Jane Porter (Tarzan)
Encyclopedia
Jane Porter is a major character in Edgar Rice Burroughs
Edgar Rice Burroughs
Edgar Rice Burroughs was an American author, best known for his creation of the jungle hero Tarzan and the heroic Mars adventurer John Carter, although he produced works in many genres.-Biography:...

's series of Tarzan
Tarzan
Tarzan is a fictional character, an archetypal feral child raised in the African jungles by the Mangani "great apes"; he later experiences civilization only to largely reject it and return to the wild as a heroic adventurer...

 novels, and in adaptations of the saga to other media, particularly film.

In the novels

Jane, an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 from Baltimore, Maryland, is the love interest and later the wife of Tarzan, and subsequently the mother of their son Korak. She develops over the course of the series from a conventional damsel in distress
Damsel in distress
The subject of the damsel in distress, or persecuted maiden, is a classic theme in world literature, art, and film. She is usually a beautiful young woman placed in a dire predicament by a villain or monster and who requires a hero to achieve her rescue. She has become a stock character of fiction,...

 who must be rescued from various perils to a competent and capable adventuress in her own right, fully capable of defending herself and surviving on her own in the jungles of Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...

. She first appeared in the initial Tarzan novel, Tarzan of the Apes
Tarzan of the Apes
Tarzan of the Apes is a novel written by Edgar Rice Burroughs, the first in a series of books about the title character Tarzan. It was first published in the pulp magazine All-Story Magazine in October, 1912; the first book edition was published in 1914. The character was so popular that Burroughs...

(1912), reappearing in the second, The Return of Tarzan
The Return of Tarzan
The Return of Tarzan is a novel written by Edgar Rice Burroughs, the second in his series of books about the title character Tarzan. It was first published in the pulp magazine New Story Magazine in the issues for June through December 1913; the first book edition was published in 1915 by A. C....

(1913), the third, The Beasts of Tarzan
The Beasts of Tarzan
The Beasts of Tarzan is a novel written by Edgar Rice Burroughs, the third in his series of books about the title character Tarzan. Originally serialized in All-Story Cavalier magazine in 1914, the novel was first published in book form by A. C...

(1914), the fourth, The Son of Tarzan
The Son of Tarzan
The Son of Tarzan is a novel written by Edgar Rice Burroughs, the fourth in his series of books about the title character Tarzan. It was written between January 21 and May 11, 1915, and first published in the magazine All-Story Weekly as a six-part serial from December 4, 1915-January 8, 1916. It...

(1914), the fifth, Tarzan and the Jewels of Opar
Tarzan and the Jewels of Opar
Tarzan and the Jewels of Opar is a novel written by Edgar Rice Burroughs, the fifth in his series of books about the title character Tarzan. It first appeared in the November and December issues of All-Story Cavalier Weekly in 1916, and the first book publication was by McClurg in 1918.-Plot...

(1916), the seventh, Tarzan the Untamed
Tarzan the Untamed
Tarzan the Untamed is a book written by Edgar Rice Burroughs, the seventh in his series of books about the title character Tarzan. It was originally published as two separate stories serialized in different pulp magazines; "Tarzan the Untamed" in Redbook from March to August, 1919, and "Tarzan and...

(1920), the eighth, Tarzan the Terrible
Tarzan the Terrible
Tarzan the Terrible is a novel written by Edgar Rice Burroughs, the eighth in his series of books about the title character Tarzan. It was first published as a serial in the pulp magazine Argosy All-Story Weekly in the issues for February 12, 19, and 26 and March 5, 12, 19, and 26, 1921; the first...

(1921), the ninth, Tarzan and the Golden Lion
Tarzan and the Golden Lion
Tarzan and the Golden Lion is a novel written by Edgar Rice Burroughs, the ninth in his series of books about the title character Tarzan. It was first published as a seven part serial in Argosy All-Story Weekly beginning in December 1922; and then as a complete novel by A.C. McClurg & Co...

