Tarzan (John Clayton II, Viscount Greystoke) is a fictional character, created by Edgar Rice Burroughs. The archetypal feral child raised in the African jungle by the Mangani great apes; he later experiences civilization, only to reject it and return to the wild as a heroic adventurer. The character has been variously depicted as articulate and sophisticated as in the original novels, and as a noble savage with limited language skills such as in the films featuring Johnny Weissmuller, the distinctive cry, and swing of whom is a target for Mork's humor.
About Tarzan[]
Tarzan first appeared in the novel Tarzan of the Apes (magazine publication 1912, book publication 1914), and subsequently in 23 sequels, several books by Burroughs and other authors, and innumerable works in other media, both authorized and unauthorized.[1]
Tarzan is the son of a British lord and lady who were marooned on the Atlantic Coast of Africa by mutineers. When Tarzan was an infant, his mother died, and his father was killed by Kerchak, leader of the ape tribe by whom Tarzan was adopted. Soon after his parents' death, Tarzan became a feral child, and his tribe of apes is known as the Mangani, great apes of a species unknown to science. Kala is his ape mother. As an 18-year-old, Tarzan meets a young American woman named Jane Porter. Her father, others of their party, and she are marooned on the same coastal jungle area where Tarzan's human parents were 20 years earlier. When Jane returns to the United States, Tarzan leaves the jungle in search of her, his one true love. Tarzan and Jane marry. In later books, he lives with her for a time in England. They have one son, Jack, who takes the ape name Korak (the Killer). Tarzan is contemptuous of what he sees as the hypocrisy of civilization, so Jane and he return to Africa, making their home on an extensive estate that becomes a base for Tarzan's later adventures. Tarzan, Jane, Tarzan's monkey friend Nkima, and their allies gained some of the Kavuru's pills that grant immortality to their consumer.
Tarzan has been called one of the best-known literary characters in the world. In addition to more than two dozen books by Burroughs and a handful more by authors with the blessing of Burroughs' estate, the character has appeared in films, radio, television, comic strips, and comic books.
The first Tarzan films were silent pictures adapted from the original Tarzan novels, which appeared within a few years of the character's creation. The first actor to portray the adult Tarzan was Elmo Lincoln in 1918's film Tarzan of the Apes. With the advent of talking pictures, a popular Tarzan film franchise was developed, lasting from the 1930s through the 1960s. Starting with Tarzan the Ape Man in 1932 through twelve films until 1948, The franchise was anchored by former Olympic swimmer Johnny Weissmuller in the title role. Tarzan films from the 1930s on often featured Tarzan's chimpanzee companion Cheeta, his consort Jane, and an adopted son, usually known only as "Boy." However, productions by Sy Weintraub from 1959 onward dropped the character of Jane and portrayed Tarzan as a lone adventurer. Later Tarzan films have been occasional and somewhat idiosyncratic.
There were also several serials and features that competed with the main franchise, including Tarzan the Fearless (1933) starring Buster Crabbe and The New Adventures of Tarzan (1935) starring Herman Brix. The latter serial was unique for its period in that it was partially filmed on location (Guatemala) and portrayed Tarzan as educated. It was the only Tarzan film project for which Burroughs was personally involved in the production.
Weissmuller and his immediate successors were enjoined to portray the ape-man as a noble savage speaking broken English, in marked contrast to the cultured aristocrat of Edgar Rice Burroughs' novels. With the exception of Burroughs' co-produced The New Adventures of Tarzan, this "me Tarzan, you Jane" characterization of Tarzan persisted until the late 1950s, when Weintraub, having bought the film rights from producer Sol Lesser, produced Tarzan's Greatest Adventure (1959) followed by eight other films and a television series. Despite the return of the more cultured Tarzan character, in the show starring Ron Ely, the movie Greystoke starring Christopher Lambert, and the Disney animated movie, the more 'savage' broken English speaker as portrayed by Weissmuller is the one that tends to persist in the mind of the public.
Mork's Multiple References[]
- Mork Moves In - On the first hit of his Ginger Ale fueled bezerb, Mork does a full on Johnny Weismuller Tarzan movie cry as he runs to the couch to join Mindy.
- Mork Goes Erk - Mork tells O'Keefe, the chimp, he'll arrange conjugal visits for the chimp with Cheeta (the ape from the Tarzan movies)
- Mork in Wonderland, Part 1 - As a shrunken Mork uses a spaghetti strand to climb down from the table to the floor of the apartment, he comments that Mindy uses so much garlic in her pasta, that he feels like an Italian version of Tarzan "Tarzan-elli".
- Mork the Prankster - Mork swings down from the attic in his apron to prepare breakfast for Mindy naming himself 'Tarzan of the Crepes'