ERBzine 8062: Drabbles June 1-15 2025

CREDIT WHERE CREDIT IS DUE

June 1: On this day in 1997, actress Rosemary Bertrand died in Los Angeles, California. She played a slave girl in the film, “Tarzan and the Slave Girl.” She wasn’t the “Slave Girl” of the title, but one of the many in the film.

Rosemary was one of those unheralded actresses and actors who appeared in a few films and television series, mostly in non-speaking roles, as part of crowd scenes. These small roles are necessary for films. Villages and cities can’t be empty. Credit to all of those wonderful people who help make the magic.

<> From 1946 through 1956 Rosemary appeared in four films and two television series, including, The Roy Rogers Show and the television series, “Adventures of the Falcon.” She portrayed Christine Taylor in the John Wayne film, “Angel and the Badman.” In the photo where Lex Barker has a strap over his shoulder, Rosemary appears to be immediately to Lex’s left.

Details about “Tarzan and the Slave Girl,” may be reviewed at: https://www.erbzine.com/mag19/1950.html

The drabble for today is “Credit Where Credit is Due,” was inspired by Rosemary’s brief career.

CREDIT WHERE CREDIT IS DUE

The pharmacist said, “Rosemary Bertrand? That name sounds familiar. Weren’t you in films when I was young. I thinking the 1950s.”

Rosemary paid for her order and said, I was. I did one Tarzan film and a John Wayne movie. I also did a couple of television shows, “The Roy Rogers Show” and “Adventures of the Falcon.”

“That's right. You were in “Angel and the Badman. I thought you did more. Four films and two television shows aren’t very much."

“True, but it’s two more films and television shows than you or another three hundred million Americans have been in.”

MY BOOK, MY RIGHTS

June 2: On this day in 1923, the Frank L. Munsey Company, publisher of pulp magazines including All-Story Magazine, returned all publishing rights for “Pellucidar” to Edgar Rice Burroughs. Ed was quite aggressive in his search to regain the rights to his novels and was eventually successful. On this day in 1928, he reacquired the rights to four more of his novels from Munsey.

After reacquiring the rights to “Pellucidar,” Ed arranged to have the novel published by A.C. McClurg, who did so on September 4, 1923.

Publishing details for all ERB novels and short stories is available at: https://www.erbzine.com and https://www.erbzine.com/craft/

Specific details about Pellucidar may be perused at: https://www.erbzine.com/mag7/0742.html

The drabble for today is “My Book, My Rights, in inspired by Edgar Rice Burroughs’s foresight and determination in maintaining the rights to his work. The drabble is fictional, but its message shouldn’t be.

MY BOOK, MY RIGHTS
“Emma,” said Edgar Rice Burroughs. “I reacquired the rights to my novel, Pellucidar, today.”

“You mean you couldn’t publish your books whenever you wanted?”

“I wish. I was so excited getting my books published in All-Story that I let them have more than first publication rights. I didn’t know any better.”

‘Why is All-Story returning the rights to you.”

“I paid them a dollar and promised them a crack at my new work.”

“The creator should keep the rights to his work.”

“True, but there’s always someone who’ll try to take advantage. It’s called the Thomas Alva Edison business plan.”

MY BARSOOMIAN PRINCESS

June 3: On this day in 1948, restaurateur, recording star, and publisher, Sue-On Hillman was born in China. I’ve posted about Sue-On’s birthday before, but she’s had a tough health scare this year and I so happy that she’s doing well, that I wanted to post about her again.

At age two, a neighbor smuggled her to Hong Kong. Her mother was detained by the Chinese Government in Canton, China. Eight years later, she was reunited with her parents in Canada. Years later she and her husband owned and managed “Soo’s” a large restaurant in Brandon.

She and her husband, Bill Hillman, performed and recorded for about 60 years. Bars, concerts, television, and radio. Their first album was “The Western Union.”

