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Please Don't Call Me Tarzan: The Life Story of Herman Brix/Bruce Bennett is Available at Amazon.com
Herman Brix/Bruce Bennett
1906-2007
Updated 2/28/2008.
biography
Born in Tacoma, Washington, in May 1906, athletic Herman Brix first found fame at the 1928 Olympic games; he won a silver medal for the shot-put in Amsterdam. Prior to winning the silver, Brix had been a track star at the University of Washington. He completed his college education after his success at the 1928 Olympic games, and headed for Hollywood in 1930. He toiled mostly in bit parts for the next few years.
Throwing the shot-put at the 1928 Olympic games
By 1934, Edgar Rice Burroughs had become dissatisfied with the portrayal of his Tarzan character in films; whereas Burroughs' Tarzan was erudite, thoughtful, and a well-spoken member of the landed gentry, film Tarzans up to that point spoke in monosyllabic utterances (if at all) and were basically human forms of the beasts that roamed the jungle. However, Burroughs had leased the rights to the character to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and had little control over the portrayal of the king of the jungle in MGM's wildly successful Johnny Weissmuller Tarzan films. Burroughs decided to film his own Tarzan movie and selected Herman Brix for his 1935 feature The New Adventures of Tarzan, produced by Burroughs-Tarzan Enterprises, Inc. and released as both a 12-chapter serial (265 minutes total) and a full-length 75-minute feature. Burroughs shifted the action of the film from the African jungles to Guatemala, and it was filmed in extremely primitive conditions in Guatemala. Although Brix is good in the role, most American audiences didn't have a chance to see the film. At the time, MGM had stronghold on the American film industry and managed to block widespread distribution of the film. However, Burroughs had more success in Europe and Asia, where the film proved to be very popular.
In the late 1930s, Herman Brix decided to shed his identity as a former athlete and former Tarzan, changing his name to Bruce Bennett. He signed with Columbia Studios in the late 1930s, initially appearing in small roles and uncredited parts in comedy films like Blondie Brings Up Baby (1939), The Spook Speaks (1940), and the Three Stooges short No Census, No Feeling (1940). His career quickly gained momentum, and soon Bennett was starring in a variety of film genres, including westerns and war films.
Bruce Bennett left Columbia in 1944 and signed with Warner Bros.
Bennett's career benefitted from a move to Warner Bros.; in 1945, he starred with Joan Crawford in Mildred Pierce, portraying Mildred's weary husband. The next year, he was in the Bette Davis film A Stolen Life, but perhaps his best film is the 1948 feature The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, with Humphrey Bogart and Walter Huston.
the films of herman brix/bruce bennett
The New Adventures of Tarzan (1935)
Scenes from the 1935 serial The New Adventures of Tarzan
The Lone Ranger (1938)
With Lee Powell in the Republic serial The Lone Ranger
Honolulu Lu (1941)
With Lupe Velez and Forrest Tucker in the Columbia comedy Honolulu Lu
Sahara (1943)
Bennett as Waco Hoyt in the Columbia war picture Sahara
Cheyenne (1947)
Bennett as outlaw Ed Landers in the Warner Bros. western Cheyenne
The Second Face (1950)
With Ella Raines and John Sutton in the drama The Second Face
Daniel Boone, Trail Blazer (1956)
Bennett as the title character in Republic's Daniel Boone, Trail Blazer
The Cosmic Man (1959)
From the Allied Artists science fiction release The Cosmic Man. LEFT: Bennett as Dr. Karl Sorenson. RIGHT: With Angela Greene and Scotty Morrow
later years
After making more than 100 films, Bennett began to cool his film career in the late 1950s, focusing instead on his business interests. Nonetheless, he acted in films and television on occasion. In 1961, he wrote and starred in the campy low-budget flick The Fiend of Dope Island. In addition he occasionally accepted roles in TV productions; he was frequently seen on Perry Mason, among other shows. His last film was the low-budget science fiction flick The Clones in 1974, after which Bennett retired from acting. In his later year, he made frequent appearances at autograph conventions. Sadly, Bruce Bennett passed away on February 24, 2007, after breaking a hip. He is survived by a daughter, a son, and several grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Unaired Pilots, Vol. 2: Dan'l Boone (1955)/Fremont The Trailblazer (1956) VHS
Another collection of TV shows that never got off the ground. In "Dan'l Boone," Bruce Bennett is the famous frontiersman who, along with Lon Chaney, Jr. as a Shawnee Chief, comes to the aid of a group of Indians who have been taken advantage of by crooked white men. Next, Steve Cochran stars as 19th-century explorer John Charles Fremont, joined on his Western odyssey by Kit Carson (James Gavin). 60 min.
