The gazette-times. [volume] (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925, 1919-08-07
Tarzan of the Apes, a Story
OF African Adventure, Is
Notable for It's Imagina-
tion, Acting and Its
Free Spirit.

Darwin was right, all right, But
he never graded the degrees Of de-
scent. Edgar Rice Burroughs made
some attempt at grading in his Tar
zan Of the Apes, which is now in pic
ture form at the Star Theater. He
runs the gamut this way-drunken
sailors, brutal ship officers, slave ira
ders and finally aristocrats The apes
really rank highest. Even the boy
brought up by the apes ranks head
and shoulders above his aristocratic
relative. There are no class lines,
no national lines, no mutual exploit
tation among our ancestors.
"Tarzan of the Apes" is bully ad-
venture, Wild beasts roam through
the scenes; kindly elephant takes
the wild man upon his back; in short
mix Stevenson's Treasure Island"
with Captain Bakers African stories
and the happy combination is struck.
The Joy Of the film lies in its kindly
wild life rather than its civilized bru-
tality. And in putting Burroughs
story into the film the National Film
Corporation has shown good sense of
showmanship. "Tarzan of tre Apes
is better than most films which have
been concocted for the screen, and
credit must be given Scott Sidney,
who staged it, and Isidor Bernstein,
who edited it. Natural beauties, i'm
agination and clean. free spirit make
the film a delight.
The film follows the magazine
story with enough faithfulness to sat
isfy readers Of the Burrought story.
To those who missed the serial the
film will be refreshing entertainment.
Tarzan, as readers of the story will
remember, is the son of Lord Grey
stoke, who went to Africa on secret
mission for the British Government,
Africa in 1897 was torn by European
ravishers. atrocities in the Belgian
Congo, Jameson's raid on the Beers
slave trading. with its concomitant
brutalities by the Arabs.
The sailors mutiny, slay their bru-
tai officers in fair fight and then ma
room Lord Greystoke and his wife
A boy is born in the jungle; the mo-
ther dies and the baby is carried of
by a mother ape, who has just lost
her young. The film traces the
growth of the boy-half ape, half hui
man-till his twentieth year.
A counter melody is being played
in England, where Lord Greystoke'S
brother assumes the title after having
married a barmaid. Their child is &
petted brat. News is brought to then
by a sailor, Binns, that the heir tC
1 the Greystoke estate is alive in Afri
ca. The barmaid aristocrat has BinnE
incarcerated as lunatic for ten years
but vengeful maid-servant finally
helps him escape. He tells his stor!
to a scientist, a finger print expert
and the Greystoke solicitor with thC
result that a party is made up to seel
out Tarzan in his jungle home.
Some of the finest bits of actor
ever portrayed on the screen are
found In "TarZan." The fight be
tween sailors and officers aboard tht
vessel is an exciting bit of action
Tarzan's struggle with lion, as vel
as his fight with native negro, arr
excellent pictures OF action.
Although there are hundreds of ma
tives and dozens OF apes in the pic
ture, the program only gives tn
names of few of the players. Elm
Lincoln is beautiful in his massiv
strength as its grown Tarzan, bu
Gordon Griffith, who plays Tarzan a
the age of 10, is entitled to equa
= honors. Griffith plays with charmin
: apelike wistfulness. True Boardma
: and Kathleen Kirkman play Tarzan
t father and mother; George French
Binns; Thomas Jefferson is the scier
/ tist; Enid Markey plays his daugl
ter, the girl with whom the cavema
e Tarzan falls in love; Bessie Toner
( the barmaid aristocrat; Colin Kenn
plays both her husband and his oW
father, and Jack Wilson appears
the brutal sea captain. Unfortunat
ly, the program does not state VII
the actors are that play the fnge
print expert, the solicitor the artist
=, crat brat, the negro warrior, or Il
vengeful serving maid, all good pla,
> ers and deserving of appreciation.
For adventure "Tarzan' hits Il
= bull's-eye. Coming Sunday to Sti
=, Theater.
/, Easy for Some People.