(1923), the tenth, Tarzan and the Ant Men
Tarzan and the Ant Men
Tarzan and the Ant Men is the tenth book in Edgar Rice Burroughs' series of novels about the jungle hero Tarzan. It was first published as a seven-part serial in the magazine Argosy All-Story Weekly for February 2, 9, 16, and 23 and March 1, 8, and 15, 1924. It was first published in book form in...

(1924), and the nineteenth, Tarzan's Quest
Tarzan's Quest
Tarzan's Quest is a 1936 novel written by Edgar Rice Burroughs, the nineteenth in his series of books about the title character Tarzan.-Plot:...

(1936). Jane also appeared in a minor role in the non-Tarzan novel The Eternal Lover
The Eternal Lover
The Eternal Lover is an Edgar Rice Burroughs fantasy-adventure novel. The story was begun in November 1913 under the working title Nu of the Niocene. It was first run serially in two parts by All-Story Weekly...

(1925).

On film

Jane has appeared in numerous adaptations of the Tarzan stories, notably a number of Tarzan movies based on Tarzan of the Apes
Tarzan of the Apes
Tarzan of the Apes is a novel written by Edgar Rice Burroughs, the first in a series of books about the title character Tarzan. It was first published in the pulp magazine All-Story Magazine in October, 1912; the first book edition was published in 1914. The character was so popular that Burroughs...

, including the silent films Tarzan of the Apes
Tarzan of the Apes (film)
Tarzan of the Apes is a 1918 American action/adventure silent film directed by Scott Sidney starring Elmo Lincoln, Enid Markey, George B. French and Gordon Griffith. The movie was the first Tarzan movie ever made, and is based on Edgar Rice Burroughs' original novel Tarzan of the Apes...

(1918) and The Romance of Tarzan
The Romance of Tarzan
The Romance of Tarzan is a silent, black and white action adventure film directed by Wilfred Lucas starring Elmo Lincoln, Enid Markey, Thomas Jefferson and Cleo Madison. The movie was the second Tarzan movie ever made, and is based on Edgar Rice Burroughs' original novel Tarzan of the Apes...

(1918).

The most famous screen Jane was played by Maureen O'Sullivan
Maureen O'Sullivan
Maureen Paula O’Sullivan was an Irish actress.-Early life:O'Sullivan was born in Boyle, County Roscommon, Ireland, the daughter of Roman Catholic parents Mary Lovatt and Charles Joseph O'Sullivan, an officer in The Connaught Rangers who served in The Great War...

 opposite Johnny Weissmuller
Johnny Weissmuller
Johnny Weissmuller was an Austro-Hungarian-born American swimmer and actor best known for playing Tarzan in movies. Weissmuller was one of the world's best swimmers in the 1920s, winning five Olympic gold medals and one bronze medal. He won fifty-two US National Championships and set sixty-seven...

 in the sound film Tarzan the Ape Man (1932), and its sequels, which changed the character's name to Jane Parker, portrayed her as English rather than American, and made her and Tarzan the adoptive parents of an orphan they named "Boy." Remakes of the 1932 film (Tarzan, the Ape Man
Tarzan, the Ape Man (1959)
Tarzan, the Ape Man is a 1959 action adventure film starring Denny Miller as Tarzan, Joanna Barnes as Jane, Cesare Danova, and Robert Douglas. The movie is loosely based on Edgar Rice Burroughs' novel Tarzan of the Apes, and is a remake of the classic 1932 film of the same name. The movie was...

(1959) and Tarzan, the Ape Man (1981)) reprised this portrayal.

Jane also appears in two more recent movie adaptations, Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes (1984), and Tarzan
Tarzan (1999 film)
Tarzan is a 1999 American animated feature film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures on June 18, 1999...

(1999), an animated film. This version of Jane also appears in Square Enix's Kingdom Hearts
Kingdom Hearts
is an action role-playing game developed and published by Square in 2002 for the PlayStation 2 video game console. The first game in the Kingdom Hearts series, it is the result of a collaboration between Square Enix and The Walt Disney Company. The game combines characters and settings from Disney...

 series in the Deep Jungle world. The most recent live-action movie released was 1998's Tarzan and the Lost City
Tarzan and the Lost City (film)
Tarzan and the Lost City is a 1998 American action-adventure film directed by Carl Schenkel, and starring Casper Van Dien, Jane March and Steven Waddington....