The Three Stooges: Stooges At Work [DVD] DVD
This collection features five side-splitting shorts starring Moe Howard, Larry Fine and Curly Howard. First, the Stooges work as steeplejacks and find out "How High Is Up?" (1940), then the boys become silly shutterbugs in "Dutiful but Dumb" (1941) and "Crash Goes the Hash" (1944). Next, the violence-prone pals set out on a fishing adventure in "Booby Dupes" (1945), and head to Africa for a movie shoot in "Three Missing Links" (1938). 86 min. total. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital stereo; Subtitles: English.
The New Adventures Of Tarzan [DVD](1935) DVD
Herman Brix, as Tarzan, joins an expedition to a lost Mayan city hidden in the Guatemalan jungle. Their goal: the "Green Goddess," a gem-encrusted idol that contains a secret formula for a powerful explosive. Ula Holt, Frank Baker co-star; produced by Edgar Rice Burroughs. 12 episodes; 228 min. total. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital stereo; scene access.
Tarzan's New Adventure(1935) VHS
The animal skin and vine have once again been handed down, this time to another Olympic star, Herman Brix, in this feature version of the serial "The New Adventures of Tarzan." Two expeditions, each seeking the legendary "Green Goddess" idol, square off in the Central American jungle, and only Tarzan can set things right. With Ula Holt, Frank Baker. 73 min.
Shadow Of Chinatown [DVD](1936) DVD
As a sinister scientific madman, Bela Lugosi terrorizes the shady characters and merchants of a seedy Chinatown district. An atmospheric visit to the inscrutable underworld of extortionists and their victims, also starring Herman Brix. 15 chapters; 280 min. on two discs. Standard; Soundtrack: English. Plays All Regions.
Two Minutes To Play(1936) VHS
Following in their fathers' footsteps, college football heroes Herman Brix and Eddie Nugents are rivals on the field and for the hand of a pretty coed in this gridiron drama. Betty Compson, Jeanne Martel, Duncan Renaldo also star. 74 min.
Amateur Crook [DVD](1937) DVD
This gritty crime drama from noted "B" movie producer Sam Katzman ("Rock Around the Clock") stars Bruce Bennett (aka former Tarzan Herman Brix) as an artist trying to help a woman who has stolen a diamond that belonged to her father. The diamond was supposed to pay off loan sharks, but when the crooks come looking for it, Bennett finds himself in trouble. With Joan Barclay. 60 min.
Flying Fists [DVD](1937) DVD
Herman Brix stars as a lumberjack-turned-boxer who falls for a woman whose father was a fighter before injuries forced him to retire, leaving her with a hatred of the sport, in this ring drama. With Jeanne Martel, Fuzzy Knight, Guinn Williams. 58 min.
Sky Racket [DVD](1937) DVD
With second thoughts on her wedding day, reluctant bride Joan Barclay dives into a high-flying adventure when she crosses paths with an upright pilot. Together, they unite to stop a band of crooks who've been knocking mail planes out of the air with a newfangled gadget. With Herman Brix (later known as Bruce Bennett), Monte Blue. 62 min.
