ERBzine 8028a: Drabbles Dec 16-31 2024

WHAT'S A LIFE WORTH

December 16: On this day in 2002, Bollywood actress, Actress Shakeela Bano Bhopali, who appeared in three Bollywood Tarzan films, Rocket Tarzan, Tarzan and Hercules, and Tarzan and the Magic Lamp died. Her acting career was cut short when she lost her voice and suffered injuries that eventually led to her death from the Union Carbide disaster in Bhopal. She received no compensation for her injuries.

The Bhopal disaster or Bhopal gas tragedy was a chemical accident on the night of 2–3 December 1984 at the Union Carbide India Limited (UCIL) pesticide plant in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India. In what is considered the world's worst industrial disaster, over 500,000 people in the small towns around the plant were exposed to the highly toxic gas methyl isocyanate (MIC). Estimates vary on the death toll, with the official number of immediate deaths being 2,259. In 2008, the Government of Madhya Pradesh paid compensation to the family members of 3,787 victims killed in the gas release, and to 574,366 injured victims. The US and Indian court systems regularly minimized the responsibility for the disaster and death victims were paid a little over $700.00 each.

For information about the actress and the unauthorized Tarzan Bollywood films, read my articles about the cottage industry at: https://www.erbzine.com/lupton/

The drabble for today, “What’s a Life Worth,” is a fictional interview, but the facts herein aren’t. It was inspired by the actress, her life, and her tragic death.

WHAT'S A LIFE WORTH
Shakeela Bano Bhopali was interviewed in 2001, her once beautiful singing voice a rasping croak. “Shakeela, you made Tarzan films.”

She coughed. “I made three of them. They were an education. I learned that in the jungle everything living is both prey and predator. Eat or be eaten. Kill or be killed.”

“Shakeela, that’s pretty harsh. Are you saying life is cheap in the jungle?”

“I am, but it’s not as cheap as it is right here in India.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Union Carbide put a price on it. A life here is worth precisely 62,000 rupees or $740.00 US.

PURSE OF THE RECEIVER

December 17: On this day in 1913, editor Thomas Metcalf of All-Story Magazine offered Edgar Rice Burroughs 2.5 cents per word for his 1914 output. Ed countered at 3.5 cents, and no agreement was reached. Ed reached out to other markets and his stories were published in New Story Magazine, The Blue Book, Amazing Stories, Argosy, Thrilling Adventures, and others.

The 100 drabble for today, “Purse of the Receiver,” is a fictional discussion between ERB and Metcalf on the subject.

PURSE OF THE RECEIVER

“Ed,” said Thomas Metcalf. “I’ve talked to the publisher. You’ll be happy to know we’ll take everything you write next year, sight unseen, and pay you two and a half cents a word.”

“Thomas, tell him thanks, but that’s not enough. I deserve three and a half cents a word.”

“Mark Twain didn’t get three and a half cents. Mary Shelley didn’t get paid that much.”

“And they’re both dead. Three and a half cents or I’ll submit everything I write to wherever I want.”

“Ed, why are you fighting about a penny?”

“It’s the same penny you’re fighting about.”

DAMN FINE WRITER

December 19: On this day in 1936, Edgar Rice Burroughs proposed a radio show starring himself, "I See By The Papers." The proposal was never accepted, and the radio show was never produced.

The 100 word rabble for today, “Damn Fine Writer,” a fictional conversation, was inspired by that proposal, a quote from Will Rogers, and baseball player, Lou Gehrig’s attempt to become a movie Tarzan.

DAMN FINE WRITER

The radio producer said, “Ed, I’m not sure we’re ready to have some read the newspaper and make comments about it on the air. Someone’s gotta pay for air time. You planning to sponsor the show?”

“No,” said, Ed. “I’m planning to get paid. I see myself as a homespun reader. Like Will Rogers said, “All I know is what I read in the papers."

“I see. Do you remember what you told Gehrig when he wanted to play Tarzan?”

“I said he was a damn fine first baseman.”

