Honorable Mention: TARZAN OF THE APES (1918)

• feature film (silent)
• released 1/27/1918
• first Tarzan film
• directed by Scott Sidney
• a National Film Corporation of America production

CAST (boldface denotes a character directly lifted from the comic or source material)

Tarzan  (Elmo Lincoln)

Jane  (Enid Markey)

Professor Porter  (Thomas Jefferson)

John Clayton - Lord Greystoke  (True Boardman)

Alice Clayton - Lady Greystoke  (Kathleen Kirkham)


My impressions:

First, I admit that I have never seen this film in full, only clips. Elmo Lincoln is one burly, swarthy-looking Lord of the Jungle in a bad wig, but he does earn the distinction of being the screen's first Tarzan as well as - according to this list - the first actor to embody a superhero on film.

And here's where we discuss why Tarzan is on this list. This character (1912) and his immediate predecessor John Carter of Mars (1911), created in the pulp magazines by author Edgar Rice Burroughs, have often been posited as the grandfathers of the superhero. And rightfully so. Tarzan's tragic origin, exotic locations, amazing physical attributes and abilities (he can speak to and command the animals of the jungle!) are all elements that will seed the colorfully costumed heroes to come.

He more than deserves a place among his descendants.