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Gordon Scott
1926-2007
Updated 12/17/2007.
biography
Born Gordon M. Werschkul on August 3, 1927 in Portland, Oregon, Gordon Scott was raised in Oregon and attended the University of Oregon for a period. Upon leaving school he went into the service and was honorably discharged in the later 1940s. He then worked at a variety of jobs until 1953, when he was spotted by a talent agent while working as a lifeguard at the Las Vegas Sahara Hotel. Due in part to his muscular frame and 6'3" height, he was quickly signed to replace Lex Barker as Tarzan.
LEFT: Early photo of Scott as Tarzan. CENTER A: Bert Goodrich, Mr. America 1938, congratulates Scott on becoming the eleventh Tarzan. Goodrich was the first Mr. America. CENTER B: Scott on the September 1955 cover of Strength and Health. RIGHT: Arcade card
Scott's first film was RKO's Tarzan's Hidden Jungle (1955), which also starred Vera Miles. During the making of the film, Miles and Scott began a romance and married in 1954, before the release of the film. Proving to be a successful and popular Tarzan, Scott helped breathe new life into the series. For his second outing, Scott made the first color Tarzan film, Tarzan and the Lost Safari, released in 1957 by MGM.
the films of gordon scott
Tarzan's Hidden Jungle (1955)
RKO promotional photos of Gordon Scott from Tarzan's Hidden Jungle. The extreme right photo includes Vera Miles (thanks to William Armstrong)
Tarzan and the Lost Safari (1957)
From MGM's Tarzan and the Lost Safari. LEFT and CENTER: Promotional photos. RIGHT: Gordon Scott greets children from the Masai tribe in Africa during location shooting for Tarzan and the Lost Safari
Scott was a big hit with the Masai tribe; a Masai warrior gave him the nickname "Mtu Ule Na Panda Miti Minegu," meaning warrior who climbs tall trees. Unfortunately, Scott wasn't so popular with a lion on the set of the film, back in California---the big cat ripped a large hole in his leg during rehearsal. Betta St. John, who portrays Diana, is also among the cast of Tarzan the Magnificent (1960), Scott's final Tarzan film.
Tarzan's Fight for Life (1958)
MGM promotional photos from the thrilling Tarzan's Fight for Life. LEFT and CENTER A: With Eve Brent. CENTER B: Scott as Tarzan. CENTER C: Gordon Scott's real fight for life: the python he is wrestling in these photos nearly strangled him during filming. RIGHT: With football-player-turned-actor Woody Strode
More Gordon Scott photos (thanks to Ed)
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