Press Release
In the late 1960s and early 70s, few actors stood as tall in their heroic roles as Ron Ely.
From television’s Tarzan to the big screen’s Doc Savage: The Man of Bronze, Ely’s 6-foot-4-inch muscular frame made the scenery cower when he stepped before a camera.
The 74-year-old actor stands just as tall today, commanding audiences with his tales of those golden days of pulp fiction on film. Warner Archive Collection has brought Ely’s best-loved roles back into the spotlight, making the classic titles available on DVD and through its new live-streaming service, Warner Archive Instant.
Premiering on NBC in 1966, Edgar Rice Burroughs’ immortal creation, Tarzan, took to the nation’s TV screens for the first time. Still in the capable hands of producer Sy Weintraub, the TV Tarzan (the aforementioned Mr. Ely) continued the more recent (and more authentic) interpretation of Lord Greystoke as a sophisticated, articulate jungle adventurer as seen in the Tarzan films of Gordon Scott, Jock Mahoney and Mike Henry. Also carried over from the big screen was young actor Manuel Padilla (Tarzan and the Valley of Gold, Tarzan and the Great River), now playing the jungle lord’s kid sidekick alongside Cheetah, the simian one.
Based on the first of Kenneth Robeson’s 181 adventure packed books, Doc Savage: The Man of Bronze hit the screen with all its gee-whiz, gung-ho spirit intact. And its bold protagonist, who along with having a herculean body is also a surgeon, linguist and inventor, remains determined to do right to all and wrong to no one. Ely plays the strapping Savage in this high-camp, big-heroics tale of his trek into the Valley of the Vanished to confront the power-hungry Captain Seas (Paul Wexler). And behind the camera are pros who know how to get the most out of this entertainment bronze mine: veteran fantasy film producer George Pal (The War of the Worlds, The Time Machine) and director Michael Anderson (Around the World in 80 Days, Logan’s Run).
Once reluctant to embrace his cult hero status, Ely has joined Warner Archive Collection at two major events over the past six months – at the Paley Center for Media in Los Angeles, and WonderCon in Anaheim – to celebrate those cherished productions of 40-plus years ago.
In addition to Ely’s starring roles, Warner Archive Collection is now offering a number of classic films and television series representative of the pulp heroes of yesteryear. Included amongst those productions are the Tarzan Collections (the most recent featuring films of the 1960s: Tarzan Goes to India, Tarzan’s Three Challenges, Tarzan and The Valley of Gold, Tarzan and the Great River, Tarzan and the Jungle Boy) and Bomba The Jungle Boy, Volume One.
The Bomba release includes six of these rare films, which were released from 1949-51. Monogram pictures made an inspired choice when it opted to adapt the Stratemeyer Syndicate's (Nancy Drew, the Hardy Boys and Tom Swift) series of books with Bomba the Jungle Boy and paired it up with Tarzan's own now grown “Boy,” Johnny Sheffield. Under the leadership of newbie producer Walter Mirisch, the series skillfully blends stock photography, imaginative scripts and teen romance to deliver A-list fun on a B-list budget (and proving to be a smash hit for the studio). Fellow former child-star Peggy Ann Garner provides for Bomba's jungle distraction in the inaugural installment, while other guests of note to be found in the first six films in the series include Allene Roberts, Donald Woods, Paul Guilfoyle, Sue England, Woody Strode, and Donna Martell. Silent-to-TV-era journeyman Ford Beebe directs all six.
But back to Mr. Ely, who took some time in conjunction with his appearance at WonderCon over Easter weekend to answer a few questions. Heed the words of Tarzan …
QUESTION: What are you impressions of pulp heroes?
RON ELY: When I was a kid, we had radio, we had Saturday morning serials, and we had comic books. It wasn’t like today – we had a limited array of things, but those things especially appealed to kids. I loved comic books, and I read a lot of them. Archie, Superman, Captain Marvel – those types. Part and parcel of being a kid back then was to latch onto larger than life heroes. It wasn’t until we became adults that our hero image became more adult and humanized with flaws. Back then, they had no flaws – our heroes were the biggest, the baddest, and the most honorable. All those principles set in motion everything that followed suit for me.
Doc Savage was one of the most successful series of books – the character was one of the triumvirate of great action heroes, along with Tarzan and Superman. Those three really set the standard for pulp heroes. It’s interesting that Warner Archive has all three of them – they’re like a superhero factory. I can’t think of anybody that can compare.
QUESTION: As a kid, who were your heroes?