Tarzan And The Green Goddess [DVD](1938) DVD
A special opening sequence was added to this jungle thriller, the second feature to be culled from 1935's "The New Adventures of Tarzan" serial. The ape man (Herman Brix) and his allies are in Guatemala, where they must guard the fabled Green Goddess statue from crooks who want an explosives formula hidden inside it. With Ula Holt, Frank Baker. Standard; Soundtrack: English. Plays All Regions.
The Man With Nine Lives [DVD](1940) DVD
Offbeat sci-fi tale stars Boris Karloff as a scientist who develops a cancer cure that involves placing the patient in a state of suspended animation and treating him or her with his controversial new serum. Accidentally frozen along with a group of test subjects, Karloff is thawed out years later, only to learn that his miracle drug has long been lost, driving him to the brink of madness in an attempt to make another batch. With Roger Pryor, Jo Ann Sayers, Wally Wales. AKA: "Behind the Door." 73 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: English, Japanese, French.
Boris Karloff: Icons Of Horror Collection [DVD] DVD
It's terror times four with Boris Karloff with a quartet of shockers. First, Boris stars as twin brothers, one good and one evil, under the influence of an ancient curse that leads to the secret of "The Black Room" (1935). With Marian Marsh, Robert Allen. Next, Scientist Karloff is executed for illegal work on suspended animation, only to be revived by his assistant so the two can plot a campaign of revenge, in "The Man They Could Not Hang" (1939). Byron Foulger, Lorna Gray co-star. Then, doctor Karloff, experimenting with ways of arresting the aging process, becomes younger thanks to a blood transfusion...but the blood came from a condemned murderer! Edward Van Sloan and Evelyn Keyes co-star in "Before I Hang" (1940). And, the horror/comedy "The Boogie Man Will Get You" (1942) finds deranged doc Karloff selling his house to a woman who turns it into a hotel, providing subjects for Boris' plan to breed a race of superhumans. Peter Lorre and Maxie Rosenbloom co-star. 4 1/2 hrs. total on two discs. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono.
Sahara [DVD](1943) DVD
Humphrey Bogart excels as a world-weary commander of a huge American tank named Lulu Belle which he must move across the Sahara desert during World War II in order to rejoin the British Eighth Army. Bogey and crew face enemy forces, a diverse group of passengers and a desperate need for water while trying to reach their destination. With Bruce Bennett, Lloyd Bridges. 98 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby mono, French; Subtitles: English, Chinese, French, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish, Thai; filmographies; biographies; publicity materials; theatrical trailers; scene access.
The More The Merrier [DVD](1943) DVD
Comic look at Washington's wartime housing shortage has Charles Coburn (who won an Oscar for his role) playing matchmaker for his "roommates," Jean Arthur and Joel McCrea. George Stevens directs this romantic farce, later remade as "Walk, Don't Run." 104 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English.
Mildred Pierce [DVD](1945) DVD
Fine Hollywood tearjerker with Joan Crawford (in her Oscar-winning role) as the waitress-turned-businesswoman who struggles to provide a good life for her children, only to have older daughter Ann Blyth repay her by having an affair with her stepfather. Michael Curtiz directs; with Zachary Scott, Jack Carson, Eve Arden. 109 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: English, Spanish, French.
The Joan Crawford Collection [DVD] DVD
Five-disc set includes "The Women," "Mildred Pierce," "Humoresque," "Possessed" (1947), and "The Damned Don't Cry."
Dark Passage [DVD](1947) DVD
Escaping from prison after being framed for his wife's murder, Humphrey Bogart hides out with Lauren Bacall and undergoes plastic surgery in an attempt to find the real killer. Offbeat mystery, fueled by the Bogey/Bacall magic, also stars Agnes Moorehead, Tom D'Andrea. 106 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: English, Spanish, French; "making of" featurette; bonus short "Slick Hare" (1947); theatrical trailer.
