FRANK MERRILL

Frank Merrill (born Otto Poll) was a former gymnastics champion who also worked as a policeman, and then got a big break working as a stuntman for Elmo Lincoln in 1921's "Adventures of Tarzan". He had some leading roles in action movies (which he apparently produced and directed for minor studios) in the mid 1920s and in 1927, he starred in "Perils of the Jungle" and then was intended to be Joe Bonomo's stunt double in 1928's "Tarzan the Mighty", but Bonomo fractured his leg and Merrill took over the role! He also starred in the following year's "Tarzan the Tiger", and he was the fifth screen Tarzan. Being more athletic than the four men before him, who were all "strongmen", he is credited with inventing the vine swinging that Tarzan is so famous for, and he also is credited with inventing the famous Tarzan yell! He did not survive the change to sound movies, and he became a park commissioner for the City of Los Angeles, and he passed away in 1966 at the age of 72.