Gordon Griffith facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Gordon Griffith
As Tarzan in 1918
Born	Gordon S. Griffith July 4, 1907 Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Died	October 12, 1958 (aged 51) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Parent(s)	Katherine Griffith

Gordon S. Griffith (born July 4, 1907 – died October 12, 1958) was an American actor, assistant director, and film producer. He was one of the very first child actors in the American movie industry. Gordon Griffith worked in movies for about 50 years. He acted in over 60 films. He even continued acting when movies changed from silent films to "talkies" (movies with sound). During his acting career, he worked with famous people like Charlie Chaplin. He was also the first actor to play Tarzan in a movie!

Gordon Griffith (bottom) and Florence Morrison (top) in Penrod (1922).

Gordon Griffith's Early Life and Silent Films

Gordon Griffith as Tom Sawyer in Huckleberry Finn (1920), with Lewis Sargent as Huck.

Gordon Griffith was born on July 4, 1907, in Chicago, Illinois. His parents, Harry Sutherland Griffith and Katherine Kiernan Griffith, were both actors. He had an older sister named Gertrude and a younger brother named Graham, who also became an actor.

Gordon was already an experienced actor at a young age. When he was seven, he got his first regular acting role. This was in the "Little Billy" film series, which started in 1913. Mack Sennett from Keystone Studios often cast Gordon in his funny "slapstick" movies. Gordon later got supporting roles in movies with the famous comedian Charlie Chaplin. One of these was Tillie's Punctured Romance (1914), where he played a paperboy.

Becoming the First Tarzan

Gordon's biggest acting chance came when he played young Tarzan in the 1918 movie Tarzan of the Apes. For this role, he had to do his own stunts. This included climbing trees, swinging from vines, and acting with a chimpanzee. Gordon appeared in the movie before the adult Tarzan actor, Elmo Lincoln. This made Gordon the very first actor to play Tarzan in a film! After seeing the movie, one critic said Gordon was "a youthful actor of uncommon gifts."

Gordon also played Tom Sawyer in the 1920 movie Huckleberry Finn. Later, he was cast again in the first Tarzan TV show as Tarzan's son, Korak. People have said this role was similar to the "Boy" roles played by Johnny Sheffield in later Tarzan movies. Gordon continued to act in silent films even when he was a teenager. He played Mary Pickford's older brother in the movie Little Annie Rooney (1925).

Both of Gordon's parents passed away in the 1920s. His mother died in 1921, and his father died in 1926.

Gordon Griffith in the Sound Era

Even though movies changed from silent films to "talkies" (movies with sound), Gordon's acting career continued. However, he started getting smaller and smaller roles. Sometimes, he wasn't even given credit for his performances.

As his acting career slowed down, Gordon started working in other parts of the movie industry. When he was 23, he got his first job as an assistant director. His last acting role was in the 1936 movie Outlaws of the Range. Gordon kept working in the film industry until he passed away. From 1931 to 1940, he worked as an assistant director on over 20 films, including some at Monogram Pictures.

Between 1941 and 1953, he worked as an associate producer or producer on four films. He was an associate producer for Robert E. Sherwood and for Gregory Ratoff Productions. In 1941, Gordon became a production manager at Columbia Pictures. Later, he worked as an associate producer for RKO.

Gordon Griffith passed away in Hollywood in 1958 from a heart attack. He was 51 years old.

Selected Films as an Actor

See also

In Spanish: Gordon Griffith para niños