Tarzan of the Apes
Tarzan of the Apes 1918 poster
Directed by	Scott Sidney
Produced by	William Parsons
Written by	Edgar Rice Burroughs (novel) Fred Miller and Lois Weber (adaptation)
Starring	Elmo Lincoln Enid Markey George B. French Gordon Griffith
Cinematography	Enrique Juan Vallejo
Editing by	Isadore Bernstein
Distributed by	National Film Corporation of America
Released	1918 (Broadway, New York)
Running time	55 min
Language	English
Followed by	The Romance of Tarzan
IMDb profile

Tarzan of the Apes (1918) is a silent black and white action adventure film directed by Scott Sidney starring Elmo Lincoln, Enid Markey, George B. French and Gordon Griffith. The movie was the first Tarzan movie ever made, and is based on Edgar Rice Burroughs' original novel Tarzan of the Apes. It is the most faithful to the novel of all the film adaptations, the most notable plot change being the introduction of the character Binns and his role in bringing the Porters to Africa; the novel brought them there through the improbable coincidence of a second mutiny. William Parsons, 3rd Earl of Rosse, usually known as Lord Rosse, was a 19th-century Irish astronomer. ... Edgar Rice Burroughs Edgar Rice Burroughs (September 1, 1875 – March 19, 1950) was an American author, best known for his creation of the jungle hero Tarzan, although he also produced works in many genres. ... Fred Miller may refer to: Fred Miller (American football player) Fred Miller (politician) from Australia Fred Miller (Michigan politician) This is a disambiguation page: a list of articles associated with the same title. ... Lois Weber (June 13, 1881 - November 13, 1939) was an American silent film actor and producer and director, and was the first woman to direct a full-length feature film when she directed The Merchant of Venice in 1914. ... Elmo Lincoln is best known in his silent movie role of Tarzan. ... See also: 1917 in film 1918 1919 in film years in film film Events Following litigation for anti-trust activities, the US Supreme Court orders the Motion Picture Patents Company to disband. ... 1918 (MCMXVIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. ... Elmo Lincoln is best known in his silent movie role of Tarzan. ... James H. Pierce and Joan Burroughs Pierce starred in the 1932-34 Tarzan radio series Tarzan, a character created by Edgar Rice Burroughs, first appeared in the 1914 novel Tarzan of the Apes, and then in twenty-three sequels. ... Edgar Rice Burroughs Edgar Rice Burroughs (September 1, 1875 – March 19, 1950) was an American author, best known for his creation of the jungle hero Tarzan, although he also produced works in many genres. ... Tarzan of the Apes is a series of books written by Edgar Rice Burroughs. ...

Plot

John and Alice Clayton, Lord and Lady Greystoke (True Boardman and Kathleen Kirkham), are passengers on the Fuwalda, a ship bound for Africa. When the vessel is taken over by mutineers the sailor Binns (George B. French) saves them from being murdered, but they are marooned on the tropical coast. After their deaths their infant son is adopted by Kala, an ape, who raises him as her own. The young Tarzan (Gordon Griffith) grows to maturity among the apes, becoming their king. Binns, returning to find the Claytons after ten years’ captivity among the Arabs, discovers the ape man and travels to England to report his survival to his family. An expedition led by scientist Professor Porter (Thomas Jefferson), a scientist, is launched to investigate. Meanwhile, Kala has been killed by a native, who is killed in turn by the now-adult Tarzan (Elmo Lincoln). The villagers kidnap Porter’s daughter Jane (Enid Markey); Tarzan rescues and romances her, and she comes to accept his love. Elmo Lincoln is best known in his silent movie role of Tarzan. ...

Trivia

• This first adaptation of Tarzan to film is also the most faithful to his portrayal in the novels of Edgar Rice Burroughs. It adapts only part of the novel on which it is based, the remainder becoming the basis for the sequel, The Romance of Tarzan.
• While Elmo Lincoln is generally credited as the first movie Tarzan, that distinction actually belongs to Gordon Griffith, who plays the character as a boy.
• Lincoln, a powerful but beefy actor, does not conform to the modern expectation of an athletic Tarzan. Nonetheless, he came closer to the ideal in one respect, killing a lion that went berserk on screen. The lion, an aged specimen, was also somewhat handicapped in the struggle by having been drugged for its screen appearance.

External links

• Tarzan of the Apes at The Internet Movie Database