MELODRAMA OF MONKEYS AND
MEN
September 17: On
this day in 1921, “Tarzan
of the Apes” was reviewed in the “Dramatic Mirror and Theatre”
by H. K. Wheat. The play was staged in four acts at the Broadhurst Theatre
at 44th and Broadway. The case included Ronald Adair as Tarzan,
Greta
Kemble Cooper as Lady Greystoke, Ethel Dryer as Jane, and Edward
Stillward played Kala. In a major departure from the British version
of the play, George Broadhurst, theatre owner and producer used real
lions, Jim and Beauty, on stage.
The review was very positive, but
even a good review wasn’t enough to save the production, indeed the play
may have already closed by the time the review was published. According
to various sources, the play opened on either September 1 or September
7, but by all accounts it closed shortly thereafter, although the actual
closing date isn’t clear.
“Melodrama of Monkeys and Men”
is todays drabble, 100 words take from the review by H. K. Wheat – hopefully
in context. The entire review and a lot of information about the production
is available at https://www.erbzine.com/mag15/1568.html
MELODRAMA OF MONKEYS AND MEN
“It is a weird and amazing melodrama told in a series
of ten scenes covering a number of years and vast amount of doings that
would tax the credulousness of an infant in arms. It’s far from poor entertainment.
The sentimental and emotional qualities of the semi-dumb animals has heretofore
been sadly neglected. Animals of various kinds and qualities predominate
in the story’s unfolding, though occasionally a human being makes his appearance
felt also.
Mrs. Trimble Bradly has outdone herself in the production.
An evening’s entertainment not lightly to be overlooked, for it is the
only one of its kind."
WORK, BUT BE PREPARED
September 18, 2021 and also in 1940:
The
Honolulu Star-Bulletin published an article about Edgar Rice
Burroughs returning to Hawaii for his health and on that same day the
Honolulu Advertiser published an article by Edgar Rice Burroughs where
ERB says that young people should strive for physical fitness and preparedness.
He went on to warn everyone that we are surrounded by people who do not
like us. (Americans). He said that if were prepared for an invasion, they
will let us alone. Alas, we weren’t and they didn’t.
I was able to find very bad, virtually illegible reproductions.
The two articles are summarized at https://www.erbzine.com/mag0/0001.html.
The drabble for today is “Work,
But Be Prepared” and it was inspired by the two articles published
in Hawaii in those pre-war days.
WORK, BUT BE PREPARED
The columnist said, “Mr. Burroughs, you said that you’re
here for your health, but you’re writing 20,000 words a week. I know how
long it takes for me to write 20,000 words.
I type with two fingers, about 330 words in twenty
minutes, but I stop occasionally and do a rewrite or two, so about 3000
words a day.”
“And after that?”
“Exercise, I walk every day.”
“Why.”
“I was in the cavalry. The day may come when you don’t
have a horse. I’d like to think I can get away from trouble even faster
as I got into it.”
September 19, 2021
and the 1200 consecutive daily entry in this series.
September 19: On this day in 1980, movie producer
Sol
Lesser died at age 90 in Hollywood California. In 1933, Lessor
bought the film rights to Tarzan and produced “Tarzan
the Fearless” with
Buster Crabbe. ERB refused to deal with
Lessor and attempted to make his own films. This was short lived and the
rights passed to MGM, who relingquished the rights in 1943, when Lessor
regained them.
Lesser
produced 14 Tarzan films with
Johnny Weissmuller, Lex Barker
and Gordon Scott, including the TV pilot, Tarzan
and the Trappers. I always considered Lessor and his successor,
Sy Weintraub as bad guys because they controlled the film rights for so
long and when they weren’t making Tarzan films, no one else was allowed
to do so. In retrospect, Lesser’s persistence was responsible for several
Tarzan films. He wanted to make Tarzan pictures and he didn’t let anything
stop him.
The drabble for today is “Love
Tarzan,” and it’s a 100 word compilation of comments by Sol Lesser
and Edgar Rice Burroughs. Evidently, the two decided to get along. ERB’s
comments are in the first two paragraphs and appeared in “The Film Weekly,”
an Australian Variety magazine on January 7, 1943.
