Official Edgar Rice Burroughs Tribute and Weekly Webzine Site Since 1996 ~ Over 15,000 Webpages in Archive Volume 7014  |
ERB 100-Word Drabbles
JULY II Edition :: Days 1-15
See Days 16-31 at ERBzine 7014a
by Robert Allen Lupton
With ERBzine References by Bill Hillman
SPEAK FROM THE HEART
On July 1, 1916, All-Story Weekly published the third part of “The Return of the Mucker.” The cover illustration is for the first installment of “Face Value” by Edgar Franklin (Sterns). I was unable to find any evidence that “Face Value” has ever been printed in any other format than this issue of All-Story. The only other contributors to this issue that I recognize are Frank Condon, a Hollywood screen writer, and Captain A. E. (Edward) Dingle, a sailor who was shipwrecked five times, and a prolific writer of seafaring tales. I would have thought that after the third wreck, people would refuse to go to sea with the man.
“Speak From The Heart” is today’s drabble.
Jose listened to Billy Byrne and Barbara Harding say
good-bye. “Billy, the lady, she loves you very much.”
“Wrong, she’d never give two cents for a mug like
me.”
“Grayson paid Esteban and his men to capture her.”
“I’ll save her, but not for love or money. It’s the
decent thing to do.”
“Norte Americanos make up the best stories. You even
believe yourselves.”
“You callin' me a liar.”
“Si, to yourself. Love is to be celebrated, not hidden
away. Do you fear being happy?”
“You’re right. I’ll tell her.”
“Then best we hurry. Esteban has a good head start.”
POP THE QUESTION
July 2, 1928: On this day the stars of Tarzan and the Golden Lion, Joan Burroughs and James Pierce announced their engagement. He popped the question while they were parked in the driveway of the Burroughs estate -- under a full moon -- in Jim's old Model T. They were given the blessing of the Burroughs family and set the wedding date for August 8, 1928 -- Jim's birthday. The couple played Tarzan and Jane in 354 episodes of the Tarzan Radio Serial. They worked for royalties, unlike the rest of the cast. It was a great decision. The couple remained married until Joan’s death in 1972.
“Pop The Question” is today’s drabble.
Joan Burroughs and Jim Pierce walked into Edgar Rice
Burroughs’ office. Joan said, “Dad, we’ve something to tell you.”
Burroughs smirked at the uncomfortable couple. “I’m
listening.”
“Jim’s asked me to marry him and I’ve said yes.”
“I see. Have you told your mother?”
“Yes. She said we had to talk to you.”
Burroughs glared at Pierce. “Well young man, what
do you have to say for yourself?”
“I love Joan and she loves me. We want to be married.”
Joan said, “Well, Dad. What do you say?”
“I’d say it’s about time. I glad you came to your
senses.”
NEW TELEVISION
July 3, 1947 On this day Edgar Rice Burroughs bought his first television, a RCA. He must have viewed it as a marvel. Remember he was born to a world of candles and gas lamps, well before radio, cars, airplanes, and even wide spread electric service. In 1925, only half the homes in the United States had service. KDKA in Pittsburg made the first U. S. commercial radio broadcast on November 2, 1920. Television may have seen like an invention by Ras Thavas. Burroughs reportedly enjoyed sports on television, especially boxing, wrestling, and baseball.
"New Television" is the drabble today.
“Dad, are you going to watch that thing all day.”
“I like baseball, but there aren’t any teams in California.”
“Don’t sit so close, you’ll ruin your eyes.”
“I’d go to baseball games if there was a team out
here. I think I’ll write a letter to the Dodgers. They don’t get any respect
in New York.”
“Great idea. Turn off the television and write the
letter. I think his name’s O’Malley.”
Burroughs poured himself another drink. "Maybe tomorrow.
Gorgeous George is wrestling Baby Sharkey later today. I can’t miss it.
Did you know some people believe wrestling is fake?”
DON'T BE PITHY
July 4, 1954: On US Independence Day, the John Celardo and Dick Van Buren Sunday Tarzan comic strip, “Tarzan and the Trappers,” concluded a 16 week run. The title of this Tarzan adventure is not related to the Gordon Scott film of the same name. The movie, “Tarzan and the Trappers” was originally filmed as three television episodes and released in 1958. Most of the John Celardo Tarzan Sunday pages aren’t available online or in print but will soon be featured in ERBzine. The Celardo Tarzan Dailies are all reprinted in ERBzine.
"Don’t Be Pithy" is the drabble today.
Celardo turned in the last four episodes of the Sunday strip, “Tarzan and the Egyptians.” Van Buren handed him the script for the next story line, “Tarzan and the Trappers.”
Celardo said, “You wrote Devil-Man, Mongol Horde, Ghost Lion, and Panther Men for Bob Lubbers and I get “Trappers.” Where’s the fun in that?”
“The title rolls off the tongue. Tarzan and the Trappers. I like the way it sounds.”
“Sounds boring to me.”
“Just draw it. Later I’ll write pirates, panthers, and even killer whales.”
“Okay, you’re lucky I like to draw pith helmets. That’s fun to say too.”
SEPARATED BY COMMON LANGUAGE
July 5, 1927: On this day Edgar Rice Burroughs made it clear that he was unhappy with Methuen, his publisher in England, who had made made changes to this text and even deleted words and passages. Burroughs demanded that this practice stop immediately. The next book scheduled to be published by Metheun was “The War Chief.” Burroughs insisted that it be published as written.