, with Jane March
Jane March
Jane March is an English film actress and former print model.-Life and career:March was born Jane March Horwood in Edgware, London, England. Her father, Bernard Horwood, is a secondary school teacher of English and Spanish ancestry. Her mother, Jean, is Vietnamese and Chinese...

 as Jane Porter opposite Casper Van Dien
Casper Van Dien
-Early life:Van Dien was born and grew up in Milton, Florida, the son of Diane , a retired nursery school teacher, and Casper Robert Van Dien, Sr., a retired U.S. Navy Commander and fighter pilot. There is a long military tradition in Van Dien's family. Aside from his father, his grandfather was a...

 as Tarzan.

Film/Television

  • Enid Markey
    Enid Markey
    Enid Markey was an American actress of stage, film and television. She originated the role of Jane in films, playing the character twice - in 1918 .Her first film role was in The Fortunes of War...

     1918, 1918 (Elmo Lincoln
    Elmo Lincoln
    Elmo Lincoln was an American film actor.Born Otto Elmo Linkenhelt, the barrel-chested actor is best known in his silent movie role as the first Tarzan in 1918's Tarzan of the Apes as an adult --...

     as Tarzan)
  • Karla Schramm
    Karla Schramm
    Karla Schramm , a lifelong resident of Los Angeles, California, was most famous for being the second actress to play Jane in films. She first appeared in the 1920 production The Revenge of Tarzan opposite Gene Pollar as Tarzan. Later that same year she again played the role in the movie serial The...

     1920, 1920 (Gene Pollar
    Gene Pollar
    Gene Pollar was the screen name of New York City firefighter Joseph Pohler, who in his very brief movie career played Tarzan.-Background:...

     as Tarzan; P. Dempsey Tabler
    P. Dempsey Tabler
    Perce Dempsey Tabler was a Tennessee-born athlete, businessman and actor, best remembered for being the third actor to portray Tarzan in films....

     as Tarzan)
  • Louise Lorraine
    Louise Lorraine
    Louise Lorraine was an American film actress.-Life and career:Born Louise Escovar in San Francisco, California in 1904, Louise Lorraine's rise to film happened quite accidentally....

     1921 (Elmo Lincoln
    Elmo Lincoln
    Elmo Lincoln was an American film actor.Born Otto Elmo Linkenhelt, the barrel-chested actor is best known in his silent movie role as the first Tarzan in 1918's Tarzan of the Apes as an adult --...

     as Tarzan)
  • Dorothy Dunbar
    Dorothy Dunbar
    Dorothy Dunbar was a American actress and socialite, who appeared in silent movies in the 1920s.Born in Colorado Springs, Colorado, she appeared on the Broadway stage as a child in The School Girl ....

     1927 (James H. Pierce
    James Pierce
    James Hubert Pierce , of Shelbyville, Indiana, was the fourth actor to portray Tarzan on film.-Early life/College/Early film career:...

     as Tarzan)
  • Natalie Kingston 1929 (Frank Merrill
    Frank Merrill (actor)
    Frank Merrill was a Southern California and national title-winning gymnast , 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...

     as Tarzan)
  • Maureen O'Sullivan
    Maureen O'Sullivan
    Maureen Paula O’Sullivan was an Irish actress.-Early life:O'Sullivan was born in Boyle, County Roscommon, Ireland, the daughter of Roman Catholic parents Mary Lovatt and Charles Joseph O'Sullivan, an officer in The Connaught Rangers who served in The Great War...

     1932, 1934, 1936, 1939, 1941, 1942 (Johnny Weissmuller
    Johnny Weissmuller
    Johnny Weissmuller was an Austro-Hungarian-born American swimmer and actor best known for playing Tarzan in movies. Weissmuller was one of the world's best swimmers in the 1920s, winning five Olympic gold medals and one bronze medal. He won fifty-two US National Championships and set sixty-seven...

     as Tarzan)
  • Brenda Joyce
    Brenda Joyce (actress)
    Brenda Joyce was an American film actress. She was born as Betty Graftina Leabo in Excelsior Springs, Missouri, although family and friends referred to her as Graftina....

