Official Edgar Rice Burroughs Tribute and Weekly Webzine Site
Since 1996 ~ Over 15,000 Webpages in Archive
Volume 6894
Edgar Rice Burroughs' Tarzana Ranch
was the inspiration for his novel:
THE GIRL FROM HOLLYWOOD :: Pt. II
By Bill Hillman
Continued from Pt. I
Click for full-size images
ERB's TARZANA RANCH ~ 1922
The Inspiration for the Penningtons' Rancho Del Granado
TARZANA RANCH 1922 ~ VIEW TO THE SE
Joan Inspiration
Eva Pennington, the daughter of the old Colonel, Custer Pennington, and sister of young Custer, acts and talks much like ERB's real life daughter, Joan. The book was in many ways written as a warning to his daughter about the temptations and perils of Hollywood, their nearby neighbor to the south -- especially since Joan aspired to be an actress and singer.
The real life Eva, Joan Burroughs, also had an infatuation with Hollywood, eventually marrying James Pierce, the actor who starred in Tarzan and the Golden Lion. She and Pierce later played Jane and Tarzan in the 1932 Tarzan radio series.As biographer Porges noted “In Eva, the daughter and darling of the Pennington household, whose doting parents indulged her capricious behavior, Burroughs’ real-life model was probably his own daughter Joan.” Joan who was only around 14 when the book was written, went on to some success as a stage and radio actress and as a singer. The coming dread of empty-nest syndrome must have been a constant nag in the back of ERB's mind during this period. All of these fears and concern for the safety and future of his family come out in this story.
Tarzana Pools
The swimming pool that ERB had constructed after they moved onto the property was also described in the book's text. The fun and games enjoyed by the family in the pool played a vital part in the both familys' relaxation and bonding . . . and provided a major release contrast to the stresses and demands of fast-paced urban Hollywood. It was around this pool that house guests of both the Burroughs and Pennington families gathered -- and many of the visitors were from Hollywood. The Burroughs kids have fond memories of their much older dad being first to plunge into the pool's unheated waters and frolicing with them showing all the vigour of a much younger man. You can sense through his lifestyle and writing that ERB was becoming conscious of his age at this time, especially living among teenage kids.This was just how ERB had described Pennington and his family. The pool was the first built in the valley and was without filtration and heating system. Hully described the waters as always being murky, full of algae and often with floating small dead animals that had drowned in it through the night.
The series of connected fish pools stretching down the slope to the south of the Tarzana mansion were also incorporated into the novel's plot. In real life these pool often provided water for thirsty small animals on the ranch.
1. The Tarzana swimming pool on the east side of the house
A popular place for exercise and family play and social gatherings
2. The series of Fish Ponds and Water Gardens cascading down the slope on the south of the mansion
Top Left is the chicken house - beyond to the right is the dairy barn and creamery
Tarzana Ballroom/Theatre/Garage
Shortly after ERB took possession he had built a large structure about 30 metres to the west -- a large ballroom/theatre with an attached garage that housed ERB numerous prized automobiles. ERB, who had a lifelong passion for driving, liked fast cars and had the money to buy them. In the book both the Colonel and Guy drive roadsters. The family enjoyed dancing and singing in the ballroom. Overlooking the ballroom was a film projection room and office where Ed did some of his writing. Later he gave regular showings of Hollywood films which were enjoyed by the family and invited guests from the city and from the valley below. ERB was a film enthusiast and even did film editing in this projection room. It was actually some of this nitrate that caught fire in the office warehouse many years later. A study of the events in Girl shows how he had incorporated this building and activities into the plot.1. Sons Hully and Jack by the new Ballroom/Garage building ~ August 12, 1921
2. ERB's two new Packards ~ a sedan and a sports roadster - and a Hudson roadster in the new garage building
Love of Horses and Riding
ERB had a lifelong love of horses and riding. . . stretching all the way back to his MMA days where he had excelled in riding competitions and even as a riding instructor. Later, he worked as a cowhand on his brothers' Idaho ranch and during his days in the US Cavalry in Arizona where horses were vital to the cavalry's activities. During bouts of sickness Ed had been assigned to the headquarters stables where he had to take care of fourteen horses. He cleaned them and their stables, hauled manure, hay, and grain, and doctored those that were sick. He passed this love and knowledge of horses and riding onto his family. They each had their own saddle ponies and spent many hours riding across the ranch. Later, Joan won awards in riding competitions.ERB the horseman with sons Hully and Jack .
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Ed incorporated many of his personal experiences and his knowledge of horses into Hollywood and he even conveyed the distrust and dislike he held toward the book's characters who treated the animals badly. One can sense ERB's contempt for the character Slick whom he saw as a horseman who didn't like horses. He hated people that trained animals with cruelty and violence, for he knew that treating them kindly but firmly was the key to success.
ERB had great family memories of his family's many rides on the rugged trails across the ranch and in the Santa Monica Mountains. This love of riding and horses is expressed throughout Hollywood. His daughter, Joan, fondly remembered her father teaching her how to read animal trails by their spoor and other tricks of the trade.
Hollywood Business Dealings
ERB must have felt at times that he was nothing but a writing machine among his wife, Emma, and their kids. He went through money so fast that the only solution for him was to write more stories and come up with more business deals. He often complained that he was out of ideas, but he always seemed to come up with fresh ones. It is innteresting that Guy in the book claimed to have written a novel and sold it for $700. . . the same amount that ERB was paid for his first Tarzan story.Ed had many professional acuaintances and business dealings with the Hollywood crowd. This association led to the promotion of film production in locations on Tarzana Ranch. The property had a great variety of vegetation along with many canyons and other landforms as Sue-On and I found out during a morning hike across to Mulholland. This wasn't an easy hike as temperatures approached 100 degrees Fahrenheit and the terrain was pretty rough. . . I even fell into a cactus patch.
These many natural attractions, along with the rustic Koonskin cabin on the property, lured in a number of film companies for location shooting. Companies included Vitagraph and Metro. I've included a photo in the accompanying phot gallery of the Burroughs family posing with the cast and crew from Universal who shot a Buffalo Bill film in a canyon on the Tarzana site. Goldwyn Studios had even planned to shoot a few "Ben Hur" sequences on Tarzana. During this time and few years later a number notable westerns and war movies were shot here. All these influences served ERB well when he was incorporating Hollywood life into the book.