LOVE TARZAN
Burroughs said Sol Lesser would make two Tarzan films
this season, these being "Tarzan Triumphs," which is already finished,
and "Tarzan and the Sheik," which is being prepared for production.
"I've great faith in Sol and feel very happy about
this new deal."
Tarzan is pure escapist entertainment. He’s the original
superman, fighting for the rights of the downtrodden and persecuted against
all villains, be they human or beast. He rules with a minimum of words
- hence he’s understood by all. Rarely does Tarzan get gooey with Jane.
Thus the kids love him and so do the old folks.
BAD BLONDE
September 20: On
this day 1n 1980, the Mike Grell written and illustrated Tarzan
Sunday Page story arc, “Tarzan’s
Return to Opar,” concluded. The story began on July 19, 1981 and
ran for ten weeks. It can be read in its entirety at: https://www.erbzine.com/mag29/2968.html
Jessica Faraday is part of an expedition
to study a solar eclipse. She stopped to take photos for National Geographic
and was is attacked by a bull gorilla. Tarzan killed the gorilla to save
her. Tarzan recognized her guide Tusker Shanks, an evil man who’d poisoned
elephants for their ivory.
The next morning Tarzan discovered that Shanks and Faraday
had been captured by the beast men of Opar. La sentenced Jessica to death,
but fascinated by Shanks blonde hair, decides to keep him for herself.
Shanks’ betrayed La and tried to become the ruler of Opar. It worked out
poorly for him.
“The drabble for today is “Bad
Blonde,” and it was inspired by the story arc, “Tarzan’s Return to
Opar.
BAD BLONDE
Tarzan said, “La, Tusker Shanks is a bad man. What were
you thinking when you decided to keep him and sacrifice Jessica.”
La flipped her hair. “The woman’s blood would be enough
to satisfy the flaming god when he rides the skies at dawn tomorrow. The
man has hair the color of the sun. A man with golden hair might make a
suitable mate.”
“Sometimes golden hair only hides a black heart.”
“Indeed, he 's betrayed me. If I can’t have him, then
the flaming god will. His hair color will only make his sacrifice taste
sweeter to the sun god.”
SIZE IS AN ATTITUDE
September 21: On
this day in 1991, Angelo Rossitto, who played the evil dwarf in
1932’s “Tarzan the
Ape Man” died in Los Angeles, California. Angelo was 2’ 11” tall.
He appeared in over 70 films, playing dwarfs, midgets,
gnomes, monsters, villains, and aliens. He performed with Lon Chaney and
John Barrymore. Three of his films were “The Greatest Show on Earth,” “Requiem
for a Heavyweight,” and of course, his role as “Master,” the top half of
“Masterblaster” in “Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome.”
The drabble for today is, “Size
is an Attitude,” and it’s based on Angelo Rossitto’s career.”
SIZE IS AN ATTITUDE
“Mr. Rossitto, you’ve made over 70 films, including several
silent pictures. Were any of those what they once called shorts?”
“You making fun of me?”
“Heavens no. I was talking about one reel films.”
Rossitto lit a cigar. “Just messin’ with ya. Yes,
I made several.”
“You didn’t always get screen credit.”
“But I always got paid. I believed every part I played
was important and that I made a big difference in every film I was in.
You think little things can’t make a difference, stick a fire ant in your
nose. Let me know how that works out.”
FOR EFFICIENCIES SAKE
September 22: On
this day in 1919, Edgar Rice Burroughs began writing “The
Efficiency Expert,” a novel / novelette based on his experiences
as a businessman. The story was serialized in four installments of All-Story
Weekly in October of 1928. This was ERB’s thirty-sixth novel. He wrote
in 31 days. The first edition of the book was published by House of
Greystoke in 1966 and reprinted as Burroughs Bulletins #57-58
in 1976. Unlike most of ERB’s work, I haven’t been able to find a foreign
edition.
Charter published a paperback version of the book
in June 1979, the only mass edition of the book. Since 2000, the story
has been published by people believing the story to be in public domain:
Amereon House. Wildside Press, Pulpville Press, and ERBville Press (not
associated with ERB Inc.) Here's one of the more interesting covers.
