The sound recording Tarzan on the Radio is an abridged and edited version of the radio serial Tarzan and the Diamond of Ashair originally broadcast in 1934. Starring Jim Pierce and Joan Burroughs, the story has been condensed from 39 15-minute episodes to fit onto two long playing records.
“Tarzan” is a fictional character created by American author Edgar Rice Burroughs (1875-1950). Burrough’s introduced his vine-swinging jungle hero in the story Tarzan of the Apes first published in the magazine The All-Story in 1912. The story was later reprinted as a standalone novel in 1914.
An Englishman from a noble family, Tarzan’s family dies while on an African Expedition. As an infant he us taken in and raised by Apes in Africa, learning to communicate with animals and developing exceptions strength and dexterity. Although he later discovers his human origins, Tarzan decides to remain in the jungle, developing a romantic relationship with marooned Englishwoman Jane Porter.
One of the 20th centuries first action-adventure heroes, Tarzan became a global phenomenon, inspiring the prolific Burroughs, also known for works such as his John Carter of Mars series, to pen 23 sequels featuring his “ape-man.” Inspiring scores of other pulp adventure heroes, Tarzan has become of the world’s most recognized literary characters. He remains a vital part of our shared popular culture, featured in novelizations, comic books, television, and feature films.
Reflecting many outdated cultural beliefs, the story of Tarzan expressed many elitist and racist notions accepted at the time of Burrough’s writing.
