The Son of Tarzan (1920)

The scenario follows the book closely. Tarzan's son Jack (Korak to the apes) is kidnapped from England by Tarzan's old enemy Paulovich. He escapes into the African jungle with the help of ... See full summary »

Directors:

Arthur J. Flaven, Harry Revier

Writers:

Edgar Rice Burroughs (novel), Roy Somerville

Stars:

Kamuela C. Searle, P. Dempsey Tabler, Manilla Martan

Cast

Complete credited 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

Storyline

The scenario follows the book closely. Tarzan's son Jack (Korak to the apes) is kidnapped from England by Tarzan's old enemy Paulovich. He escapes into the African jungle with the help of Paulovich's trained ape Akut. There he meets Meriem, a white girl held by Arabs. He frees her and falls in love. Meriem (who is really an heiress) is sought by Paulovich. Tarzan arrives with Jane at his African estate and intervenes.

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Plot Keywords:

sequel | serial | based on novel | character name in title

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Genres:

Action | Adventure

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Details

Country:

USA

Release Date:

May 1920 (USA)

Also Known As:

Jungle Trail of the Son of Tarzan

Filming Locations:

Balboa, Newport Beach, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$106,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

National Film Corporation of America

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Silent

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

P. Dempsey Tabler broke several ribs in a fight scene with Eugene Burr.

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Connections

Follows Tarzan of the Apes (1918)

User Reviews

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.