Methuen Publishing Ltd is an English publishing house founded in 1889 by Sir Algernon Methuen and began publishing in London in 1892. Initially Methuen mainly published non-fiction academic works, eventually diversifying to encourage female authors and later translated works.
“Separated by a Common Language” is the drabble today.
“Sir Algernon, have you seen this communication from
the Tarzan fellow. Quite cheeky, actually.”
“Indeed, Reginald. He’s complains that we correct
his spelling. I should think he would thank us.”
“Yes, he uses the letter ‘Z’ when anyone with a spot
of education would use the letter ‘S’.”
“Uncivilised and unhonourable behavior. I assume we
delete passages which offend common decency.”
“As always, Sir Algernon.”
“I rather believe we should honour his demand and
make no changes in his next book.”
“Readers will take umbrage at the poor spelling.”
“As well they should. The language is called English,
not American.”
EVOLUTION IS UNDENIABLE
July 6, 1925: On this day Edgar Rice Burroughs wrote a pro-evolution article, EVOLUTION HELD UNDENIABLE - NATURE'S LAW, SAYS AUTHOR, was published by the International Press Bureau and Universal Service newspapers. Some sources credit the date as July 5th. This was in response to the Scopes Trial taking place in Dayton, Tennessee. The trial is quite mythical, but it’s origins are largely unknown.
The Scopes Trial, formally known as The State of Tennessee v. John Thomas Scopes and commonly referred to as the Scopes Monkey Trial, was an American legal case in July 1925 in which a substitute high school teacher, John T. Scopes, was accused of violating Tennessee's Butler Act, which had made it unlawful to teach human evolution in any state-funded school. The trial was deliberately staged in order to attract publicity to the small town of Dayton, Tennessee, where it was held. Scopes was unsure whether he had ever actually taught evolution, but he purposely incriminated himself so that the case could have a defendant. (I had no idea that Scopes volunteered. Shame on me.) Hoping to attract major press coverage, local business men went so far as to write to the British novelist H. G. Wells asking him to join the defense team. Wells replied that he had no legal training in Britain, let alone in America, and declined the offer.
The photo is from the trial, portions were moved outdoors because of the oppressive heat.
“Evolution is Undeniable” is today’s drabble. It is 110 words long and is an excerpt from the Edgar Rice Burroughs article,
I do not believe that the most ardent anti-evolutionist will question the existence of the Cro-Magnon man, or hesitate to admit the possibility of our descent from him; nor will he deny that man's mental attainments, unfolding from the savage brains of this primitive ancestor, have broadened and improve in the 25,000 years since the people of this extinct race drew in red ochre the mammoth, the bison and the lion upon the walls of their caves, and if he admits this, which is obvious, then he must admit that nature, or God, purposed that there should be improvement , or development, or unfoldment, or evolution in some slight degree.
LEARNING CURVE
July 7, 1917: All-Story Weekly published part two of “The Lad and the Lion.” The cover illustration is by William, one name only. The single named artist drew a half dozen All-Story covers before disappearing or using a different name. The head shot art of a young woman illustrates the Frank R. Adams’ story, “Passengers for Paradise.” Adams wrote over two hundred stories for the pulps, several novels, screenplays, and, and lyrics for several popular songs, including "I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now."
“Learning Curve" is today’s drabble.
Prince Ferdinand was a thoroughly unpleasant child. He grew up to be a thoroughly unpleasant young man. He hated everyone and everyone hated him. He liked it that way. As his seventeenth birthday approached, the only people he didn’t hate were his toady, Max Lomsk, and the gardener’s daughter, Hilda.
He kidnapped Hilda and took her to his hunting lodge.
His father intervened. “Son, you will marry Princess
Maria. No gardener’s daughter for you. Send her home.”
“But, Maria is ugly. I hate her.”
“No matter, you hate everyone.”
“Maria doesn’t hate me.”
“Give her time. She’s a quick learner.”
CAREER MOVES
June 8, 1959: On this day "Tarzan’s Greatest Adventure” starring Gordon Scott was released. The cast included a relatively unknown actor from Glasgow, Scotland named Sean Connery. Connery played a heavies, a man named O’Bannion. Sy Weintraub, one of the two producers followed through on his earlier decision to leave Jane out of his Tarzan movies. The female lead, Angie, is played by Sara Shane, born Elaine Sterling. Sara Shane moved to television and appeared in Outer Limits and Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea episodes. Her career ended after 1964. She had roles in a number of movies prior to Tarzan’s Greatest Adventure including “Magnificent Obsession” with Rock Hudson.Gordon Scott made one more Tarzan film, “Tarzan the Magnificent” before moving on to play Samson, Goliath, Hercules, and Zorro in a number of predominately Italian produced sword and sorcery epics. Mr. Connery found a small niche to fill and over the next fifty or so years played pretty much in whatever films he chose. The fourth actor in the attached film stills is Anthony Quayle.
“Career Moves” is today’s drabble.
Gordon Scott, Sara Shane, and Sean Connery waited while the crew set up the cameras. Scott asked, “Sean, we start filming the next Tarzan movie pretty quick. You on board.”
“No, I promised to do this low budget spy film for the family that invented broccoli or asparagus, or maybe artichokes."
What about you, Sara?”
“I’ve got some television offers. How many of these
films will you make, Gordon?”
“My contract’s for one more. I'm considering Italian
films. The pay’s good."
Connery asked, “Didn't know you spoke Italian?”
“Si, ravioli, vino, pizza, pepperoni.”
“Well, at least you won’t starve.”
