TV's First Tarzan Dies at 86

[Mark Jeffries]

Ron Ely's "Tarzan" was a more urbane king of the jungle who never said "me Tarzan you Jane" (there was no Jane in his 1966-68 NBC series)--feeling typed by the role, he was able to make other TV and film roles (most notably bringing Doc Savage to the big screen in 1975), hosted the 1980-81 game show "Face the Music" and caused much controversy when he replaced Bert Parks as MC of the Miss America pageant for two years--he suffered a tragedy in 2019 when his son killed his wife and was later killed by police--Sept. 29 at the home of one of his daughters in Santa Barbara:

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/23/arts/television/ron-ely-dead.html?unlocked_article_code=1.Uk4.THts.7t7WuKao5ptH&smid=url-share