The Son of Tarzan
About The Son of Tarzan
Tarzan and Jane live in London with their son Jack. Jack slips out to see a trained ape, Ajax, who is really Akut. The trainer is Ivan Paulovich, an old enemy, and he kidnaps the boy to Africa. Jack escapes with Akut, survives in the jungle, and is called Korak. He frees Meriem, a French girl held by Arab traders, and they grow up together while Paulovich hunts them for ransom. Paulovich lures Jane to Africa; Tarzan follows. An elephant pulls Korak off a stake in the last fight. The families sail for England.
Cast & crew
More about The Son of Tarzan
David P. Howells produced the 15-chapter serial. Roy Somerville adapted Edgar Rice Burroughs's 1915 novel. Harry Revier directed, and in June 1920 hired Arthur J. Flaven to speed the schedule. Shooting began May 15, 1920. The last chapter was not finished until January 27, 1921. National Film Corporation paid Burroughs $20,000 for the rights after Harry M. Rubey became president. Charles G. Clarke was the cinematographer.
Themes
Making
Revier could not get Elmo Lincoln or Gene Pollar, the earlier screen Tarzans, so the first advertising sold the serial rather than a star. Gordon Griffith had already played the boy Tarzan in Tarzan of the Apes and The Romance of Tarzan.
Look
Charles G. Clarke shot the serial in the San Bernardino Mountains, on the river bottom at Pico Rivera, and along the coasts at Corona del Mar and San Francisco.
Music
The song "Tarzan, My Jungle King" was written for the serial. The picture is silent.
Preservation
A copy running about four hours has circulated. Alpha Video issued a black-and-white DVD in January 2009.
Notes
- Kamuela C. Searle plays the adult Korak, Gordon Griffith the boy. Manilla Martan (Nita Martan) plays the adult Meriem, Mae Giraci the girl. P. Dempsey Tabler plays Tarzan. Karla Schramm plays Jane, repeating the part from The Revenge of Tarzan. Eugene Burr plays Paulovich.
- On April 3, 1920, Rubey announced Jack Hoxie as Korak, his wife Lucille as the female lead, a South Pacific location, and contracts for more than 300 apes. Within a month the plan was dropped. Searle, cast after a role in DeMille's Male and Female, spent four weeks in the desert hardening for the part.
- Tabler was in his mid-40s, balding, and wore a wig. He broke several ribs in a fight with Burr. This was his last film.
- A pictorial prologue opens chapter one and replaces the written recap in later chapters. It includes the first on-screen wedding of Tarzan and Jane. Wikipedia calls this the first serial to use that device.
- While chapter 15 was shot, the elephant playing Tantor slammed Searle to the ground and shattered the stake he was tied to. Essoe, Harmon, and Glut wrote that he died of the injuries. Searle's brother later said a double finished a few long shots, and that Searle died of cancer in 1924.
- A song, "Tarzan, My Jungle King," was written for the serial.
Scenes
- Jack is kidnapped at the ape's cage in London.
- Korak cuts Meriem free from the traders.
- The elephant pulls Korak off the stake in the last chapter.
Influenced by
- The Son of Tarzan
Also available
- Alpha Video DVD (2009)