Sue-On and Bill cofounded the https://www.erbzine.com site, a gigantic tribute to Edgar Rice Burroughs. The two of them have been more than kind concerning my small contributions to the writer’s legacy: https://www.ERBzine.com/lupton

There isn’t enough room to list the accomplishments of this amazing woman or even begin to do her justice in this article. For details, I’d suggest starting at: https://www.erbzine.com/mag5/0550.html and https://www.hillmanweb.com/mystory/

Happy Birthday, Sue-On. Rock on!

The 100 drabble for today is, “My Barsoomian Princess,” written by her husband, Bill Hillman. It’s taken from his tribute at https://www.hillmanweb.com/princess.html All of us thank Bill for marrying her. Burroughs’s fandom would be so much poorer without her.

MY BARSOOMIAN PRINCESS

She fell in love with a local musician and they married when she turned 18. She and her husband attended university and performed nightly in Brandon nightspots long enough to garner five university degrees and to become high school teachers and university profs.

She travelled and performed across two continents, bore three glorious children and excelled in cooking, gardening, crafts, karate, music, motherhood and as a person.

This little-smuggled-waif-turned-beautiful-woman is the most amazing person I’ve ever met. She is an inspiration and a source of wonder to all have been touched by her aura.

I’ve been touched. I married her.

SIGN MY COPY

June 4: On this day in 1913, ERB offered $25.00 for N. C. Wyeth’s cover “New Story Magazine painting for The Return of Tarzan. Wyeth declined the offer. $25.00 in 1913 had the same purchasing power as almost $900.00 today.

The painting was also used as the cover painting for the A.C. McClurg first edition dust jacket. The dust jacket is one of the rarest, if not the rarest of Edgar Rice Burroughs collectables with only one or two verified copies in existence.

Publishing details about "The Return of Tarzan" abound at: https://www.erbzine.com/mag7/0727.html

My first edition of the novel has a tattered and taped dust jacket with the bottom half of the spine and any identifying information from the flyleaves missing and since I’ve never seen the actual first edition dust jacket, I can’t make any determination concerning what edition it’s from. I paid three dollars for the book at a flea market in Dripping Springs, Texas half a century ago. At the time I didn’t know what a first edition was.

I approach verification like the Schrodinger’s cat paradox. As long as I don’t know, it could be real, but it could also be from an A. L. Burt edition. Don’t send me things to check, I’m happier not knowing.

The drabble for today, “Sign My Copy,” was inspired by book collectors everywhere and it features my old friends, Pat and John from New Orleans.

SIGN MY COPY

John said, “Pat, I bought some signed first editions by Edgar Rice Burroughs.
Look, he autographed “Tarzan’s Quest.”

Pat looked at it. “Probably not.
Ball point pens weren’t around until after WW2 and this signature is dated four years before Pearl Harbor.”

“Wow! I bet you don’t think my signed Canaveral Press editions of Burroughs books are authentic.”

“Only if his spirit became corporeal and signed them.”

“So, you admit they could be real after all.”

“Sure they could be, and Marilyn Monroe could rise from the grave and buy me dinner.”

“Nice, can you get her autograph for me?”

HE WAS A BAD BOY

June 5: On this day in 2018, the first of these daily Edgar Rice Burroughs posts and drabbles appeared. All of the posts are archived at: https://www.erbzine.com/lupton/

On to today’s business, on this day in 1998, Actress Jeanette Nolan, who voiced Magra for the “Tarzan and the Diamond of Asher” radio serial, died in Los Angeles, California.

Details about the serial and all 39 episodes are available for your listening pleasure at: https://www.erbzine.com/mag31/3140.html

Jeanette was nominated for four Emmy awards. After a stellar radio career, her first film role was Lady MacBeth opposite Orson Wells.

<> Besides her role in “Tarzan and the Diamond of Asher,” her radio career included “Young Doctor Malone,” “One Man’s Family,” and “The Great Gildersleeve,” one of my favorites.She made over three hundred television and film appearances, including “The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance,” “The Big Heat,” “The Twilight Zone,” “Dirty Sally,” “Night Gallery,” and “The Man From Uncle.” She was the voice of Norma Bates in the classic film, “Psycho.”