     1945, 1946, 1947, 1948, 1949 (Johnny Weissmuller
    Johnny Weissmuller
    Johnny Weissmuller was an Austro-Hungarian-born American swimmer and actor best known for playing Tarzan in movies. Weissmuller was one of the world's best swimmers in the 1920s, winning five Olympic gold medals and one bronze medal. He won fifty-two US National Championships and set sixty-seven...

     as Tarzan; Lex Barker
    Lex Barker
    Lex Barker was an American actor best known for playing Tarzan of the Apes and leading characters from Karl May's novels.-Early life:...

     as Tarzan)
  • Vanessa Brown
    Vanessa Brown
    Vanessa Brown was an Austrian-American actress who was successful in radio, film, theater, and television.-Early life:...

     1950 (Lex Barker
    Lex Barker
    Lex Barker was an American actor best known for playing Tarzan of the Apes and leading characters from Karl May's novels.-Early life:...

     as Tarzan)
  • Virginia Huston
    Virginia Huston
    Virginia Huston was a film actress.Born Virginia Houston in Wisner, Nebraska, Huston appeared in many 1940s and 1950s films noir and adventure films. Signing with RKO in 1945, her first film was opposite George Raft in Nocturne. Her singing voice in the nightclub was redubbed by a singer...

     1951 (Lex Barker
    Lex Barker
    Lex Barker was an American actor best known for playing Tarzan of the Apes and leading characters from Karl May's novels.-Early life:...

     as Tarzan)
  • Dorothy Hart
    Dorothy Hart
    Dorothy Hart was an American screen actress, known mostly for her supporting roles.-Background:Born in Cleveland, Ohio, she became a model in her late-teens, and was signed by Columbia in 1946. Her contract stipulated "A-movies only". Although considered one of the top supporting actresses of her...

     1952 (Lex Barker
    Lex Barker
    Lex Barker was an American actor best known for playing Tarzan of the Apes and leading characters from Karl May's novels.-Early life:...

     as Tarzan)
  • Joyce MacKenzie
    Joyce MacKenzie
    Joyce MacKenzie is an American actress who appeared in films and television from 1946 to 1961. She is best remembered for being the eleventh actress to portray Jane. She played the role opposite Lex Barker's Tarzan in 1953's Tarzan and the She-Devil.-External links:...

     1953 (Lex Barker
    Lex Barker
    Lex Barker was an American actor best known for playing Tarzan of the Apes and leading characters from Karl May's novels.-Early life:...

     as Tarzan)
  • Eve Brent, 1958, 1958 (Gordon Scott
    Gordon Scott
    Gordon Scott was an American film and television actor known for his portrayal of the fictional character Tarzan in five films of the Tarzan film series from 1955 to 1960.-Early life, education and military service:He was born Gordon Merrill Werschkul in Portland,...

     as Tarzan)
  • Joanna Barnes
    Joanna Barnes
    Joanna Barnes is an American actress and writer.Barnes was born in Boston, Massachusetts, but moved to Los Angeles, California soon after finishing her education, and took up a contract with Columbia Pictures...

     1959 (Denny Miller
    Denny Miller
    Denny Scott Miller is an American actor, perhaps best known for his guest-starring roles on Gilligan's Island and as Tarzan in the late 1950s....

     as Tarzan)
  • Bo Derek
    Bo Derek
    Mary Cathleen Collins , better known as Bo Derek, is an American film and television actress, model, and sex symbol, known for her role as Jenny Hanley in the 1979 comedy film 10. However, Derek's film career soon faltered; her later films, including, Bolero and Ghosts Can't Do It , were poorly...