Publishing details and the entire
text of the original pulp magazine version are available at: https://www.erbzine.com/mag7/0768.html
The drabble for today is “For Efficiencies
Sake,” and it was inspired by the novel.
FOR EFFICIENCIES SAKE
The shop foreman said, “Everyone is busy. How can you
help?”
Torrence said, “The more efficient you are at doing
the wrong thing, the wronger you become. It is much better to do the right
thing wronger than the wrong thing righter. Reorganizing can create the
illusion of progress while producing confusion, inefficiency, and demoralization.”
“How nice. What qualifies you as an expert?”
“I came from elsewhere and not accountable for the
results of my recommendations.”
‘How does that work?”
“If things get better, I take the credit. If they
get worse, I’ll say you didn’t do what I recommended!”
GIVE IT BACK
September 23:
On this day in 1966, the third episode of the Ron Ely television
Tarzan was broadcast. “Leopard
on the Loose” The episode featured Russ Tamblyn, Alan Caillou,
Ken Scott, and Morgan Jones.
A worker at the local trading post needed money to get
home and he decided to steal Jai’s leopard and sell the beast.
A complete list of the episodes is at: https://www.erbzine.com/mag74/7420.html
The drabble for today, “Give It
Back,” was inspired by “Leopard on the Loose.”
GIVE IT BACK
Morrisey, a trading post worker, wanted desperately to
go home. He stole Jai’s leopard planning to sell him to some hunters. He
leashed the leopard and led it toward the hunter’s camp.
The leopard cooperated briefly, but it missed Jai and
struggled. Morrisey wrapped the leash around a tree and held it so the
leopard couldn’t bite him.
Tarzan arrived quickly, guided by the leopard’s screams
and Morrisey’s shouts.
“I can’t let go.”
Tarzan laughed. “Sometimes the worst thing in the
world is to get what you want. You wanted a leopard. You dealt the cards,
you play the hand.”
TOO MANY WOMEN
September 24: (Happy birthday to me.)
On this day in 1984, actor James Neil Hamilton passed away at age
84. This is the second article and drabble about Hamilton this month. He
was born on September 9, 1989. Hamilton, who played Commissioner Gordon
in television’s Batman, but not Perry White in “The Adventures of Superman,”
(Different Hamilton – no relation.) played Harry Holt in the
Johnny Weissmuller / Maureen O’Sullivan films, “Tarzan,
the Ape Man” and “Tarzan
and his Mate.”
His first film was “The Beloved Imposter”
in 1918 and his last was “Which Way to the Front” in 1970. In between,
he appeared in over 100 films.
The 100 word drabble for today is
“Too Many Women,” and includes the titles of 16 his films, 17 counting
the title. See if you can find them all.
TOO MANY WOMEN
Adam West said, “Neil, working dawn patrol this morning?
Evidently the cat creeps in morning’s shadows and so do you. Command performance
last night?”
“What a night. Seemed like three weekends. Something
always happens when you meet a dangerous woman.”
“Tell me. I met a dangerous lady. She said, ‘Take
me home.’ I said, ‘Lady behave. I’ll spend the night all by myself.”
“Neil said, ‘The hot news is the sky’s the limit when
strangers may kiss,’ but I saw the devil’s hand in her plot. About an hour
ago I took the family jewels and came to work.”
I love it when I mess
up dates. I posted the "on This Day and Drabble" for September 26th on
September 25th, so here's the 25th on the 26th. ~ RAL
WHAT THORN
September 25: On this day in 1976, the television
animated “Tarzan,
Lord of the Jungle,” broadcast its third episode, “Tarzan and
the Golden Lion.” In the episode, Tarzan once saved an orphaned lion
cub and years later, when the Jungle Lord is captured by the Bolgani (Gorillas)
the lion rallies elephants and other jungle dweller to save Tarzan. Aesop
would be proud.
The episode featured the voices of Robert Ridgely
as Tarzan, Ted Cassidy as Phobeg, and Lou Scheimer as N’Kima,
Tarzan’s monkey.
The drabble for today is “What
Thorn,” inspired by the animated story with maybe a wee touch of Androcles
and the Lion” by George Bernard Shaw.
WHAT THORN
The Bolgani surrounded Tarzan. The biggest gorilla said,
“I will kill you.”
