The Son of Tarzan (1920)

Directors:

Arthur J. Flaven
Harry Revier

Writers:

Edgar Rice Burroughs (novel)
Roy Somerville (writer)

Release Date:

May 1920 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure

Plot:

The scenario follows the book closely. Tarzan's son Jack (Korak to the apes) is kidnapped from England by Tarzan's old enemy Paulovich...

Plot Keywords:

Tarzan | Serial | Sequel | Based On Novel | Character Name In Title

Cast

Kamuela C. Searle	...	Korak, Son of Tarzan grown up
P. Dempsey Tabler	...	Lord Greystoke / Tarzan
Manilla Martan	...	Meriem as a young woman
Karla Schramm	...	Lady Greystoke / Jane
Gordon Griffith	...	Jack. Son of Tarzan as a Boy
Mae Giraci	...	Meriem as a girl
Eugene Burr	...	Ivan Paulovich
Frank Morrell	...	Sheik Amor Ben Khatour
Ray Thompson	...	Malbihn
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Saville De Sacia
Frank Earle
Kathleen May
Lucille Rubey

Also Known As:

Jungle Trail of the Son of Tarzan (USA) (alternative title)

Runtime:

(15 episodes)

Country:

USA

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Silent

Filming Locations:

Balboa, Newport Beach, California, USA

Company:

National Film Corporation of America

Trivia:

The print of the feature edited from the serial still exists but missing frames, deteriorated stretches, sprocket jitters, and missing soundtrack segments make it impossible to follow. Some scenes fade to near black, others jump wildly.

Movie Connections:

Follows Tarzan of the Apes (1918)

A Fairly Good Print Has Been Found

A complete print of this serial, containing one of filmdom's most persistent urban legends, is now available, though a bit ragged in spots (missing frames, "sprocket jitters," etc. My copy is missing most of the musical soundtrack as well). I recommend it to the Tarzan fan, casual and completist, and to any silent movie fan. As has been noted on many occasions, P. Dempsey Tabler is quite woefully miscast as Tarzan (here known in the civilized world as Lord Greystone instead of Greystoke); fortunately he remains in England until near the end, allowing Kamuela Searle to enthusiastically carry the bulk of the picture as Jack Clayton, aka Korak ("Killer" in the language of Burroughs' Apes). Manilla Martan, as Meriem, Korak's damsel in constant distress, is also well-cast, and in those pre-Hayes Code days, gets away with a bit of nude bathing.

Most will see this serial having heard of Searle's death following the infamous elephant rescue. This has been debunked by Burroughs enthusiasts, who quote a letter from Searle's brother to "The Burroughs Bulletin," stating that though badly injured when the elephant slammed him to the ground still tied to a pole, Kamuela recovered, but died in 1924 of cancer.