Gordon Griffith(1907-1958)
- Actor
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
- Producer
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.
