Tarzan and the Golden Lion

I found this to be the most disappointing of the silent-era films (though the lost Gene Polar opus, "The Revenge of Tarzan," was supposedly worse). Despite Edgar Rice Burroughs' enthusiasm for the casting of James Pierce, he really does not make a good Ape-Man, and seems more at ease in the "dinner jacket" scenes set at Lord Greystoke's African estate. Pierce would have been better served should he have chosen to stay with the film "Wings" (the first -- 1927 -- Academy Award winner for Best Film) instead of opting for this rather dodgy entry into the Tarzan series. To give Pierce credit, this future Burroughs son-in-law did make a fine radio Tarzan, and was a capable supporting actor in B-productions (Flash Gordon, a few low-budget westerns, etc.). Far more important, as a pilot, he was one of the founding members of what would become the Air National Guard.

Overall, a few good action sequences scattered here and there, some nice set designs, but little else to recommend it. Except, perhaps, for the presence of Boris Karloff in one of his early roles, hamming it up as a villainous African Chieftain. Only in Hollywood!

The only known print is titled in French (reportedly unearthed in the closet of an insane asylum!), and clocks in at about 57 minutes in length.

Oh, by the way, when Pierce, with little notice, dropped out of "Wings," the producers of that film were forced to hurriedly recast his role. They settled on a gangly young lad named Gary Cooper.