Who is the best tree yodeler?

[cinemalover]

Much like the character of James Bond I also grew up idolizing the very popular character of Tarzan. Tarzan had the advantage of a large body of work already in the books by my youth in the 60's. Every Sunday afternoon my local TV station would show a Tarzan flick for years. There were comic books, comis strips, novels and even a TV series in the 60's. So many pleasant memories. What I would like to know is who was your favorite actor to portray Tarzan and which movies stand out in your mind?

[jdb1]

In terms of portrayal and physique, I think Weissmuller had it all. The subsequent Tarzans were all wonderful to behold, but I never liked the attempt to "modernize" the Tarzan character, or to make him an articulate American. That watered down the character and made him into just another Hollywood body-builder.

By the way, I work for the law firm that trademarked the Tarzan yell (a landmark transaction). It is a compilation of several vocalizations.

[SSO Admins]

I'm a big fan of Edgar Rice Burroughs, so I'm kind of lukewarm on most of the screen portrayals of Tarzan. If you're looking for faithfulness to the character, Christopher Lambert from 1984's Greystoke wins hands down. In the books, Tarzan was also very much Lord Greystoke, and fluent in English, French, several African tribal dialects and the language of the apes.

I do like Weismuller though, and Maureen O'Sullivan was unquestionably the sexiest Jane (and one of the sexiest women ever).

[cinemalover]

jondaris,
I remember seeing Greystoke in the theatre, and I haven't seen it since. I remember really enjoying it. But there was one thing that has always stuck in my memory about that film, there was a scene when Tarzan and D'Arnot were making preparations to travel to London. I don't remember the details but it seemed like there was an abrupt cut and all of a sudden they were in London in fine gentleman's clothing with no explanation of how they figured out their passage. It really stuck out as though there was some missing footage (or a really poor editor). Those thoughts are over 20 years old so maybe I'm looney. Does anyone else remember this?

[jdb1]

I have yet to see Greystoke. As a youngster, I read many stories of the Tarzan series (as well as some intended for young people and not officially sanctioned by the Burroughs publishers). I understand very well what the character is all about and who he is supposed to be.

Howevever, the Hollywood Tarzan was a somewhat different person, and I doubt that Weissmuller was ever intended to be shown in a stately home of England sipping tea and shooting partridges. He was a man of Nature, and continued to live in the wild, which he respected and loved. It was the (unsuccessful, I think) mixing up of the Green Natural and the modern real world in subsequent Tarzan movies that irks me. It's like the westerns of the 30s and 40s where cowboys, Indians, horses and modern automobiles got thrown together. Something just didn't feel right.

[cinemalover]

Come on out all you closet Tarzan fans. I just read that Herman Brix (aka Bruce Bennett) had died this last February. I know, I know, I'm probably the last to connect the dots, but Herman was E.R. Burrough's personal choice to play Tarzan in 1935's The New Adventures of Tarzan. His name rarely if ever comes up in discussions about who the best Tarzan was, but he was pretty good in this serial! Herman was born in 1906, so he got his money's worth from the life train.

[Moraldo Rubini]

Come on out all you closet Tarzan fans. I just read that Herman Brix (aka Bruce Bennett) had died this last February. I know, I know, I'm probably the last to connect the dots, but Herman was E.R. Burrough's personal choice to play Tarzan in 1935's The New Adventures of Tarzan. His name rarely if ever comes up in discussions about who the best Tarzan was, but he was pretty good in this serial! Herman was born in 1906, so he got his money's worth from the life train.

I just found this thread and was going to mention Bennett as the best for pure physicality. Their haircut always cracked me up though. Where did they find a barber in the jungle? Did Cheetah cut his hair?

Has anyone seen Elmo Lincoln? I believe he was the first screen Tarzan. I imagine he'd look rather comical to today's eye.

Certainly Milo O'Keefe (or was it Miles?) was the cheesiest in the John and Bo Derek version that tried to veer towards soft-porn.

Disney's was the best tree commuter. Those scenes of Tarzan riding the limbs as if he were skateboarding were fun to witness on the big screen.

[cinemalover]

Hi Moraldo,
I do have a very poor copy of Elmo Lincoln as Tarzan. It's been a long while since I watched it but my memory says that he was a beefy guy that would have put quite a strain on those vines had he swung very far on them. My mental image of him is more of a Neanderthal man than a lithe, animal-like Tarzan. Maybe he was raised by the elephants instead of the apes.

[Moraldo Rubini]

I do have a very poor copy of Elmo Lincoln as Tarzan. It's been a long while since I watched it but my memory says that he was a beefy guy that would have put quite a strain on those vines had he swung very far on them. My mental image of him is more of a Neanderthal man than a lithe, animal-like Tarzan. Maybe he was raised by the elephants instead of the apes.

I'm picturing hair on the back; perhaps he truly was King of the Apes...