The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre [DVD](1948) DVD
Writer/director John Huston's masterful study of greed stars Humphrey Bogart and Tim Holt as American vagrants in Mexico who team up with grizzled prospector Walter Huston in a search for gold that gets them far more than they ever imagined. Winner of three Academy Awards, the film also features Bruce Bennett, Bobby Blake, and Alfonso Bedoya as the bandit who "ain't got no badges." 126 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: English, Spanish, French; audio commentary; documentaries; 1949 "Lux Radio Theater" broadcast with cast; bonus cartoon "8 Ball Bunny" (1950); newsreel footage; more. Two-disc set.
Film Noir Classic Collection, Vol. 4 [DVD] DVD
Five-disc boxed set includes the double features "Act of Violence/Mystery Street," "Crime Wave/Decoy," "Illegal/The Big Steal," "They Live by Night/Side Street," and "Where Danger Lives/Tension."
Angels In The Outfield [DVD](1951) DVD
Heavenly baseball comedy stars Paul Douglas as a brash, sailor-mouthed manager who mends his ways after some divine intervention lifts his Pittsburgh Pirates team out of the cellar. When a little girl claims to see the angels on the diamond, reporter Janet Leigh turns the story into a national sensation. Named by President Eisenhower as his favorite film; with Donna Corcoran, Keenan Wynn. 99 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: English; bonus shorts "Donkey Baseball" (1935), "Jerry and the Goldfish" (1951); theatrical trailer; radio broadcast.
Cavalry Charge [DVD](1951) DVD
Two brothers find themselves on opposite sides in the frontier during the Civil War, but join forces to save a Union fort from an Apache attack, in this well-mounted Western drama. Ronald Reagan, Bruce Bennett, Rhonda Fleming and Noah Beery, Jr. star. 88 min. Standard; Soundtracks: English; 3 bonus shorts.
Cavalry Charge (The Last Outpost)(1951) VHS
Two brothers find themselves on opposite sides in the frontier during the Civil War, but join forces to save a Union fort from an Apache attack, in this well-mounted Western drama. Ronald Reagan, Bruce Bennett, Rhonda Fleming and Noah Beery, Jr. star. 88 min.
Sudden Fear [DVD](1952) DVD
Playwright and wealthy San Francisco heiress Joan Crawford becomes romantically involved with actor Jack Palance, but Palance decides he has special plans for their relationship, as he schemes to get Crawford's hefty inheritance with help from deceptive ex-girlfriend Gloria Grahame. Will Joan stop their murderous plot in time? With Touch (Mike) Connors in his film debut. 111 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono; scene access.
Love Me Tender [DVD](1956) DVD
Elvis Presley's first movie finds him as a farm boy romancing his presumed-dead brother's fiancee during the Civil War. Songs include "Poor Boy," "We're Gonna Move" and the title tune. With Debra Paget, Richard Egan. 89 min. Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtracks: English Dolby Digital stereo, Dolby Digital mono, Spanish Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: English, Spanish; theatrical trailers.
Three Violent People [DVD](1956) DVD
Powerful mix of frontier action and character study with Charlton Heston as an ex-Confederate officer who returns to the family ranch with new bride Anne Baxter and faces problems from carpetbaggers and his jealous brother, and a secret from Baxter's past. With Tom Tryon, Gilbert Roland, Forrest Tucker. 99 min. Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: English.
Daniel Boone: Trail Blazer [DVD](1957) DVD
Bruce Bennett stars as the coonskin-capped pioneer in this exciting saga about the opening of the American frontier. With Lon Chaney, Jr., Faron Young. 76 min.
The Alligator People [DVD](1959) DVD
When Beverly Garland's search for her missing husband in the Louisiana bayou ends with the discovery that he's the victim of a scientist whose limb-regeneration serum turns people into reptilian monsters, will she say "see ya later, alligator" to her scaly spouse? Classic low-budget chiller also stars Richard Crane, George Macready, and Lon Chaney, Jr. as a hook-handed Cajun. 74 min. Widescreen; theatrical trailer.
