and
DANTON BURROUGHS
Present 
Volume 1659
Edgar Rice Burroughs and the Press
A Life's Journey Through the Newspapers of the World
1875-1950
A Collection of newspaper clippings and articles from 
Chicago to Tarzana  ~ around the world ~ and back to Encino/Tarzana 

The Ape Man Adopts a Son
And His Mate Dies in
Tarzan In Exile
(Working Title for Tarzan Finds A Son!)
Look Magazine - June 6, 1939


Cast of Characters
Tarzan . . . Johnny Weissmuller
Jane . . . Maureen O'Sullivan
Boy . . . Johnny Sheffield
Maureen O'Sullivan died a movie death in "Tarzan in Exile, planning never to come back to the screen as Tarzan's mate. The Irish actress, wife of Director John Farrow, intended to retire after birth of her baby this summer.

But after the picture was made as previewed here, Maureen decided not to end her jungle career, so a new ending will be devised before you see the picture on the screen. This Tarzan picture is the first Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer has made in two years. In it, Miss O'Sullivan and Weissmuller share the spotlight with 5-year-old Johnny Sheffield, who becomes Tarzan, Jr. Much of the picture was filmed in Florida. Underwater shots were made at Crystal Springs, famous for its clear water.


1. When a plane bearing Richard Lansing, his wife and infant son crashes in the African jungle,
all are killed except the baby. He is found by a band of apes,
who carry him to Tarzan and Jane, Tarzan's mate.
At first Tarzan dislikes the child.


2. After five years the baby, whom they call "Boy," has become a miniature Tarzan.
His foster father has taught him the ways of the jungle,
and they swim, climb trees and play together all day long.
The plane crash has been forgotten.


3. Danger lurks in the jungle, but Tarzan is constantly at the side of Jane and Boy to guard them.
Here, armed only with his knife, he protects them from a menacing, hungry crocodile.

      .
4. Tarzan even finds a baby elephant for Boy.
(This is a 16-month-old, 650-pound Indian elephant named "Baby.")


5. One morning Tarzan hears rifle fire, and finds a party of white persons trapped by a savage tribe.
He yells, scares the savages away, and then learns the visitors are relatives of the baby he found five years ago.
In the party are Sir Thomas Lansing, uncle of the dead Richard Lansing;
Austin Lansing, a cousin of Richard, and Austin's wife, looking for possible survivors of the crash.


6. Jane invites the visitors to lunch after telling them the baby died in the plane crash.
She sends Tarzan and Boy out to swim, lest Tarzan tell about finding Boy, whom Jane loves deeply.


7. Later, when a rhinoceros nearly kills Boy,
Jane realizes how dangerous jungle life is for the child, and she decides to give him up.
She knows his father's uncle has left a fortune which Boy will get if he returns to England.
But Tarzan refuses to give up the boy under any circumstances.


8. Next morning, Jane tricks Tarzan into going down into a deep gorge, cuts a vine-rope so
he can't get out then tearfully brings Boy into camp and tells the visitors to take him.


9. When Jane learns that Austin Lansing had hoped not to find any survivors
and that Boy's life might be in danger in his hands,
she tries to go back but Austin threatens her with a gun and tells her to lead him out of the jungle.
Austin already has shot Sir Thomas Lansing, who would have protected Boy.
Unknowingly, Austin makes Jane take a path leading into the savage Zambele country.


10. Soon they are surrounded by savages and Jane knows
the entire party will be killed unless tarzan can rescue them.
She helps Boy escape while the savages are busy torturing a victim.
He soon is swinging along through the trees. But Jane is badly wounded by a spear.


11. Boy reaches Tarzan and with the help of the jungle elephants gets him out of the gorge.
In time Tarzan, Boy and a herd of apes and elephants arrive at the Zambele village and the savages flee.
Tarzan goes to the chief's hut and uses him as a shield while he frantically searches for Jane.


12. Though Jane is dying, she is glad that Tarzan has saved the English party.
She makes him promise not to harm them, and to keep Boy with him.


13. Beside a waterfall, near the grave of Boy's real mother, Tarzan buries Jane.
Then, after he destroys their treetop home where they had been so happy,
he and Boy swing away, with Jane's face before them.

Note from our ERBzine Silver Screen Feature on Tarzan Finds a Son 
ERBzine 0620
"Jane has been seriously wounded by a native spear. In the original script she dies from the wound but following a barrage of protests from fans... and ERB... the studio resurrected her and had her recover in Tarzan's arms. The Tarzan family return to their idyllic life in the jungle."

"When Burroughs learned of the planned death of Jane he wired MGM from Hawaii, threatening to sue. There was nothing in Burroughs' contract with the studio to prevent this script decision but the backlash from fans was so overwhelming that they changed the script."


WEB REFS
ERBzine Silver Screen: Tarzan Finds A Son
ERBzine Silver Screen Guide
Edgar Rice Burroughs Bio Timeline
ERB: The War Years
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A Life's Journey Through the Newspapers of the World: 1875-1950


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