There aren’t many personal quotations attributed to Jeanette Nolan, but there are several from her films and television appearances. The drabble for today, “He Was A Bad Boy,” from her voiceover as Norma Bates in Psycho because after all, a boy’s best friend is his mother.

HE WAS A BAD BOY

“It's sad, when a mother has to speak the words that condemn her own son. But I couldn't allow them to believe that I’d commit murder. They'll put him away now, as I should have years ago. He was always bad, and in the end, he intended to tell them I killed those girls and that man... as if I could do anything but just sit and stare. They're probably watching me. Well, let them. Let them see what kind of a person I am. They'll see and they'll know, and they'll say, "Why, she wouldn't even harm a fly..."

FOLLOW THE MONEY

June 6: On this day in 1925, The Outlook Magazine of London stated that Tarzan of the Apes has been published in 17 languages (ERB's count is over 20). Foreign royalties far exceeded those in America.

Publishing details and so much more about the novel, “Tarzan of the Apes,” may be viewed at: https://www.erbzine.com/mag4/0483.html

The fictional drabble for today, “Follow the Money,” was inspired by the many countries where Tarzan of the Apes has been published and the many languages. Today, it’s a lot more than twenty.

FOLLOW THE MONEY

Edgar Rice Burroughs talked to his publisher, A. L. McClurg. “I make about ten times as much on my foreign royalties as you pay me. I don’t know why I bother with you.”

“Ed, if your books weren’t published in America, foreign companies wouldn’t know about them and wouldn’t publish them.”

“I’m pretty sure that it’s your job to say that.”

“Ed, it’s my job, but I understand that it’s the truth.”

“Of course you believe it. . Upton Sinclair said, “It is difficult to get a man to understand something, when his salary depends on his not understanding it.”

JUSTIFIABLY AFRAID

June 7: On this day in 1934, Actress Diana Millay, who played Doctor Ann Philips in “Tarzan and the Great River,” was born in Rye, New York.

The film, which featured Mike Henry as Tarzan, Jan Murray as a riverboat captain, and Rafer Johnson as Bracuma, didn’t include a Jane or a Boy, characters banished from the Tarzan films of the time.

Details about the film, “Tarzan and the Great River: https://www.erbzine.com/mag19/1962.html

<> After completing “Tarzan and the Great River,” executive producer Dan Curtis offered Millay the contract role of Laura Collins on his daytime series, “Dark Shadows She went on to appear in sixty-two episodes, and became the show's first supernatural character, playing an immortal phoenix-woman who is burned in a fire and reborn to spend another century on Earth. She primarily worked in television, guest starring in nearly 100 prime time shows.

The drabble for today, “Justifiably Afraid,” is a fictional conversation between Tarzan and riverboat captain, Sam Bishop, played by Mike Henry and Jan Murray.

JUSTIFIABLY AFRAID

Bishop said, “That Dr. Millay wants to vaccinate all the natives from the plague. She even said that I must have the shot.”

Tarzan nodded. “Me too. I did. Better safe than sorry.”

“She’s one tough lady. I expect she always gets her way. She scares me. The village men are terrified of her, but she doesn’t seem to frighten the women or the children.”

Tarzan laughed. “How old are you, Sam Bishop? You’re certainly old enough to know that only grown men are afraid of women.”

“Here she comes. Time for me to bare my arm and bear it.”

RIGHT TO REMAKE

June 8: On this day in 1930, Edgar Rice Burroughs met with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer to negotiate rights to a new Tarzan film. Burroughs wanted $75,000.00. MGM insisted that was too much to ask.

Based on court records, MGM paid Burroughs, Inc. a lump sum of $20,000 in a 1931 agreement for the right to use the Tarzan character in a single film. This agreement granted MGM the right to create an original story featuring Tarzan and to produce remakes of the initial film, under specific conditions. It is crucial to note that this agreement did not involve the transfer of any copyrights or licenses of copyrights to MGM.

