Sunday, December 08, 2013

Tundra #1 (From Eric Beheim)

8 comments:

Eric said...

Tarzan’s creator Edgar Rice Burroughs was involved in the BURROUGHS-TARZAN PICTURES venture. The company only made one Tarzan film THE NEW ADVENTURES OF TARZAN, but it is considered by many to be among the BEST Tarzan films ever made because of its fidelity to the original Burroughs books. Unfortunately, at the time of its original release, MGM (which was getting ready to release a new Tarzan film of its own) used its considerable influence to keep THE NEW ADVENTURES OF TARZAN from getting the decent bookings it deserved. But that’s a story best left for another time.

Eric said...

Adding to TUNDRA’s appeal is a music score comprised of the same incidental music that was used during the mid-1930s by Republic Pictures and other small studios to score serials and B-westerns.

Eric said...

It is not inconceivable that TUNDRA might have appeared on a Saturday matinee program along with a chapter from Clyde Beatty’s 1936 serial DARKEST AFRICA.

Chic Silber said...


Was "Burroughs - Tarzan" a major

film production company or was

this just a licensed title used

by another studio Eric & do you

know if Edgar was involved

Eric said...

BURROUGHS-TARZAN PICTURES was an independent production company that had been formed in the mid-1930s to produce Tarzan pictures. (Seeing all the millions that MGM had made off of his creation, Edgar Rice Burroughs was involved in this venture, hoping to make some “jungle gold” of his own.) The company ended up only making one Tarzan film THE NEW ADVENTURES OF TARZAN, but it is considered by many to be among the BEST Tarzan films ever made because of its fidelity to the original Burroughs books. Unfortunately, at the time of its original release, MGM (which was getting ready to release a new Tarzan film of its own) used its considerable influence to keep THE NEW ADVENTURES OF TARZAN from getting the decent bookings it deserved. But that’s a story best left for another time.

Ole Whitey said...

Eric: What was the connection between Chic's pal "Edgar" (he always made me call him "Mr Burroughs")and the city of Tarzana?

Chic Silber said...


Actually Dave I only called him

Edgar in public because privately

he told me to call him Eddie

Eric said...

It is my understanding that Tarzana is located on the site of Edgar Rice Burroughs' Tarzana Ranch, which he subdivided into lots for residential development. (The residents who bought these lots decided to name their community Tarzana sometime around 1927 or 1928.)