“Exactly. As a radio host, you make a damn fine writer.”

ONLY A LITTLE BIT

December 20: On this day in 1942, Edgar Rice Burroughs, the world’s oldest war correspondent was touring the eat side of Noumea, Ne Caledonia. He gave a ride to a French solder and two natives, none who spoke English.

<> Details about Ed’s adventures in the Pacific during World War Two, are meticulously detailed at www.erbzine.com and https://www.ERBzine.com/war, I’d suggest the interested reader begin with Ed’s “Diary of a Confused Old Man,” alternately titled, “Buck Burroughs Rides Again,” at ⁦https://www.erbzine.com/mag68/6800.html

The drabble for today, “Only A Little Bit,” was inspired by that day when Ed picked up three hitchhikers on a Pacific Island. By the 1960’s the answer could have been “Elvis, Jesus, and Coca-Cola, although Marilyn Monroe makes a lot of lists.

ONLY A LITTLE BIT

Edgar Rice Burroughs stopped his jeep in the middle of a dirt road on New Caledonia. He offered a ride to a French soldier and two native Caledonians.

“Hop In. Do any of you speak English?”

The natives shrugged and the Frenchman said, “Juste un petit peu. A little bit.”

Ed laughed. “A little bit. How much?”

“Coca Cola, Bourbon, and Hershey Bar.”

“Not a bad breakfast in a pinch. What about Tarzan?”

“Tarzan? Je ne parle pas anglais.”

“Tarzan isn’t English. He was raised by the great apes. He’s Mangani, if anything.”

“Excusez-moi. I don’t speak great ape, either.”

JUST A PIECE OF PAPER

December 21: On this day in 1950, ERB Inc. and Commodore Productions entered an agreement for a new Tarzan radio show. Walter White of Commodore later claimed the agreement granted him first refusal for any television productions. Radio series didn’t survive the birth of television. There were a couple notable exceptions, CBS Mystery Theatre (1974-1982) and Sears Radio Theatre (1970), were two valiant attempts to revive the genre.

Commodore and Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc. had a falling out in 1956 due to the prospect of a Tarzan television show. ERB, Inc. tried to find an excuse to nullify their contract with Commodore but were unsuccessful in the suit -- the court finding in favor of Commodore. Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc. preferred that Sol Lesser produce a Tarzan television show since they were already involved in making the Tarzan films. Commodore then filed suit against Sol Lesser, who was trying to get a Tarzan television show produced. In this case, Commodore bit off more than they could chew and lost their case. Eventually, on November 18, 1963, Walter White, Jr. signed an agreement giving Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc. all 75 of their tapes of the Tarzan programs and turning all rights to these shows to ERB, Inc.

Details about and all the episodes to listen to are located at: https://www.erbzine.com/mag23/2337.html

The 100 word fictional drabble for today, “Just a Piece of Paper,” was inspired by that conflict.

JUST A PIECE OF PAPER

Walter White of Commodore Productions said, “Ed, I heard you’re signing contract for a Tarzan television show. You can’t. Our contract gives me exclusive rights.”

“Easy, Walter. You have the rights to radio. That’s all.”

“Not the way I read it, Ed. I have perpetual and exclusive broadcast rights forever.”

“For radio as long as you’re actively producing product.”

“I have the rights to all forms of broadcasting, anywhere and anytime.”

“Walter, my attorneys say otherwise. I’m signing the deal for television.”

“I’ll see you in hell, first.”

“No, I’ll see you in court, Walter. Not that there’s much difference.”

TWICE TOLD TALE

December 22: On this day in 1911, Edgar Rice Burroughs wrote the foreword to the novel, “Tarzan of the Apes,” the novel which changed ERB’s life and the lives of countless others was published in October 1912 in All-Story Magazine with a cover by Clinton Pettee.

For extensive details and an electronic version of the novel, visit: https://www.erbzine.com/mag4/0483.html

Today’s one hundred word drabble, “Twice Told Tale,” is excerpted from the opening paragraphs of chapter one of the novel, written by Edgar Rice Burroughs. The reader will note that ERB says that he changed the names of the principal characters.

