Frank Merrill (actor)

Frank Merrill (born Arthur Poll in New Jersey) (March 21, 1893 - February 12, 1966) was a Southern California and national title-winning gymnast (with over 58 titles to his credit), police officer, stuntman and actor, most famous for being the fifth actor to portray Tarzan on film.

Merrill had doubled for the screen's first Tarzan, Elmo Lincoln, in the 1921 movie serial "The Adventures of Tarzan", and was cast in the role himself in the 1928 movie serial "Tarzan the Mighty". A year later, he starred in the movie serial "Tarzan the Tiger", which, though shot as a silent feature, was partially dubbed into sound. Merrill was thus the first actor to voice Tarzan's "victory cry" on film.

As a gymnast, Merrill had the finest physique of any of the silent actors who played Tarzan. With the coming of sound films, it was decided that Merrill's voice was unsuitable for the "talkies," and he was not asked back in the role.

This suited Merrill fine, as he had so enjoyed meeting youngsters via his tenure as Tarzan that he devoted the rest of his life to working with children in the Los Angeles city administration, the Los Angeles Parks Commission, as a recreation director and as a volunteer gymnastics instructor with the YMCA.

References

Essoe, Gabe, Tarzan of the Movies, 1968, Citadel Press

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