The Cosmic Man [DVD](1959) DVD
A fantasy in the manner of "The Day the Earth Stood Still" about a space guy saving mankind from nuclear self-destruction. John Carradine stars as a friendly alien with ebony skin who casts a white shadow. The heck with mankind--can he coach basketball? 75 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono; theatrical trailer; scene access.
Watch The Skies: Collection [DVD] DVD
Three-disc set includes "The Flying Saucer," "The Cosmic Man" and "Stranger from Venus."
Fiend Of Dope Island (1961)/Pagan Island(1960) DVD
Sleaziness pervades this way-out adventure yarn featuring former screen Tarzan Bruce Bennett as the no-nonsense ruler of a Caribbean island where dope and gun-dealing are his prime concerns. All Bennett needs is a woman--and he gets one in blonde dancer Tania Velia. With future "Lassie" star Robert Bray. AKA: "Whirlpool." Then, what do you do when you land on a remote island populated by gorgeous, large-breasted native women? Well, not much, since the women hate men and have you figured as their next human sacrifice! A naughty, shot-in-Florida nudiethon from Barry Mahon which also features a giant clam. 134 min. total. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono; theatrical trailers; radio spots; art gallery; short subjects.
herman brix/bruce bennett books available from amazon.com
Please Don't Call Me Tarzan: The Life Story of Herman Brix/Bruce Bennett, written by Mike Chapman, is the story of the fascinating life of Herman Brix/Bruce Bennett, from the lumber camps of Washington to the Olympic Games to the Hollywood scene of the 1930s, '40s, '50s and '60s.
The book takes the reader through Brix's life and to Guatemala, where Brix struggled not only to become the screen's eighth Tarzan, but to stay alive in primitive conditions. The book also includes a foreword by Danton Burroughs, the grandson of Tarzan creator Edgar Rice Burroughs. More than 90 photos. 150 pages.
filmography
The Clones (1974) with Alex Nicol, Michael Greene, Gregory Sierra, and John Drew Barrymore
Deadhead Miles (1972) with Alan Arkin
Fiend of Dope Island (1961) with Robert Bray and Tania Velia
The Outsider (1961) with Tony Curtis and James Franciscus
The Alligator People (1959) with Beverly Garland and Lon Chaney Jr.
The Cosmic Man (1959) with John Carradine and Angela Greene
Flaming Frontier (1958) with Jim Davis
Three Violent People (1956) with Charlton Heston, Gilbert Roland, Tom Tryon, and Anne Baxter
Love Me Tender (1956) with Elvis Presley, Debra Paget, Richard Egan, and Ken Clark
Daniel Boone, Trail Blazer (1956) with Lon Chaney Jr.
The Bottom of the Bottle (1956) with Van Johnson and Ruth Roman
The Three Outlaws (1956) with Neville Brand and Alan Hale Jr.