RON ELY: I grew up in Amarillo, Texas, so my heroes were cut from the same cloth that I saw all around me. Cowboys like John Wayne and Bob Mitchum. One of the joys of getting into this business was that I actually got to know some of my heroes. Those western, heroic characters occupied my interests in film more than any others. I loved the comic book and pulp heroes, but for me, you couldn’t beat John Wayne.
QUESTION: What does it mean to you to be a hero?
RON ELY: It’s sort of a funny thing being called a hero, because it’s not something I wanted to do. But it just kept coming for me. I don’t really understand why, but I appreciate it because I think it might have grown out of my sticking to the solid, basic principles I learned growing up. Those important characteristics tend to exist more in the superhero characters than other flawed adult characters. I always enjoyed playing the flawless characters because, whereas some folks find them corny, I appreciate the morals, the lessons, and all those things that superheroes are designed to be and represent.
QUESTION: What has prompted you to come out of your shell a bit and embrace the fans and the fan conventions?
RON ELY: I used to hate being around the fans – I avoided it like the plague. I enjoyed the anonymity. That’s why I pretty well dropped off the face of the Earth for quite a long time. But getting back out into the public again has been one of the most rewarding experiences that I can imagine. Those fans are diehard. They hang on, they don’t let go. They believe in Doc and Tarzan – they believe in them in a way that makes you want to know more about them.
It was surprising to me to find out the fans are still there, to discover the fan base is so enormous. It surprised to see younger people in that mix who weren’t around when I made Tarzan. It’s a kick for me. I enjoy seeing those people and hearing what they have to say. They embrace these characters for the right reasons. It’s not a character like in Die Hard – characters like Doc Savage, Tarzan and Superman are more pure superheroes. There’s a special group of characters, and a special group of people that remain true to those characters as fans.
For more information on Warner Archive Collection new and current releases, go to http://shop.warnerarchive.com/
Replies
Incredibly, Ron Ely was my very first exposure to the character of TARZAN. I missed the 1st season-- I was busy watching THE GREEN HORNET and THE TIME TUNNEL (I never saw THE WILD WILD WEST until it was cancelled and went into syndicated reruns, either). But as it turns out, the 2nd season of TARZAN, the show improved. Tarzan was tougher, the writing better. He was still a "nice guy", but you did NOT wanna mess with him! Also, Nelson Riddle switched over from BATMAN and did the music for TARZAN's 2nd season. One of the earliest stories I saw was the 2-parter, "The Blue Stone Of Heaven". I always remembered William Marshall from that!
Incidentally, I forget which book it was, but the DOC SAVAGE movie, it turns out was based on 2 separate novels, not one... which explains why the 2nd half of the film (or maybe more like the latter 2/3rds of it) has almost nothing to do with "The Man Of Bronze". (I mean... the comic-book adaptation with Ross Andru art was far, far better!)
I tried to give that movie as much leeway as I could, but in the long run, most of it is AWFUL. Ron Ely is by a very wide margin the BEST thing about DOC SAVAGE. Everything else, from the script to the casting to the directing, makes the Adam West BATMAN series seem better by comparison. Sadly, Hollywood mutilated a lot of classic heroes this way... in the late 70's-early 80's, they did the same thing with Fu Manchu, Charlie Chan, Tarzan (I'm looking at YOU, John Derek!!!), The Lone Ranger, and even more recent TV heroes as James West & Maxwell Smart got AWFUL "revival" films. And let's not forget Buck Rogers AND Flash Gordon...! (The last one actually "worked" somehow, despite itself.)
I remember seeing Doc Savage on TV after years of learning of its existence. I'll admit that it's corny and some scenes are cringe-worthy but I liked it a lot. Maybe the Fabulous Five's casting could have been stronger but overall they were compotent. Ely made the film, if only they let him get more dramatic.
"You're a brick!", indeed!
I was amazed to realize William Lucking became a regular on THE A-TEAM (as one of their nemesis), while Paul Gleason later played that hateful scum "teacher" in THE BREAKFAST CLUB. I was surprised the other month to see Eldon Quick on an episode of THE MONKEES!! Unfortunately, the 2 guys who played Monk & Ham were the ones who were seriously miscast, and traditionally, they're the two most high-profile of the "Five". Pamela Hensley was good... she was even better on BUCK ROGERS as Princess Ardala. When I dug out my tape of the pilot of that some years ago, I was shocked to realize just how BAD most of the acting in it was... except for her. She was the best thing about that show.
Eldon Quick made several memorable appearances on M*A*S*H*.
BTW, I ordered the Doc Savage DVD this morning! And seriously considering the Tarzan sets!
Darn you, Captain Comics! You're making me spend money!! ;-)
Henry, it's nice to meet someone of my vintage.
