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Tarzan of the Apes (1918)
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Overview
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Director:
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Release Date:
27 January 1918 (USA)
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Tagline:
With an unusually brilliant cast including...[list of cast members]...and 500 others more
Plot:
The plot follows the novel more closely than does any other Tarzan movie. John and Alice Clayton take ship for Africa...
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User Comments:
For 1918, this is cool stuff....
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Cast
(Complete credited cast)| Elmo Lincoln | ... | Tarzan | |
| Enid Markey | ... | Jane Porter | |
| True Boardman | ... | John Clayton, Lord Greystoke | |
| Kathleen Kirkham | ... | Alice Clayton, Lady Greystoke | |
| George B. French | ... | Binns, a sailor | |
| Gordon Griffith | ... | Tarzan, younger | |
| Colin Kenny | ... | Greystoke's nephew | |
| Thomas Jefferson | ... | Professor Porter | |
| Bessie Toner | ... | Bar Maid | |
| Jack Wilson | ... | Captain of the Fuwalda | |
| Louis Morrison | ... | Innkeeper | |
| Eugene Pallette | |||
| Fred L. Wilson |
Additional Details
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Runtime:
73 min
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Color:
Aspect Ratio:
1.33 : 1 more
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Fun Stuff
Trivia:
Over 300 locals in Morgan City, LA, were hired as cannibal extras for $1.75 a day.
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Movie Connections:
Referenced in Pineapple Express (2008)
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This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.more (9 total)
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Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Tarzan of the Apes (1918)| Recent Posts (updated daily) | User |
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| One glaring problem in virtually every Tarzan movie... | petekrug17 |
| sunland | GMBOBSCI |
Recommendations
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| Tarzan the Ape Man | Tarzan Escapes | Tarzan and the Trappers | Tarzan's Revenge | Jungle Drums of Africa |
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If someone watches this film and starts looking for shortcomings, they'll probably find a reasonable amount. However, considering the film was made in 1918, it's an amazingly good film--even with its few mistakes and cheesy touches--which, relative to other films of the day, were few.
This original Tarzan film was made in Louisiana. I live in Florida and I could tell by looking at the plants that it was filmed in this part of the USA, but considering that many later Tarzan films were filmed with houseplants all over the set, the backwoods of Louisiana (with all its Spanish moss) was a good choice for a domestic production. As far as the wild animals go, it was a mixed bag. Unfortunately, the elephant was an Asian elephant but I can't blame the film makers too much--the African variety are a lot nastier and dangerous. What I can blame them for, a bit, are the apes that adopt Tarzan. They are clearly people in cheap ape costumes--that look neither like gorillas or chimps--just people in ape costumes! But once again, given the technology of the era, it isn't that bad--plus, Stanley Kubrick did the same thing in 2001 and it's considered a masterpiece!! As for the plot, aside from the addition of a character and a few other small changes, it is essentially Edgar Rice Burroughs' book come to life. It's actually much more accurate than many of the later versions and because it stays closer to the book, it is more interesting and watchable...and less silly. In fact, as far as the writing, direction and acting go, it was all very, very good for such an early full-length film--and a lot better than the gobs of Tarzan films from the 1950s and 60s.
Overall, very good and very interesting.