Hidden Guns (1956) with John Carradine, Richard Arlen, and Angie Dickinson
Robber's Roost (1955) with George Montgomery, Richard Boone, Peter Graves, and William Hopper
Strategic Air Command (1955) with James Stewart and June Allyson
The Big Tip Off (1955) with Richard Conte
Dragonfly Squadron (1953) with John Hodiak, Barbara Britton, Chuck Connors, and Gerald Mohr
Dream Wife (1953) with Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr
Sudden Fear (1952) with Joan Crawford, Jack Palance, Gloria Grahame, and Mike Connors
Angels in the Outfield (1951) with Janet Leigh and Jeff Richards
The Great Missouri Raid (1951) with Wendell Corey
The Last Outpost (1951) with Ronald Reagan and Rhonda Fleming
The Second Face (1950) with Ella Raines and Jane Darwell
Mystery Street (1950) with Ricardo Montalban, Jan Sterling, Sally Forrest, and Marshall Thompson
Shakedown (1950) with Howard Duff, Brian Donlevy, Peggie Castle, Peggy Dow, and Rock Hudson
Without Honor (1950) with Franchot Tone, Agnes Moorehead, and Laraine Day
The Doctor and the Girl (1949) with Glenn Ford and Janet Leigh
Task Force (1949) with Gary Cooper and Julie London
Undertow (1949) with Scott Brady, Rock Hudson, Peggy Dow, and John Russell
The House Across the Street (1949) with Wayne Morris and Barbara Bates
The Younger Brothers (1949)
Smart Girls Don't Talk (1948) with Virginia Mayo
To the Victor (1948)
Silver River (1948) with Errol Flynn and Ann Sheridan
The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948) with Humphrey Bogart and Tim Holt
Dark Passage (1947) with Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, and Agnes Moorehead
Cheyenne (1947) with Dennis Morgan, Jane Wyman, Janis Paige, and Tom Tyler
Nora Prentiss (1947) with Ann Sheridan and Rosemary DeCamp
The Man I Love (1946) with Ida Lupino, Robert Alda, and Martha Vickers
A Stolen Life (1946) with Bette Davis and Glenn Ford
Danger Signal (1945) with Faye Emerson, Zachary Scott, Mona Freeman, and Rosemary DeCamp
Mildred Pierce (1945) with Joan Crawford, Eve Arden, Zachary Scott, and Ann Blyth
I'm From Arkansas (1944) with Slim Summerville
U-Boat Prisoner (1944)
There's Something About a Soldier (1943) with Tom Neal and Evelyn Keyes
Sahara (1943) with Humphrey Bogart and Lloyd Bridges
The More the Merrier (1943) with Jean Arthur and Joel McCrea
Murder in Times Square (1943) with Gerald Mohr
Underground Agent (1942) with Frank Albertson
Sabotage Squad (1942)
Atlantic Convoy (1942) with Larry Parks and Lloyd Bridges
Submarine Raider (1942) with John Howard and Marguerite Chapman
Tramp, Tramp, Tramp (1942) with Jackie Gleason
The Lone Wolf Keeps a Date (1941)
The Officer and the Lady (1941) with Rochelle Hudson
The Phantom Submarine (1941) with Anita Louise
Honolulu Lu (1941) with Lupe Velez, Forrest Tucker, and Leo Carrillo
Two Latins from Manhattan (1941) with Joan Davis, Jinx Falkenburg, and Joan Woodbury
Escape to Glory (1940)
Girls of the Road (1940)
The Lone Wolf Meets a Lady (1940)
The Secret Seven (1940)
West of Abilene (1940) with Charles Starrett
Before I Hang (1940) with Boris Karloff and Evelyn Keyes
The Man with Nine Lives (1940) with Boris Karloff
Hi-Yo Silver (1940) with Lee Powell, George Montgomery, and Dickie Jones
Blazing Six Shooters (1940) with Charles Starrett
Cafe Hostess (1940) with Preston Foster, Ann Dvorak, and James Craig
Five Little Peppers and How They Grew (1939)
My Son Is Guilty (1939) with Bruce Cabot
Daredevils of the Red Circle (1939) with Carole Landis
Hawk of the Wilderness (1938)
The Fighting Devil Dogs (1938) with Lee Powell
The Lone Ranger (1938) with Lee Powell and George Montgomery
Tarzan and the Green Goddess (1938)
Land of Fighting Men (1938)
Amateur Crook (1937)
Blake of Scotland Yard (1937) with Ralph Byrd
Danger Patrol (1937)
Million Dollar Racket (1937)
A Million to One (1937) with Joan Fontaine
Silks and Saddles (1937)
Sky Racket (1937)
Two Minutes to Play (1937) with Grady Sutton and Duncan Renaldo
Flying Fists (1937)
Shadow of Chinatown (1936) with Bela Lugosi
The New Adventures of Tarzan (1935)
Student Tour (1934) with Jimmy Durante and Betty Grable
Touchdown (1931)
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