Tarzan replied, “I am not your enemy. I’m one of the
Mangani.”
“You stink of the white hunters. We will kill you.”
Tarzan yelled in defiance and the golden lion, Jal-ba-da,
heard the cry. The lion gathered elephants, lions, leopards, even zebras
and brought them to Tarzan’s defense.
The Bolgani said, “Lion, why do you help this man?
Did he pull a thorn from your paw.”
“Thorn,” said the lion, “We don’t need no stinking
thorns. He’s my friend. You’d do well to remember that in the future.”
LANGUAGE BARRIER
September 26:
On this day in 1936, Argosy Weekly published part two of “Tarzan
and the Magic Men.” Magic Men was to become the first half of the twenty-first
Tarzan novel by Edgar Rice Burroughs, “Tarzan
the Magnificent.” The book has no relation to the film of the same
name. The cover by Hubert Rogers illustrated the first installment of “Raid
of the China Clipper,” by H. Bedford Jones.
The second half of “Tarzan the Magnificent”
was published as “Tarzan and the Elephant Men,” serialized in Blue
Book from November 1937 through January 1938.
The drabble for today is “Language
Barrier,” inspired by the story, “Tarzan and the Magic Men.”
LANGUAGE BARRIER
The magic men, Mafka and Woora, were brothers. They used
a diamond and an emerald, both of strange origin, to control men’s minds.
They were powerful, but they ruled separate cities because they wouldn’t
share with each other. They tried to control Tarzan, but he could resist
their powers.
“Woora,” said Mafka. “His thoughts are strange. I can’t
control him.”
“Neither can I.”
Tarzan said, “A man thinks in the language of his
childhood. I was raised by the great apes. You can’t monkey with my mind
if you don’t speak monkey.”
The apeman took the jewels and hid them.
LANDINGS
September 27: On
this day in 1932, the Hal Foster,
George Carlin and R. W. Palmer Tarzan Sunday strip, “Hawk of the
Desert” began. The page was Hall Foster’s first Tarzan Sunday page.
It featured Tarzan battling gorillas and D’Arnot parachuting to Tarzan’s
rescue. In those days, each Sunday page had its own title and the title
for the September 27. 1931 page was “Terror
From The Skies.”
For information on all of the Hal
Foster Sunday Pages, go to https://www.erbzine.com/mag55/5502.html
The drabble for today, “Landings,”
was inspired by that first strip.
LANDINGS
D’Arnot looked down from his airplane and saw Tarzan captured
by a gorilla tribe. The apes tied Tarzan to a stake and danced around him.
D’Arnot parachuted into the midst of the horde, gun blazing and saved Tarzan.
Tarzan said, “Thank you, old friend. How did you find
me?”
“I was flying overhead. I jumped from my plane.”
“If you jumped, who’s flying the airplane? Where will
it land?”
“Anywhere it wants, but probably badly. Funny thing
about airplanes is they’ll always land. If the pilot doesn’t pick where
and how to land, the airplane will always make that decision.”
PSEUDONYM
September 28:
On this day in 1911, Edgar Rice Burroughs completed writing “Under
The Moons of Mars,” his first novel. The world would never be the
same. My thanks to whichever muse sat on his shoulder and helped him write
the story. Read the book, or reread it, and raise a glass to the best swordsman
on two planets (four if you count Thuria and Saturn) and the incomparable
Dejah Thoris. Drip a couple drops into a bowl for Woola, but not too much
– the effects of alcohol on calots hasn’t been determined.
Burroughs began the novel in July
1911 and finished it in a little more than two months. It was serialized
in six installments of ‘The All-Story Magazine’ listing Norman
Bean as the writer from February through July, 1912. The story was
published in first edition by A. C. McClurg on October 10, 1917
as A PRINCESS OF MARS,
and has been reprinted by Grosset & Dunlap, ERB Inc., Ballantine /
Del Rey, Dover, Doubleday Book Club, Carroll & Graff, Easton Press,
and Bison Books, along with several publishers who’ve reprinted based upon
its ‘public domain’ status. That’s just in the United States.
The novel was published under a third
title, “Carter of the Red Planet” in Modern Mechanics, a pulp magazine
- published in three installments from April through July of 1929.