TWICE TOLD TALE

I had this story from one who had no business to tell it to me, or to any other. I credit the seductive influence of an old vintage upon the narrator for the beginning, and my own skeptical incredulity during the days that followed for the balance of the strange tale.

I don’t say the story is true, for I didn’t witness the happenings which it portrays, but the fact that in the telling of it to you I’ve taken fictitious names for the principal characters quite sufficiently evidences the sincerity of my own belief that it may be true.

IT'S A PIRATE'S LIFE FOR ME

December 23: On this day in 1941, the Honolulu Star-Bulletin published an installment of Edgar Rice Burroughs’s column, “Laugh It Off.” Ed opened the column by writing that being a pirate was one of his life’s ambitions. Another was becoming a war correspondent. He bemoaned that having achieved the later, the war was running out on him. Alas it wasn’t. The war in the Pacific would last until September 2, 1945.

Ed’s “Laugh It Off” was intended to raise morale for the citizens and active duty personnel on the Hawaiian Islands. The column was well received, but short-lived. Ed became increasingly frustrated by censorship by the Hawaiian and military authorities.

All of the columns are faithfully reproduced by Bill Hillman at www.erbzine.com . Start reading at: https://www.erbzine.com/mag0/0001.html

The drabble for today, “It’s a Pirate’s Life For Me, is 100 words excerpted from that column, written by Edgar Rice Burroughs.

IT'S A PIRATE'S LIFE FOR ME

Among my many life's ambitions, including that of being a pirate, I’ve harbored the hope of becoming a war correspondent; and now that I’ve achieved it, the war is running out on me -- at least insofar as my "front" is concerned.

Adele Kensinger tells about a mother awakened in a blackened-out house by the plaintive wails of her three-year-old, coming from the bathroom: "Mamma, I can't find the way home!" And of a neighbor who plans to dig his air-raid shelter in the cemetery across the street, so that in case they are bombed, they won't have to move.

<>ROTTING PAPER
<>

December 24. On this day in 1920, the now defunct, Hope Penasco Valley Press, New Mexico, began a serialization of A Princess of Mars. The newspaper archives maintained by the State of New Mexico has about three/fourths of the story stored electronically – converted from microfiche so the quality is very poor. The Hope Penasco Valley Press also serialized Taran of the Apes in the 1920s, but not a single page is in the state archives.

Newspaper serialization was a common practice in those days, but records are sparse. Payment was low, based on the circulation. The HPVP circulation was less than 500 and the paper sold for five cents. But if your novel was serialized in 100 newspapers and you were only paid $1.00 per newspaper, you made $100.00.

Considering what an author was paid for first publication rights in the pulps, another hundred bucks was welcome. Details about newspaper serializations of Ed's books may be found at: https://www.erbzine.com/mag17/1750.html

The 100 word drabble for today is, “Rotting Paper,” and it features my old friends, Pat and John from New Orleans.

ROTTING PAPER

Pat said, “John, it stinks in here. Did a cat crawl under your bed and die?”

“No, I’ve been trying to assemble a complete newspaper serialization of A Princess of Mars. The story was published in several papers in the 1920s. I couldn't find all the episodes in one newspaper so I’m mixing and matching them. I’ve got episodes from nine different newspapers.”

“This one’s from New Mexico. Some place called Penasco Valley. Can I open it?”

“Pat, don’t you dare touch it. It’ll crumble.”

Pat sniffed, “Should be okay. It clearly survived life at the bottom of a birdcage.”

OBEY THE QUEEN

December 25: Merry Christmas. On this day in 1928, Irish McCalla, who played Sheena, Queen of the Jungle was born as Nellie Elizabeth McCalla in Pawnee City, Nebraska.