I came to know Tarzan in the mid-1960s when the CBS station in my town (Memphis, TN) began to run Tarzan movies, more or less at random, at noon (after the cartoons, which I watched religiously). On ABC, they counter-programmed with Shirley Temple movies, which worked, at least in my house. My older sisters would take over the TV and turn on the Shirley Temple movies, and the boys (me) were out of luck.
But sometimes my sisters weren't present at noon on Saturdays, and I'd watch Tarzan movies. When my oldest sister went to college, my youngest-oldest sister also wanted to watch the Tarzan movies, for reasons of her own. So I learned the difference between Johnny Weismuller and Lex Barker and whatever. And then I discovered the Tarzan paperbacks, and I bought and read them all.
And now I know as much about Tarzan as it is possible to know. Which appear to be the case with you as well. So, glad to meet you.
Henry R. Kujawa said:
Back in the 70's (and 80's) Philly's UHF station channel 17 used to run TARZAN movies-- more-or-less in sequence-- on Saturday afternoons. The problem was, they were all run in a 90-min. slot. This was okay for the "B" movies from the 50's and early 60's, but when they got to the "A" films (the MGMs and the Sy Weintraub ones), they'd be BUTCHERED to make room for commercials. Also, a couple of the color ones were inexplicably run in B&W, despite the commercial breaks all being in color. (Go figure) And, they were MISSING the 1st Weismuler film.
I saw TARZAN THE APE MAN-- the 3rd version (you know the one) in a theatre when it came out. It took at least a decade before I forgave Richard Harris for his performance in there. Only after Johnny Weismuller died-- about a week after-- did Channel 9 in Secaucus (just outside NYC apparently) run his 1st film. WOW. It reminded me of photos I'd seen of it in-- of all places-- FAMOUS MONSTERS magazine. Every place the John Derek film looked like it should have been exciting-- it wasn't. And every one of those scenes in the Weismuller version was MUCH better than I expected! I just got to love that film immeidately, though it took ages before I got a really good print (off TCM).
But I realize this was the "MGM" or "Hollywood" version of Tarzan. Might as well be some other character with the same name. The "real" Tarzan doesn't really show up until Sy Weintraub takes over-- with Gordon Scott's 5th (!!!) time out as the character-- TARZAN'S GREATEST ADVENTURE. Quite a few of the earlier films are good or great on their own terms... but why "dumb down" such a fantastic character?
Each time they recast the part, I just assume I'm slipping into another "alternate version" (in comics terms, "alternate universe" or "alternate continuity"). Except... I actually do feel like Jock Mahoney's version is the SAME version as Ron Ely's... except, when he's older & tougher. It's funny, because the first time I ever saw Mahoney, he was playing a villain opposite Ely! (I recently saw one of Mahoney's last TV appearances, as a villain on the short-lived ninja series with Lee Van Cleef, THE MASTER. I was amused to realize the show was the work of Michael Sloan, about 9 years before he finally "matured" and did KUNG FU: THE LEGEND CONTINUES.)
In addition to Ely, one of my other favorite versions of TARZAN is the Sunday newspaper strips done by Russ Manning (late 60's-late 70's). Most of the run is posted at the ERBZine site. It's INCREDIBLE! To me, it totally blows EVERY other comics version i've ever seen away (including-- and I almost hate to say it-- Gray Morrow's). Which reminds me, I've been meaning to supply them with some scans they're missing (and better scans of some they have).
My kid sister loved Johnny Weissmuller as a teenager, and I think had his picture on her dorm wall all through college.
Good casting goes a long way. (And yes, I understand that his Tarzan was a pretty different character to Edgar Rice Burrows' creation. But perhaps he was more 'realistic'. Anthropology and the study of human development and learning processes had come a long way in the 50-odd years between the two. Also, as people began to realise that they were living in big cities in a way no generation had before, the more primitive, jungle-dwelling action hero perhaps was more fascinating to think about.)
Got my copy of Doc Savage: The Man of Bronze yesterday. What a hoot and actually better than I remember. Ron Ely has great screen prescence and a natural charisma. Obviously the film was influenced by the 60s Batman TV show. In fact, it looked more like a TV movie/pilot than a theatrical film.
Unfortunately, as I said, the actors playing Ham and Monk provided most of the camp. Ham was too slight and Monk too fat. They're supposed to be dangerous! Their movie banter was too cute and I got tired of the piglet's antics.
Still I would have loved to have seen a sequel!
All I remember from that movie is the old Hidalgo guy pompously pronouncing "We are all doomed to die a horrible death." I still say that occasionally, to the consternation of those around me.
... and I got tired of the piglet's antics.
Wait ... they actually had Habeas Corpus in the movie? That's fidelity to the source material!
-
1
-
2
of 2 Next