Gordon Griffith

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Gordon Griffith as Tarzan in the 1918 film Tarzan of the Apes, wearing a wig and the Bole-armenia style of make-up typical of Silent films.
Gordon Griffith as Tarzan in the 1918 film Tarzan of the Apes, wearing a wig and the Bole-armenia style of make-up typical of Silent films.

Gordon Griffith or Gordon S. Griffith (July 4, 1907, Chicago – October 12, 1958) was an American assistant director, film producer, and one of the first child actors. Griffith worked in the film industry for five decades, acting in over sixty films, and surviving the transition from silent films to talkies—films with sound. During his acting career, he worked with Charlie Chaplin, and was the first actor to portray both Tom Sawyer[1] and Tarzan on film.[2][3]

Griffith was born on July 4, 1907 in Chicago, Illinois, to actors Harry Sutherland[4] Griffith and Katherine Kiemar[5] Griffith. He had two siblings, an older sister Gertrude, and a younger brother[6] Graham—also an actor. Griffith was already an experienced actor when, at age seven, he got his first acting role as a regular character in the Little Billy serials. Mack Sennett of Keystone Studios cast Griffith in many of his slapstick features, where he eventually earned supporting roles in Charlie Chaplin films, including Tillie's Punctured Romance (Milton Berle spuriously claimed in his later years to have played this role).

His big break came with the role of young Tarzan, in the 1918 film Tarzan of the Apes. He was required to do his own stunts, such as climbing trees, swinging from vines, and interacting closely with a chimpanzee. Griffith also has several nude scenes in the first half of the film, making him one of the first pre-teens to appear on screen naked. Griffith appears before the actor portraying the adult Tarzan—Elmo Lincoln—making him the first actor to portray Tarzan in film. After seeing the movie, a critic described Griffith as "a youthful actor of uncommon gifts."[3]

Gordon Griffith (bottom) and Florence Morrison (top) in a detail of a publicity picture for the 1922 film, Penrod.
Gordon Griffith (bottom) and Florence Morrison (top) in a detail of a publicity picture for the 1922 film, Penrod.

Griffith received the role of Tom Sawyer in the 1920 film version of Huckleberry Finn. Later he was again cast in the first Tarzan serial as Tarzan's son, Korak, a role that has been described as "anticipating John Sheffield's 'Boy' roles [in later Tarzan films]."[2] Both of his parents died in the 1920s—his mother in 1921[5] and his father in 1926.[4] At the time of the 1930 census, he and his brother were living with his sister and her family in Pasadena, California.[7]

Although his career survived the transition from silent films to sound, Griffith received smaller and smaller roles—occasionally not even being credited for his performances. As his acting career cooled, Griffith moved into other areas of the film industry. At the age of twenty-three he got his first job as an assistant director.[8] His final acting credit came six years later in 1936's Bars of Hate.[8]

Griffith continued to work in the film industry until his death, working as an assistant director at Monogram Pictures, an associate producer under Robert Sherwood, and as a director and then as an associate producer for Gregory Ratoff Productions. In 1941, Griffith became production manager at Columbia Pictures, and later served as an associate producer for RKO, eventually becoming a producer for films such as 1956's Alexander the Great. In 1958, Griffith died of a heart attack in Hollywood, and was survived by his sister. [2]

[edit] Selected filmography

[edit] References

  1. ^ Huckleberry Finn (1920) at the Internet Movie Database
  2. ^ a b c IMDb Gordon Griffith mini-biography by Ed Stephan
  3. ^ a b New York Times citing Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
  4. ^ a b Harry Griffith at the Internet Movie Database
  5. ^ a b Katherine Griffith at the Internet Movie Database
  6. ^ ancestry.com citing the: 1920 United States Federal Census, Los Angeles Assembly District 63, Los Angeles California; Roll: T625_106; Page: 18B; Enumeration District: 169; Image: 1019.
  7. ^ ancestry.com citing the: 1930 United States Federal Census, Pasadena Los Angeles California; Roll: 169; Page: 14B; Enumeration District: 1246; Image: 241.0.
  8. ^ a b Gordon Griffith at the Internet Movie Database

[edit] External links

Preceded by
(originator)		 Actors to portray Tarzan
1918-1920		 Succeeded by
Gene Pollar
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