Gordon Griffith (1907)

Griffith Gordon Griffith

Who was the first screen Tarzan? The standard answer is Elmo Lincoln star of the first Tarzan movie (1918). But the first third of that movie shows Tarzan as a boy, frolicking in the nude with real chimps (unlike the grown-up Lincoln who cavorted clothed with athletes wearing monkey suits). The earliest movie Tarzan was actually Gordon Griffith, a child star who began his career four years earlier in five Charles Chaplin one-reelers. After the initial Tarzan role he played the son of Tarzan (anticipating John Sheffield's "boy" roles), Tom Sawyer, and a few more child parts. As an adult he joined Monogram as an assistant director and was affiliated with both Robert Sherwood Productions and Gregory Ratoff Productions as a director and associate producer. In 1941 he became production manager of Columbia Pictures. He also served as associate producer on RKO's "Never Wave at a Wac" and UA's "Monsoon". He was survived by his sister.