Clayton (Tarzan)
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| Clayton | |
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| First appearance | Tarzan |
| Created by | Chris Buck, Kevin Lima |
| Voiced by | Brian Blessed |
| Also known as | casper |
Clayton is the main villain from the Disney film Tarzan. He is voiced by Brian Blessed.
There is no direct model for Clayton in the Tarzan series of books by Edgar Rice Burroughs on which the movie is based. In the novels, Clayton is the surname of Tarzan's family, his own true name being John Clayton. The movie's Clayton appears to combine elements of Tarzan's cousin William Cecil Clayton, a rival for the love of Jane Porter in the first two novels, and Nikolas Rokoff, the series' first true villain, who appears in the second book, The Return of Tarzan. Neither, however, is much of a hunter. In the American version of the film's video game, he is known as Caspar.
Randy Haycock, the superivising animator for Clayton said in an interview for the special edition 2 disk DVD said "We tried to come up with one word to describe the character and the word we came up with was charismatic. He really brutal, he's malicious and the part of him that’s charismatic and charming is simply there to hide his true nature, that's brutal and malicious".
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[edit] Film appearance
In the film, Clayton, a veteran, serves as guide for Jane and her father Professor Porter on an expedition to Africa in search for gorillas, but his secret agenda is to use the trip as a means to hunt gorillas to sell on the black market. The character is arrogant and totally convinced in his own abilities and his invulnerability; Blessed said on him "Clayton's life is all about romance, a life long romance with himself. Clayton's an absolute, total, egomaniac".[1]
With the introduction of Tarzan to the expedition, Clayton makes several attempts, all unsuccessful, to get the location of the gorillas from Tarzan.
With both his and his employers' goals thwarted, Clayton prepares to leave Africa with Jane and the professor. Manipulating Tarzan's feelings for Jane, he convinces the ape man they will stay if he takes them to the gorillas, which he does. Kerchak, the head gorilla, is angered by the trespass and attacks Clayton for brandishing a gun against the band.
Luckily for Clayton, Tarzan manages to calm down the frenzied ape. Disowned by Kerchak, he agrees to return to England with Jane and the professor, only to be surprised and imprisoned with them when they board the ship by Clayton. Now that the villain no longer needs them he wants them all out of the way so that he and his cronies can capture the gorillas.
The heroes manage to escape and free the gorillas. Clayton confronts Tarzan and takes the battle to the treetops. Becoming tangled in a mass of vines, Clayton, in a blind fury, cuts his way through, unwittingly causing his own end from an uncut vine wrapped around his own neck. Tarzan tries to warn him but Clayton doesn't listen and in his rage, accidentally cuts the vine he's holding onto. Clayton falls and dies from hanging on the vine still wrapped around his neck.
[edit] Alternate Ending
There was an alternate ending to the original movie where Clayton and Tarzan fight on a boat where Clayton has some gorillas in cages and is trying to make an escape along with his henchmen.
In this version Clayton battles Tarzan with a machine gun and a dagger while making references to Tarzan being a savage and not a real man, which is reminiscent of the statement made in the actual ending. In this version, he dies when some barrels of oil catch fire and blow up the boat both Tarzan and Clayton are trapped on the boat but Clayton meets his end when support ropes tie up his legs and bring him down with the boat causing him to drown
This ending was dropped because it was felt that it was more appropriate to have the final fight in the jungle and allow the jungle to play a part in Clayton’s downfall (the vine around his neck).[1] They also wanted Clayton to appear more animalistic and rely more on brute force in his battle with Tarzan. Hence he has a lot less dialogue in the final version, except for his xenophobic remark, and is a lot more violent in his attacks. This alternate ending can be found on the special edition 2 disc DVD.
[edit] In other media
[edit] Legend of Tarzan
Clayton makes two flashback appearances in the TV series The Legend of Tarzan. In the episode Tarzan and the Gauntlet of Vengeance its revealed that he has a sister, Lady Waltham (voiced by Amanda Donohoe). She (or rather her valet, Hobson) kidnaps Jane, Tantor, Terk, and the Professor, and injects Tarzan with a fatal poison (via blowdart) and informs him that the antidote lies far away on a distant mountain named "Clayton's Peak". He, therefore, has a choice, to suffer as she had (and lose those he loves) or as Clayton had (and lose his own life). This episode also shows the scene where Clayton accidentally hangs himself.
Clayton also "appears" in the episode Race Against Time, when Tarzan gets bitten by a spider that causes him to hallucinate; because of this, he mistakes Professor Porter, who is holding a bamboo cane for Clayton and his gun.
[edit] Kingdom Hearts
Clayton appears in the game Kingdom Hearts, accompanying Jane in the jungle. He seeks to hunt gorillas, under the pretense of researching them with Jane. Desperate to find the gorillas, he asks Tarzan to direct him and Jane to the gorillas, but Tarzan refuses.
Clayton then goes to the old treehouse and sees Terk. He aims with his rifle, but before he can shoot her, Sora and company interuppt him. Clayton claims he was aiming at a snake, but the others don't believe him. They go back to the camp and tell Jane what happened. Jane berates Clayton for his actions and tells him he is forbidden from going near the gorillas again. Furious, Clayton storms out and vows to get to the gorillas if it's the last thing he ever does by saying, "Blasted gorillas! I'll hunt down every last one of them! I'll track them down somehow! I'll stake my life on it".
However, the darkness in Clayton's heart brings the Heartless to the world. Using the Heartless, he rounds up the gorillas and captures Jane.
In the final confrontation with Clayton, Clayton gets help from an invisible Heartless named Stealth Sneak. After both are defeated, Stealth Sneak stumbles and accidentally, yet still fatally, crushes Clayton with its dying breath.
Blessed reprises his role as Clayton for the English version, and Banjō Ginga does his Japanese voice.
[edit] References
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