McCalla recalled being discovered by a Nassour Studios representative while throwing a bamboo spear on a Malibu, California, beach, adding of her Sheena experience, "I couldn't act, but I could swing through the trees". Her 26-episode series aired in first-run syndication from 1955 to 1956. More about Sheena at: https://www.erbzine.com/mag3/0322.html

The athletic McCalla said she performed her own stunts on the series, filmed in Mexico, until the day she grabbed an unsecured vine and slammed into a tree, breaking her arm. Her elder son, Kim McIntyre, once told the press he remembered watching his mother swinging from vine to vine and wrestling mechanical alligators. Following the one-season Sheena, McCalla appeared in five films from 1958 to 1962, and guest roles on the TV series Have Gun — Will Travel and Route 66.

While Sheena isn’t a product of Edgar Rice Burroughs’ fertile mind, the character is clearly derivative of his work. So raise a glass of Christmas cheer to Sheena, to Irish McCalla, a jungle girl and a princess.

The drabble for today, Obey the Queen, was inspired by Irish McCalla, Sheena, Queen of the Jungle. It includes several comments made by the actress during her career.

OBEY THE QUEEN

“How did you get the role to play Sheena, Queen of the Jungle?”

“Honey, I couldn’t act, but I could swing through trees, and I looked great doing it. Having a figure like mine is like having too much money. Without saying a word, it writes checks that I don’t want to cash.”

“Are you saying you were objectified?”

“That wasn’t a thing in 1950.”

“How were you treated on set.”

“Great! I grew up beautiful and tough as nails in Nebraska. Men either worshipped me or were terrified of me. Like Machiavelli said, “Better to be feared than loved.”

I'M THE WINNER

December 26: On this day in 1943 according to Wikipedia and the International Movie Data Base, the film, Tarzan’s Desert Mystery was released. The movie featured Johnny Weissmuller and Johnny Sheffield. Jane was nowhere to be found, but Nany Kelly played the female lead, a magician named Connie Bryce.

Working titles of the RKO film were “Tarzan Against the Sahara” and “Tarzan and the Sheik." Details galore are located at: https://www.erbzine.com/mag6/0624.html

I first watched the film on a small black and white television with rabbit ears in the early fifties. I always remembered a fight between Tarzan and a giant spider. When I rewatched the film years later, I was surprised that Tarzan never fought the spider. He arrived in the spider’s lair in time to watch the spider kill Hendrix, played by Otto Kruger. Tarzan led Connie Bryce and Boy to safety.

In some ways the film was a “Tarzan Western,” with Weissmuller riding horseback in a few scenes. The Arabian stallion Jaynar, was portrayed by Dice, whom Life Magazine once touted as “one of Hollywood's finest performing horses.” Dice was veteran of many films including those of Gene Autry, Wild Bill Elliot and Richard Dix.

The fictional drabble for today, “I’m the Winner,” was inspired by my memory of a fight that didn’t happen in the film, “Tarzan’s Desert Mystery.” Or course, the dialogue in the drabble wasn’t actually in the movie.

I'M THE WINNER

Tarzan watched the giant spider kill the Nazi, Hendrix, and then he led Connie Bryce and Boy from the spider’s cave. Connie said, “I expected you to fight the spider or fight Hendrix, but you didn’t. Were you afraid?”

“Tarzan not afraid. Spider hungry. Hendrix bad man. Cycle of life.”

Boy said, “Why didn’t you intervene. You could have won.”

“Tarzan is winner. When you get what you want, you’ve won. I wanted Hendrix dead and you to be safe. That’s a win.”

“But you didn’t win the fight.”

“I did. You always win the fights that you don’t have!”

CHRISTMAS IN THE CABIN

December 27: On this day in 1931, the Hal Foster and George Carlin Tarzan Sunday one shot, Tarzan’s First Christmas, published in newspapers across America. Here’s the entire strip. It and hundreds of Tarzan Sunday pages are available at: https://www.erbzine.com/mag22/2292.html

While this ‘one-shot’ Sunday page is about the first Christmas for the ‘baby’ Tarzan, it also was Tarzan’s first Christmas in the newspapers. Other writers and artists would help Tarzan celebrate Christmases in the Sunday Funnies over the years. Go to the link listed above and read those stories.