     1981 (Miles O'Keeffe
    Miles O'Keeffe
    Miles O'Keeffe is a television and movie actor. O'Keeffe got his first big break playing the title role in the 1981 version of Tarzan, the Ape Man.-Early life:...

     as Tarzan)
  • Andie MacDowell
    Andie MacDowell
    Rosalie Anderson "Andie" MacDowell is an American model and actress. She has received the Golden Camera and an Honorary César.-Early life:...

     1984 (Christopher Lambert
    Christopher Lambert
    Christophe Guy Denis "Christopher" Lambert is an American-born French actor who has appeared in French, European and American productions. He is best known for his role as Connor MacLeod, or simply "The Highlander", from the movie and subsequent movie franchise series of the same name...

     as Tarzan)
  • Kim Crosby 1989 (Joe Lara
    Joe Lara
    William Joseph Lara is an American actor and musician, best known in the role of Tarzan in the American TV series Tarzan: The Epic Adventures.-Career:...

     as Tarzan)
  • Lydie Denier
    Lydie Denier
    Lydie Denier is a model and actress. She has appeared in several roles in numerous TV series and films.-Biography:...

     1991-1994 (TV series) (Wolf Larson
    Wolf Larson
    Wolf Larson is a Canadian actor.-Biography:Wolf was born in West Berlin, Germany. His parents met when his father was stationed in Berlin for six years...

     as Tarzan)
  • Jane March
    Jane March
    Jane March is an English film actress and former print model.-Life and career:March was born Jane March Horwood in Edgware, London, England. Her father, Bernard Horwood, is a secondary school teacher of English and Spanish ancestry. Her mother, Jean, is Vietnamese and Chinese...

     1998 (Casper Van Dien
    Casper Van Dien
    -Early life:Van Dien was born and grew up in Milton, Florida, the son of Diane , a retired nursery school teacher, and Casper Robert Van Dien, Sr., a retired U.S. Navy Commander and fighter pilot. There is a long military tradition in Van Dien's family. Aside from his father, his grandfather was a...

     as Tarzan)
  • Minnie Driver
    Minnie Driver
    Minnie Driver is an English actress and singer-songwriter. She was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in the 1997 film Good Will Hunting, as well as for an Emmy Award and a Golden Globe for her work in the television series The Riches.- Early life...

     1999 (voice - Disney's animated Tarzan) (Tony Goldwyn
    Tony Goldwyn
    Anthony Howard "Tony" Goldwyn is an American actor and director. He portrayed the villain Carl Bruner in Ghost, Colonel Bagley in The Last Samurai, and the voice of the title character of the Disney animated Tarzan.-Early life:...

     as the voice of Tarzan)
  • Olivia d'Abo
    Olivia d'Abo
    Olivia d'Abo is an English actress and singer-songwriter, best known for portraying Karen Arnold in The Wonder Years and Nicole Wallace, the recurring villain in Law & Order: Criminal Intent.-Acting career:...

     2001 (voice - animated TV series) (Michael T. Weiss
    Michael T. Weiss
    Michael Terry Weiss is an American actor best known for playing the title role in The Pretender.-Early life:Weiss was born in Chicago, Illinois. His father was a steel-industry executive and his mother was a homemaker. He has a sister, Jamie Sue Weiss, who became a make-up artist for television...

     as the voice of Tarzan)
  • Sarah Wayne Callies
    Sarah Wayne Callies
    Sarah Wayne Callies is an American actress who is best known for her role as Sara Tancredi in the American television series Prison Break. She now plays Lori Grimes in The Walking Dead.- Early life :...

     2003 (WB series) (Travis Fimmel
    Travis Fimmel
    Travis Fimmel is an Australian actor and former model who is currently based in the United States. He is best known for his high-profile Calvin Klein campaign and for co-starring with Patrick Swayze in TV series The Beast shortly before Swayze's death.- Early years :Fimmel was raised as the...

     as Tarzan)

Stage

  • Ethel Dwyer 1921 (Broadway)
  • Jennifer Gambatese
    Jennifer Gambatese
    Jennifer "Gamby" Gambatese is an American actress and singer. She is gaining recognition by performing on stage, and even starring in Broadway productions. Gambatese has performed in the popular musical production of Disney's Tarzan.-Early life:...

