superman.nuMary Immaculate of Lourdes NewtonHolliston School Committeefacebook    
  •   forum   •   COUNTDOWN TO MIRACLE MONDAY: "IT'S REAL!" •   fortress   •  
Superman Through the Ages! Forum
News: Superman Through the Ages! now located at theAges.superman.nu
 
*
Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.
Did you miss your activation email?
March 28, 2024, 01:39:01 PM


Login with username, password and session length


Pages: [1]   Go Down
  Print  
Author Topic: The only actor to ever play Superman, Tarzan, and Doc Savage...  (Read 4776 times)
0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.
JulianPerez
Council of Wisdom
*
Offline Offline

Posts: 1168



« on: January 26, 2007, 06:55:12 AM »

...was Ron Ely.

He played TARZAN in the 1960s television show, was a "future" Superman in an episode of THE ADVENTURES OF SUPERBOY, and also played, regrettably, Doc Savage in that ridiculous George Pal film (to which it can be said, he gave it a good old Texas try).

In Miami, reruns of the Tarzan show were rotated with other, mostly warmed-over adventure shows (like the original STAR TREK and HAWAII 5-0) right after Saturday Morning Cartoons, which was how I got to know Ron Ely pretty well, mostly because my sister had a crush on him. For that reason, I always thought Ely was a bigger star than he really was.

They also used to show the occasional Sword & Sandal picture, some of which occasionally starred another Tarzan: Gordon Scott. Ron Ely may have been the most articulate and educated of the Tarzans, but Gordon Scott was by far the most Jewish.

Another thing about the Ron Ely TARZAN: in addition to having the most intelligent Tarzan, it was by far the most action-packed. A problem with many older adventure programs like KUNG FU and the original WONDER WOMAN is, they only really start kicking ass in the last five minutes. Not so with Ron Ely.

I never saw his show as Superman, but the casting is just perfect. I'd be curious to see his episode when they finally get to the fourth season (or whenever it was).
Logged

"Wait, folks...in a startling new development, Black Goliath has ripped Stilt-Man's leg off, and appears to be beating him with it!"
       - Reporter, Champions #15 (1978)
Klar Ken T5477
Council of Wisdom
*
Offline Offline

Posts: 1338


Metropolis Prime, NYC, NY USA


WWW
« Reply #1 on: January 26, 2007, 11:53:02 AM »

Fourth season Julian which Im watching now -- having gotten to that ep yet/

BTW Doc was shot as a straight adventure movie and was fairly faithful to the first book "The Man of BRonze". Ely was shocked to find that they had camped it up in post production with that atrocious score and opticals.  Little kids samed to like it but diehards were disgusted.  Still, not without its charm.  Ely seems to be channeling Chuck Heston (his tennis partner) when he administers the oath.  Still would've been watchable except for that atrocious Captain Seas actor.  Best moments - the opener in the North Pole at the Fortress of Solitude and the attack on Doc's 86th floor HQ at the decidedly LA non-Empire State building. 

Now that Sam Raimi has acquired Street & Smith superstar The Shadow for a re-do, rumors are heavy that he has acquired Doc as well. 

Maybe Ron can play Doc's father, Clark Savage, Sr. this time 'round.

I havn't seen Tarzan since it originally aired but if I recall correctly the night it premiered, it was followed by another show -- Star Trek.  Imagine seeing Tarzan  & Trek back to back for the very first time!

I remember Ely's Tarzan as a lot of fun and one of the few times, the Ape Man was portrayed as an intelligent, articulate vine swinger.  I think they used Weissmuller's classic yell though.
Logged
Great Rao
Administrator
Council of Wisdom
*
Offline Offline

Posts: 1897



WWW
« Reply #2 on: January 29, 2007, 10:27:58 PM »

I was extremely impressed with Ron Ely's performance as the older Superman.  He didn't wear the costume (he had given it up by that point in his life), but he had the Marlon Brando Jor-El hairdo.  Superboy visits the future and sees the incredible advances of the human race - technological, societal, spiritual, etc - all due to his own future existence as Superman.
Logged

"The bottom line involves choices.  Neither gods nor humans have ever stood calmly in a minefield forever.  Good or evil, they are bound to choose.  And when they do, you will see the truth of all that motivates us.  As a thinking being, you have the obligation to choose.  If the fate of all mankind were in your hands, what would your decision be?  As a writer and an artist, I've drawn my answer."   - Jack Kirby
llozymandias
Last Son of Krypton
*
Offline Offline

Posts: 301



« Reply #3 on: February 14, 2007, 08:43:19 PM »

    Ron Ely played a "retired" Superman, that Superboy met.  That was not a time travel story.  The story involved travel between parallel universes.  Ely's "Superman" arrived on his earth in the 1930s.  There was another counterpart in that story an infant Kal-El.  The infant arrived on his earth in the "present".  In this case the early 1990s. 
Logged

John Martin, citizen of the omniverse.
Pages: [1]   Go Up
  Print  
 
Jump to:  

CURRENT FORUM

Archives: OLD FORUM  -  DCMB  -  KAL-L
Powered by MySQL Powered by PHP Powered by SMF 1.1.21 | SMF © 2015, Simple Machines

Valid XHTML 1.0! Valid CSS! Dilber MC Theme by HarzeM
Entrance ·  Origin ·  K-Metal ·  The Living Legend ·  About the Comics ·  Novels ·  Encyclopaedia ·  The Screen ·  Costumes ·  Read Comics Online ·  Trophy Room ·  Creators ·  ES!M ·  Fans ·  Multimedia ·  Community ·  Supply Depot ·  Gift Shop ·  Guest Book ·  Contact & Credits ·  Links ·  Coming Attractions ·  Free E-mail ·  Forum

Superman created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster
The LIVING LEGENDS of SUPERMAN! Adventures of Superman Volume 1!
Return to SUPERMAN THROUGH THE AGES!
The Complete Supply Depot for all your Superman needs!