The cover art of the first installment
issue wasn’t for ‘Under the Moons of Mars, which like the other 24 stories
in the issue, wasn’t mentioned on the over. The art is a Mexican man smoking
in an open window and the only story that fits the cover is “A Serenade”
by Edward Coate Pinkey.
A wealth of information about “The
Princess of Mars” is online at: https://www.erbzine.com/mag4/0421.html
The drabble for today is “Pseudonym,”
and it’s inspired by the mix-up concerning the credit for “Under The Moons
of Mars,” as listed in the 1912 The All-Story Magazine issues.
PSEUDONYM
Emma Burroughs said, “You said you wrote “Under the Moons
of Mars.” The magazine credits somebody named Norman Bean.”
“You know I wrote it. You saw the check.”
“But who’s this Norman guy?”
“My story is a fantasy. Didn’t want people to think
I’m crazy, so I used the pseudonym, Normal Bean. Get it? Normal bean.”
“But it says Norman. Shouldn’t you get credit?”
“If I get a book deal, I’ll use my real name and change
the title to something with princess. People like princesses.”
“You’re not thinking of “Under the Princess of Mars?”
“Interesting image, but probably not.”
NEVER LOOK BACK
September 29:
On this day in 2021, actor Tony Curtis died of cardiac arrest in
Henderson, Nevada. Curtis played the ex-cop father of Jane, Archimedes
Q. Porter in “Tarzan
in Manhattan.” In his early acting years Curtis' goal was to play
Tarzan in films. . . this was as close as he got.
Curtis appeared in well over 100 films, too many to mention
them all, but “The Great Race,” “The Boston Strangler,” “Some Like it Hot,”
“Spartacus,” and Trapeze,” have to be mentioned.
Curtis, a notorious womanizer, was
married six times, and suffered from alcohol, cocaine, and marijuana addiction
in his later life.
Today’s 100 word drabble, “Never
Look Back,” is a short compilation of quotations by Tony Curtis.
NEVER LOOK BACK
I wouldn’t be caught dead marrying a woman who’s old enough
to be my wife. They gave me away as a prize once – a ‘Win Tony Curtis For
a Weekend’ competition. The woman who won was disappointed. She’d hoped
for second prize, a new stove.
Don’t listen to people when they say don’t drink, or
drink very little, don’t smoke, don’t eat too much, don’t eat badly, don’t
get fat, don’t get ugly, and pissed off that life is passing you by. Keep
smiling. Don’t spend your future looking back and thinking, "Oh shit, I
wish I hadn't done that.”
PIRACY, PILOTING, AND
ALL THAT JAZZ
September 30:
On this day in 1933, London’s “The
Passing Show Magazine” published the first installment of a serialization
of “Pirates of Venus.”
The weekly paper of humor and short fiction had two distinct
incarnations, both published by Odhams Press, London. The first series
ran for 918 issues from March 1915 to March 1932.
In 1932 the paper completely reinvented itself as The
New Passing Show (though the title reverted after eight issues) under Editor
William A Williamson, who guided The /Passing Show from 1925 until the
end. In this form it ran for a further 362 issues, from March 1932 through
February 1939.
I don’t have the first issue of the run that featured
“Pirates of Venus,” but here’s the cover of the issue for November 11,
1933 – it included one installment of the Venus novel.
The drabble for today is “Piracy,
Piloting, and all that Jazz.” It was inspired by The Passing Show’s”
publication of “Pirates of Venus,” with a hint from Gilbert and Sullivan.”
PIRACY, PILOTING, AND ALL THAT JAZZ
“I say, Andy, are you reading that Venus story by the
American, Edgar Rice Burroughs.”
“Yes, George, the one about pirates. Nice story so
far, but I liked the Gilbert and Sullivan version better.”
“Are you insane?”
“A space ship is just a ship that travels in space.
Evidently the Carson fellow is the same as Frederic. It’s the same training
problem. Both chaps were misapprenticed to a pirate instead of a pilot.
That’s the best explanation for how Carson ended up on the wrong planet
and fell in with pirates straight away. Think “A rollicking band of pirates
we!”
See
Days 1-15 at ERBzine 7387
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