The drabble “Christmas in the Cabin,” for today is excerpted from the script for that long ago Sunday page, written by George Carlin – not the comedian. Several years later, Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons recorded the song, “Walk Like a Man,” allegedly unrelated to Tarzan’s First Christmas.

CHRISTMAS IN THE CABIN

The last Christmas before Tarzan was born had been celebrated by Lord and Lady Greystoke with a big dance at their country estate in England. When next Christmas dawned, they were marooned on the African coast in the cabin that Lord Greystoke had built. Lord Greystoke had carved a toy for his infant son, the baby Tarzan.

"Merry Christmas!" cried Lady Greystoke, swinging her boy into the air. "God bless us every one!"

"Look! He swings like a monkey!" said Lord Greystoke.

"And walks like a man!" said his mother, as the baby toddled toward her, taking his first steps.

FLYBOY

December 28: On this day in 1999, Harry Monty, Johnny Sheffield’s double in Tarzan Finds a Son, and Tarzan’s New York Adventure, died in Beverly Hills. Monty, born Hymie Lichtenstein was a Polish-American actor, dwarf actor and stuntman, whose most notable role was as a Munchkin and a winged monkey in The Wizard of Oz.

Details about Tarzan Finds A Son and Tarzan’s New York Adventure are located at:

https://www.erbzine.com/mag6/0620.html

https://www.erbzine.com/mag22/0622.html

Details about The Wizard of Oz are somewhere over the rainbow.

The 100 word drabble for today is, “Flyboy,” a fictional conversation on the set of Tarzan’s New York Adventure.

FLYBOY

Johnny Sheffield said, “I don’t feel comfortable on the trapeze. Let Harry do it.”

Harry Monty, Johnny’s stunt double said, “It’s awfully high.”

Weissmuller laughed. “Harry, it’s only ten feet in the air.”

“Ten feet’s a lot for a man less than five feet tall.”

“It’s called a flying trapeze. A couple years ago you were a flying monkey.”

“So what? I just had to look scary and hop around. If the Lord wanted me to swing in the air, he’d have made me an ape.”

Weissmuller thumped his chest. “I swing in the air.”

“Proving my point, banana breath.”

YOU WISH

December 29: On this day in 1944, ERB had hernia surgery. His nurses were Miss Margaret Grant and Miss Alicia Burns. Don’t know who the surgeon was. Recovery took a month. How times have changed. I had hernia surgery in 2014. I woke up and the attending nurse said, “Everything went fine. The surgeon will be in a moment." He stopped in and said, “You did fine. Don’t lift anything heavier than ten pounds, walk every day, and drink plenty of fluids. I’ll see you in a couple weeks.”

He left and the nurse came back in. “Robert, we need the recovery room. You have to leave.”

“Now?”

“Well, as soon as I know that you can walk.” We walked to the nurse’s station and back. Thirty minutes later, I was out the door and in the car. Three days later, I was back at work. Three days, not thirty days.

The 100 word drabble for today, “You Wish,” is an entirely fictional conversation between Edgar Rice Burroughs and his doctor.

YOU WISH

“Good morning, Ed,” said the surgeon. “It’s eight o’clock. Schedule is tight today. Surgery is at nine. My tee time is at eleven. Nurse Grant will give you a sedative in a few minutes. Any questions?”

“How long will I be out of commission?"

“I recommend a month. Don’t lift anything heavier than ten pounds.”

“This is a bit embarrassing, but what about, uh, you know, relations?”

‘After two weeks, you can have sex as often as you want.”

“I doubt that. I’ve never met a man for whom that was true.”

“Well, Mr. Burroughs, you're probably right about that.”

<>VIOLENCE ISN'T GOLDEN
<>

December 30: On this day in 1984, animator, comic book illustrator and cover artist Mo Gollub died.