MGM produced 6 Tarzan films, “Tarzan the Ape Man, “Tarzan and His Mate,” “Tarzan Escapes,” “Tarzan Finds a Son,” “Tarzan’s Secret Treasure,” and “Tarzan’s New York Adventure.”

All six films featured Johnny Weissmuller and Maureen O’Sullivan. Details about all six films: https://www.erbzine.com/movies

The fictional drabble for today, “Right to Remake,” was inspired by my totally unfounded deductions concerning those negotiations.

RIGHT TO REMAKE

Edgar Rice Burroughs said, “I’ll take $20,000 for film rights, but that’s only the rights to “Tarzan of the Apes.” Before you make other Tarzan films, you’ll have to pay me more money.”

“Mr. Burroughs, it’s the same character.”

‘I’ve written several Tarzan novels. Readers have to pay for a new book to read a new adventure. This is no different.”

“Excellent analogy. If your readers want to reread a story, they don’t have to pay twice. If we remake the same story, we shouldn’t have to pay you again.”

“True, but I wish I hadn’t gone down this road.”

BUSY BOY

June 9: On this day in 2022, Edgar Rice Burroughs Inc. published first edition of “Tarzan and the Forest of Stone” by Jeffery J. Mariotte. Fun story, well worth reading. The book is available at: https://edgarriceburroughs.com/.../tarzan-and-the-forest.../

Jeffery J. Mariotte lives in Arizona where the petrified forest is located. That’s a hint. He’s written original novels and novels and comics based on licensed characters including Buffy, Angel, Charmed, Terminator, CSI, Supernatural, Star Trek, and Las Vegas.

The 100-word drabble for today. “Busy Boy,” is taken from Jeff’s website.

BUSY BOY

Mariotte has written well north of seventy books, including thrillers, westerns, mysteries, horror, fantasy, and more. Three novels have won Scribe Awards for Best Original Novel, presented by the International Association of Media Tie-In Writers. He’s won the San Diego Comic Con Inkpot Award and is a co-winner of the Mystery Writers of America Raven Award. He’s been a finalist for the Spur Award from the Western Writers of America, the Western Fictioneers Peacemaker Award, the Bram Stoker Award from the Horror Writers Association, the International Horror Guild Award, and for comics writing, the Harvey Award and the Glyph Award.

IN THE JUNGLE, THE MIGHTY JUNGLE

June 10: On this day in 2015, the graphic novel adaption of “Jungle Tales of Tarzan” became available in comic shops and book stores across the United States. The official release date of this beautiful book by author Martin Powell and creative director, Diana Leto, was June 16th.

The graphic novel was authorized by ERB, Inc. through Sequential Pulp’s distribution arrangement with Dark Horse Comics. The book collected the twelve loosely connected short stories written by Edgar Rice Burroughs chronicling the life of his most famous character, Tarzan of the Apes. All the events of the original work happened within chapter eleven of Tarzan of the Apes between Tarzan’s avenging of his ape foster mother’s death and his becoming the leader of his ape tribe. The original stories ran in Blue Book magazine from September 1916 through August 1917 prior to the book’s publication in 1919.

Publishing history and several illustrations for Jungle Tales of Tarzan - https://www.erbzine.com/mag4/0492.html

There was a signed and limited edition, signed by Jim Sullos, Cathy Willbanks, Linda Burroughs, Llana Jane Burroughs, and Dejah Burroughs. There’s one other signature that I can’t make out.

My copy was also signed to me by writer, Robin Maxwell, who wrote a short introduction. The 100-word drabble for today, “In The Jungle, the Mighty Jungle,” is excerpted and adapted from that introduction. Hope the adaption is okay, Robin, I only have 100 words.

