditional call that was first used in the Johnny Weissmuller
Tarzan movie Tarzan the Ape Man.
Universal Pictures
-1920:* White Youth* The Flaming Disc* Am I Dreaming?* The Dragon's Net* The Adorable Savage* Putting It Over* The Line Runners-1921:* The Fire Eater* A Battle of Wits* Dream Girl* The Millionaire...
movie serial
Serial (film)
Serials, more specifically known as Movie serials, Film serials or Chapter plays, were short subjects originally shown in theaters in conjunction with a feature film. They were related to pulp magazine serialized fiction...
based on the novel Tarzan and the Jewels of Opar
Tarzan and the Jewels of Opar
Tarzan and the Jewels of Opar is a novel written by Edgar Rice Burroughs, the fifth in his series of books about the title character Tarzan. It first appeared in the November and December issues of All-Story Cavalier Weekly in 1916, and the first book publication was by McClurg in 1918.-Plot...
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:...
. It stars Frank Merrill
Frank 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 Tarzan
Tarzan
Tarzan 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...
, Natalie Kingston as Jane
Jane 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 :...
, and Al Ferguson
Al Ferguson
Al 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:...
. It was written by Ian McClosky Heath and directed by Henry MacRae
Henry MacRae
Henry Alexander MacRae was a Canadian film director, producer and screenwriter during the silent era, working on many film serials for Universal Studios...
.
It was considered 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...
at one time but a copy has since been found. Today the serial is available on DVD and, in the public domain, available for download on the internet.
Plot
Lord Greystoke (Tarzan) returns to AfricaAfrica
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
, with Lady Jane and friend Albert Werper, in order to return to Opar
Opar
Opar is a fictional lost city in Edgar Rice Burroughs's series of Tarzan novels.Burroughs may have taken the name from the Biblical reference to Ophir, whence King Solomon supposedly received a cargo of "gold, silver, sandalwood, precious stones, ivory, apes and peacocks" every three years, via...
. He needs the treasure of Opar in order to secure his estates in England. Werper, however, is actually interested in the gold himself. He is in league with Arab
Arab
Arab people, also known as Arabs , are a panethnicity primarily living in the Arab world, which is located in Western Asia and North Africa. They are identified as such on one or more of genealogical, linguistic, or cultural grounds, with tribal affiliations, and intra-tribal relationships playing...
slave trader Achmet Zek who wishes revenge on Tarzan and Lady Jane for himself.
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 "The Lord of the Manor—known to LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
as the Earl of Greystoke—and to the JungleJungleA Jungle is an area of land in the tropics overgrown with dense vegetation.The word jungle originates from the Sanskrit word jangala which referred to uncultivated land. Although the Sanskrit word refers to "dry land", it has been suggested that an Anglo-Indian interpretation led to its...
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...
, the Tiger!" Frank Merrill reprised his role as Tarzan from Tarzan the MightyTarzan the MightyTarzan 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.-Cast:* Frank Merrill as Tarzan...
. His performance in these two serials makes him the last silent Tarzan and the first sound Tarzan. Merrill did his own stunts and devised the original Tarzan Yell. - Natalie Kingston as "Lady 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 :...
, his wifeWifeA wife is a female partner in a marriage. The rights and obligations of the wife regarding her spouse and others, and her status in the community and in law, varies between cultures and has varied over time.-Origin and etymology:...
, who has left the gaiety of LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
Society to share his life on the JungleJungleA Jungle is an area of land in the tropics overgrown with dense vegetation.The word jungle originates from the Sanskrit word jangala which referred to uncultivated land. Although the Sanskrit word refers to "dry land", it has been suggested that an Anglo-Indian interpretation led to its...
plantation" Natalie Kingston was again cast as the love interest but this time played the traditional character of Lady Jane instead of Mary Trevor (from Tarzan the Mighty). The change was not explained in the serial. - 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 "Albert Werper, Soldier of FortuneMercenaryA mercenary, is a person who takes part in an armed conflict based on the promise of material compensation rather than having a direct interest in, or a legal obligation to, the conflict itself. A non-conscript professional member of a regular army is not considered to be a mercenary although he...