     2006 (Disney's Broadway Musical)

Jane in all but name

Three Tarzan films presented female leads who became the partner
Common Law Wife
"Common Law Wife" is a song by the funk band Parliament. Recorded in 1972, it was released as a bonus track on the 2003 reissue of the album Chocolate City...

 of Tarzan, but who were not named Jane Porter, for one reason or another.
  • Tarzan the Mighty
    Tarzan the Mighty
    Tarzan the Mighty is a 1928 action film serial directed by Jack Nelson and Ray Taylor. It was nominally based on the collection Jungle Tales of Tarzan by Edgar Rice Burroughs. The film is now considered to be lost.-Cast:* Frank Merrill as Tarzan...

    (1928
    1928 in film
    -Events:Although some movies released in 1928 had sound, most were still silent.* July 28 - Lights of New York is released by Warner Brothers. It is the first "100% Talkie" feature film, in that dialog is spoken throughout the film...

    ), starring Frank Merrill
    Frank Merrill (actor)
    Frank Merrill was a Southern California and national title-winning gymnast , 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...

    . Natalie Kingston portrays Mary Trevor, who becomes Tarzan's mate at film's end. A year later Miss Kingston portrayed Jane to Merrill's Tarzan in Tarzan the Tiger
    Tarzan the Tiger
    Tarzan the Tiger is a Universal movie serial based on the novel Tarzan and the Jewels of Opar by Edgar Rice Burroughs. It stars Frank Merrill as Tarzan, Natalie Kingston as Jane, and Al Ferguson. It was written by Ian McClosky Heath and directed by Henry MacRae.It was considered lost at one time...

    .

  • Tarzan the Fearless
    Tarzan the Fearless
    Tarzan the Fearless is a 12 chapter film serial starring Buster Crabbe in his only appearance as Tarzan. It was also released as a 71-minute feature film which comprised the first four chapters of the serial version. Co-starring was actress Jacqueline Wells, who later changed her name to Julie...

    (1933
    1933 in film
    -Events:* March 2 - King Kong premieres in New York City.* June 6 - The first drive-in theater opens, in Camden, New Jersey.* British Film Institute founded....

    ), starring Buster Crabbe
    Buster Crabbe
    Clarence Linden "Buster" Crabbe was an American athlete and actor, who starred in a number of popular serials in the 1930s and 1940s.-Birth:...

    . Jacqueline Wells
    Julie Bishop (actress)
    Julie Bishop was an American film and television actress. She appeared in over 80 films between 1923 and 1957....

     portrays Mary Brooks, who becomes Tarzan's mate at film's end.

  • Tarzan's Revenge
    Tarzan's Revenge
    Tarzan's Revenge is an adventure film starring Glenn Morris in his only outing as Tarzan. Eleanor Holm, a popular swimming star, co-starred as Eleanor Reed. The movie was produced by Sol Lesser, written by R. Lee Johnson and Jay Vann and directed by D. Ross Lederman...

    (1938
    1938 in film
    The year 1938 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*January — MGM announces that Judy Garland would be cast in the role of "Dorothy" in the upcoming Wizard of Oz motion picture. Ray Bolger is cast as the "Tinman" and Buddy Ebsen is cast as the "Scarecrow". At Bolger's insistence,...

    ), starring Glenn Morris
    Glenn Morris
    Glenn Edgar Morris was a U.S. track and field athlete. He won a gold medal in the Olympic decathlon in 1936, setting new world and Olympic records....

    . Eleanor Holm
    Eleanor Holm
    Eleanor G. Holm was an American swimmer. An Olympic champion, she is best known for having been suspended from the 1936 Summer Olympics team, after she had attended a cocktail party on the transatlantic cruise ship taking her to Germany...

     portrays Eleanor Reed, who becomes Tarzan's mate at film's end. Producer Sol Lesser nixed calling the character Jane as he felt Miss Holm was so popular for her swimming exploits that audiences would not accept her playing a character not named Eleanor.
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