Morris ("Mo") Gollub was an American comic book artist and animator. The son of Jewish immigrants from around the turn of the century, he began his career in 1937, when he became an animator and lay-out artist for the Disney Studios. He remained with the company until 1941 and has worked on films like 'Bambi' (1942) and a couple of shorts. He was an animator with UPA in the 1950s and subsequently worked for studios like Pantomime Pictures, Sanrio and Hanna-Barbera, where he was a lay-out artist on shows like 'The Flintstones', 'Scooby_Doo', 'The Harlem Globe Trotters' and 'The Smurfs' with intervals between 1964 and 1983.

He was also a comic book artist for Dell Publishing/Western Comics from 1946 to 1971. He drew for licensed realistic adventure series like 'Tarzan', 'Lone Ranger', 'Trigger', 'Lassie', 'Indian Chief', 'Robin Hood', 'Gene Autry's Champion', 'Mowgli - Jungle Book' and 'Korak', while he also worked on funny animal stories starring 'Cubby & Tubby', 'Fairy Tale Parade' and 'Raggedy Ann & Andy'. He also drew the comic book adaptation of Disney's 'Bambi' film. From 1960 onwards he was dividing his time between assignments from Western and his animation work. By then was the regular cover artist of the classic 'Turok Son of Stone' comic books.

Erbzine features all of the Dell and Western Comic Tarzan covers beginning at: https://www.erbzine.com/comics/dell1.html

The 100 word drabble for today, “Violence Isn’t Golden,” inspired by Gollub’s cover art. It’s a completely fictional interview.

VIOLENCE ISN'T GOLDEN
“Mr. Gollub, I’d like to talk about your Tarzan covers for Dell and Western Comics. They’re beautiful, but mostly peaceful. Not like most people visualize an action character like Tarzan.”

“I remember drawing Tarzan fighting a shark and once, a crocodile.”

“The exception proving the rule.”

“My training was on children’s stories, Raggedy Ann, Bambi, and other children’s cartoons. Violence is implied, but not graphically pictured. I like a Tarzan that’s friendly with the animals. A gentler jungle lord."

“Mo, the hunter killed Bambi’s mother.”

“And a great ape killed Tarzan’s father, but I don’t have to draw either scene.”

PRIORITY

December 31: On New Years Eve in 1947, Actress Frances Gifford, Jungle Girl, Tarzan Triumphs, had a near fatal car accident. She recovered by her career never did. She played several minor roles for RKO before she was, in 1941, lent to Republic Pictures and cast in the role which would arguably produce her most enduring fame: as the semiclad Nyoka in Jungle Girl, a 15-chapter movie serial, based very loosely on the novel by Edgar Rice Burroughs. In 1943, she appeared with Johnny Weissmuller in the film, “Tarzan Triumphs.”
    During the 1950s, her mental and physical health declined to the point where she was placed into Camarillo State Mental Hospital in 1958. She spent almost the entire next 25 years in and out of various institutions.
    In 1983, Richard S. Fisher, a journalist for a film magazine, tracked Gifford down; he found that she had lately been volunteering at the Pasadena, California, City Library, having apparently recovered. She spent her final years in quiet obscurity and died of emphysema in a convalescent center in Pasadena at the age of 73.
    For Jungle Girl film info: https://www.erbzine.com/mag5/0549.html
    For Tarzan Triumphs film info: https://www.erbzine.com/mag6/0623.html
    The fictional drabble for today, “Priority,” was inspired by the sad event.

PRIORITY
The film executive said, “Happy New Year, Frances. You’re due in makeup at six. I’ll drive you home.”

“That’d be great.”
After they got in the car, Frances Gifford said, “You’re driving pretty fast.”
“You need your rest. Makeup on time and one take for every scene.” He lost control on a curve and rolled the car.

The EMT’s pulled them both from the car. The executive had a broken leg and Frances had severe head trauma.

“What happened,” asked a policeman.
“it’s terrible, Frances won’t be on time tomorrow.”
“Sir, that’s not important.”
“Clearly you don’t understand show business.”

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