—a guest at Greystoke Manor in the guise of a friendly ScientistScientistA scientist in a broad sense is one engaging in a systematic activity to acquire knowledge. In a more restricted sense, a scientist is an individual who uses the scientific method. The person may be an expert in one or more areas of science. This article focuses on the more restricted use of the word...
" Al Ferguson was also again cast as the villain of the story but not the same character (or even a slightly renamed character, as with Jane. In Tarzan the Mighty he played the pirate Black John). - Kithnou as "The High Priestess of the Sun Worshipers—LaLa (Tarzan)La is a character in Edgar Rice Burroughs's series of Tarzan novels. She first appeared in the second Tarzan novel, The Return of Tarzan , and reappeared in the fifth, Tarzan and the Jewels of Opar , the ninth, Tarzan and the Golden Lion , and the fourteenth, Tarzan the Invincible...
, who has sworn that she will have no other mate than Tarzan" Mademoiselle Kithnou was a dancer and actress of mixed IndiaIndiaIndia , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n and European descent from Pondicherry in (at that time) French IndiaFrench IndiaFrench India is a general name for the former French possessions in India These included Pondichéry , Karikal and Yanaon on the Coromandel Coast, Mahé on the Malabar Coast, and Chandannagar in Bengal...
, or possibly from MauritiusMauritiusMauritius , officially the Republic of Mauritius is an island nation off the southeast coast of the African continent in the southwest Indian Ocean, about east of Madagascar...
. - Sheldon LewisSheldon LewisSheldon Lewis was an American actor of the silent era best known for his antagonistic roles. He appeared in 93 films between 1914 and 1936.He was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and died in San Gabriel, California...
as "Achmet Zek, a NomadNomadNomadic people , commonly known as itinerants in modern-day contexts, are communities of people who move from one place to another, rather than settling permanently in one location. There are an estimated 30-40 million nomads in the world. Many cultures have traditionally been nomadic, but...
Chief, against whose traffic in slaves Tarzan has waged relentless war"
Quoted text from the opening credits for each character.
Production
Tarzan the Mighty
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.-Cast:* Frank Merrill as Tarzan...
.
Advertising for the serial, in addition to the usual jungle serial perils (such as elephants, lions, tigers and gorillas), focused on the beautiful women (Lady Jane, La and the women of the slave market scenes). Kingston, as Jane, appeared nude in a swimming sequence. "It is said that fathers sometimes accompanied their sons to the showings."
A further sequel, to create a trilogy of Frank Merrill Tarzan serials, was planned. The third entry would have been called Tarzan the Terrible. However, Merrill's voice was deemed unsuitable for sound films and the sequel was cancelled. Merrill made personal appearances in costume to promote the serial. During these, he realised how much influence he had on children. Combined with the issues over his voice this led him to retire after this serial and devote his life to children. He become a Recreational Director for the Parks commission of the Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
city administration.
Tarzan the Tiger was a transitional film with one version released as a silent and the other with a partial soundtrack. The soundtrack only covered music and sound effects, but does include the first Tarzan yell
Tarzan yell
The Tarzan yell is the distinctive, ululating yell of the character Tarzan, as portrayed by actor Johnny Weissmuller in the films based on the character created by Edgar Rice Burroughs, starting with Tarzan the Ape Man...
, although it does not sound like the now traditional call that was first used in the 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...
Tarzan movie Tarzan the Ape Man.
Chapter titles
- Call of the Jungle
- The Road To Opar
- The Altar of the Flaming God
- The Vengeance of La
- Condemned To Death
- Tantor the Terror
- The Dealy Peril
- Loop of Death
- Flight of Werper
- Prisoner of the Apes
- The Jaws of Death
- The Jewels of Opar
- A Human Sacrifice
- Tarzan's Rage
- Tarzan's Triumph
See also
- List of film serials
- List of film serials by studio
- List of films in the public domain