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Tarzan of the Apes

1930s radio series
from archive.org

By the early 1930's radio programs held a place in American culture similar to television shows today. Families would gather nightly around the radio and listen to the continuing adventures of Little Orphan Annie, Chandu the Magician, or Tarzan!. Hot on the heels of Weissmuller's Tarzan the Ape Man the always-enterprising Joe Neebe broached the idea of a Tarzan radio show to Edgar Rice Burroughs. Burroughs was excited and the show quickly became a family affair: Daughter Joan Burroughs would play Jane and her husband - and former movie Tarzan - Jim Pierce would portray the Lord of the Jungle.

Tarzan made his radio debut on September 10, 1932, and the show was unique in a number of ways. Rather than being broadcast live like other radio programs, the Tarzan show was prerecorded onto phonograph records, which were then shipped off to radio stations. The show boasted state-of-the-art recording technology and elaborate sound effects. Burroughs wrote that "They have injected all the jungle noises, including the roaring of Numa the lion, the screaming of Sheeta the panther, the cries of the bull apes, the laughing of the hyaenas, the rustling of the leaves, the screams and shouts." Radio supplied the sound - your imagination provided the pictures!

The Tarzan radio show received a live premiere at the Fox Pantages Theatre in Hollywood. Three thousand people attended the festivities (even Johnny Weissmuller showed up) and listened as the first show was aired, certainly a unique "live" broadcast. The show was sponsored in part by the Signal Oil Company, and at their gas stations you were able to pick up Tarzan puzzles and other promotions, while dad filled the car up with Tarzan gas.

Tarzan was broadcast nightly in fifteen-minute episodes and lasted for two years.

  1. Tarzan's First Birthday (2.4Mb)
  2. Battle with the Apes (2Mb)
  3. Tarzan In Young Manhood (2.5Mb)
  4. Tarzan Attacked By Tabor (2.4Mb)
  5. Tarzan Sees A Ship (2.3Mb)
  6. Tarzan Rescues The Captain (2.5Mb)
  7. Tarzan Rescues The Captain Again (2.2Mb)
  8. Did The Bottle Really Go Overboard (2.2Mb)
  9. The Captain Is In Quicksand (2.5Mb)
  10. A Fight Aboard Ship (2.5Mb)
  11. Tarzan's Shack (2.5Mb)
  12. Mutinous Captain Killed (2.4Mb)
  13. Tarzan Delivers The Sailor (2.5Mb)
  14. Tarzan Rescues Jane's Father (2.6Mb)
  15. Clayton Tries To Rescue The Professor (2.3Mb)
  16. Tarzan Saves Clayton (2.2Mb)
  17. Tarzan Saves Jane (2.5Mb)
  18. Tarzan Reads Jane's Letter (2.4Mb)
  19. Morning Arrives (2.2Mb)
  20. Tarzan Presides Over Apes (2.4Mb)
  21. Tarzan Rescues Jane From The Apes (2.5Mb)
  22. The Professor Wants To Search (2.5Mb)
  23. Rescue (1.7Mb)
  24. Tarzan's Hut Afire (2.2Mb)
  25. Clayton Hunts Tarzan (2.3Mb)
  26. Tarzan Fires At Clayton (2.4Mb)
  27. The Ship Leaves (2.4Mb)
  28. Search Party Is Attacked (2.2Mb)
  29. Philander Is Captured (2.3Mb)
  30. Search Party Finds A Clue (2.4Mb)
  31. The Jungle Awakes (2.3Mb)
  32. Jane Is Captured By Cannibals (2.3Mb)
  33. Search Party Is Trapped (2.4Mb)
  34. Tarzan Learns More English (2.3Mb)
  35. Jane And Tarzan Go Into The Hut (2.3Mb)
  36. Search Party Makes Their Move (2.2Mb)
  37. Cannibals Choose The Professor (2.2Mb)
  38. Second Escape Try (2.2Mb)
  39. Jane Is Attacked (2.1Mb)
  40. The Poison Drink (2.4Mb)
  41. Ape Battles Snake (2.6Mb)
  42. Return Of The Ship (2.6Mb)
  43. Tarzan Saves Jane (2.5Mb)
  44. Tarzan Recaptured (2.7Mb)
  45. Reunited (2.5Mb)
  46. Escape (2.7Mb)
  47. Rain Comes (2.8Mb)
  48. Jane Receives Greystoke Locket (2.7Mb)
  49. Tarzan And The Crocodiles (2.8Mb)
  50. Rescuers Seek Safety In Cave (2.7Mb)
  51. Attempted Rescue (2.7Mb)
  52. Sounds In The Cave (1.8Mb)
  53. The Witch Doctor Escapes (2.6Mb)
  54. Witch Doctor Noises (2.8Mb)
  55. Tarzan Fires Dynamite (2.6Mb)
  56. The Cannibals Attack (3Mb)
  57. The Attack (2.5Mb)
  58. The Lion Attacks (2.8Mb)
  59. The Professor Collapses (2.8Mb)
  60. The Party Gets Mad At Clayton (2.5Mb)
  61. The Mutineers Return (2.7Mb)
  62. Jane Is Attacked (2.5Mb)
  63. Tarzan And Jane Talk (2.7Mb)
  64. Jane Is Captured Again (2.4Mb)
  65. Tarzan To The Rescue (2.6Mb)
  66. Tarzan To The Ship (2.8Mb)
  67. Ship Rescue (2.5Mb)
  68. Shipwreck (2.8Mb)
  69. Captain Tracy's Arm (2.7Mb)
  70. Others On The Reef (2.8Mb)
  71. Jane With The Apes (2.6Mb)
  72. Jane At The Dum Dum (2.8Mb)
  73. Elephant Stampede (2.9Mb)
  74. Lt Darnot Makes His Escape (2.8Mb)
  75. Tarzan Meets Mutineers (2.8Mb)
  76. The Escape (3Mb)
  77. Weeks Later (2.5Mb)

MP3 files hosted by archive.org.