Every Day With Edgar Rice Burroughs - May 3, 2025

 May 3, 2025, Happy Birthday to my granddaughter, Felicity, and years ago on this day in 1920, Edgar Rice Burroughs sold the theatrical rights for Tarzan of the Apes and The Return of Tarzan to a British theatrical company. Ed was paid a $1000.00 advance and was to receive ten percent of the profits. Tarzan of the Apes was a moderate success and the play eventually made it to New York City where it was very unsuccessful. The Return of Tarzan was never produced.

Little can be found about the British production, but details about the American production at the Broadhurst Theatre may be reviewed at: https://www.erbzine.com/mag15/1568.html

The Broadhurst “Tarzan” starred Ronald Adair as Tarzan, Ethel Dwyer as Jane, and Greta Kemble Cooper as Lady Alicia Clayton.

Today’s 100-word drabble is excerpted from a review of the New York play published on September 8/ 1921 in the New York Tribune, titled “Tarzan , Puts One in Readiness for a Laugh.”

“A great deal of the play is gibberish. Last night’s audience for a time made polite efforts to refrain from laughter at what was manifestly intended t be serious business, but it was not equal to the test. The role of Tarzan was too great a responsibility upon Ronald Adair. According to the book, Tarzan is as handsome as a god, tall as a giant, as lightfooted as a gazelle and agile as a monkey, while his favorite promenade was through the upper avenues of the treetops. Mr. Adair didn’t quality in any respect, except in a booming, hairy tone.”