IN THE JUNGLE, THE MIGHTY JUNGLE

“Tarzan may be the most recognizable figure in the history of literature. He’s also the most misunderstood. Unless we’ve read the original books, we know next to nothing.

“The Tarzan you’ll meet in this graphic novel based on Edgar Rice Burroughs’ “Jungle Tales of Tarzan” a collection of twelve linked short stories, is living among the Mangani as a feral man-child of almost twenty. It is Tarzan before Jane. Tarzan before the moment of consciousness that he is human and not Mangani.

Tarzan, through his adventures, creating the legend that precedes the coming of the white man into his jungle.”

FAREWELL FRIENDS

June 11: On this day in 2006, Artist Timothy Hildebrandt, Ballantine cover artist for The War Chief and Apache Devil, died in New Brunswick, New Jersey.

Details about the novel, “The War Chief: https://www.erbzine.com/mag7/0773.html

and about “Apache Devil: https://www.erbzine.com/mag7/0775.html

Timothy and his twin brother Greg, were collectively known as “The Brothers Hildebrandt” and collectively produced fantasy and science fiction illustrations for comic books, movie posters, novels, advertisements, and trading cards. The duo is probably best known for their “Lord of the Rings” illustrations and a little painting that they did for Star Wars.

The 100 word drabble for today, “Farewell, Friends” is an excerpt from “Bilbo’s Last Song,” written by J. R. R. Tolkien. The website, www.livejournal.com, included the complete poem in Tim’s obituary and I can do no less than use part of it for this post.

FAREWELL FRIENDS

Day is ended, dim my eyes,
but journey long before me lies.
Farewell, friends! I hear the call.
The ship’s beside the stony wall.
Foam’s white and waves are grey;
beyond the sunset leads my way.
Foam’s salt, the wind is free;
I hear the rising of the Sea.

Farewell, friends! The sails are set,

the wind is east, the moorings fret.

Shadows long before me lie,

beneath the ever-bending sky,

but islands lie behind the Sun

that I shall raise ere all is done;

lands there are to west of West,

where night is quiet and sleep is rest.

I DO IT MY WAY

June 12: On this day in 1914, All-Story’s editor, Robert Davis, encouraged Ed to lengthen The Girl from Farris’s and write sequels to The Mucker, The Mad King and At The Earth’s Core. It’s a good thing that Burroughs agreed. Otherwise we wouldn’t have the second halves of “The Mucker” or “The Mad King.” “Pellucidar” was the first of six sequels to “At The Earth’s Core.”

Details about all of these books are on https://www.erbzine.com/craft

The drabble for today is “I Do It My Way,” and it features Major Bouncingbutt, an aspiring writer and colonial governor in an imaginary version of Tarzan’s Africa. It is inspired by arrogant writers, real life archetypes of the major. The final sentence quotes Carl Sagan.

I DO IT MY WAY

Jane said, “Major Bouncingbutt, Tarzan said you’ve published a new novel.”

“It’s the fourth in my “Great Rift Lost Race” series.”

“How did the first three books sell?”

“Well, my mother bought copies.”

“Will you use distributors for the new book and place it in bookshops?”

“Share the royalties. Never!”

“You could consider conventional publication methods.”

“Publishers edit my perfect manuscripts and demand a lion’s share of the profits. No thank you.”

“Mayor, 100% of nothing is nothing.”

“Only I am qualified to edit and publish my stories.”

“How ever unfortunate. Nothing disturbs me more than the glorification of stupidity.”

DON'T LIKE YOUR TONE

June 13: On this day in 1951, Actress Bessie Toner, who appeared in the silent films, “Tarzan of the Apes,” and “The Romance of Tarzan,” died in Los Angeles, California. Bessie only had seven film credits. Her role in “The Romance of Tarzan” wasn’t clearly defined, but in the 1918 “Tarzan of the Apes,” she played a barmaid.

For details about the two films, I suggest https://www.erbzine.com/mag5/0503.html

and https://www.erbzine.com/mag5/0504.html

When radio and sound pictures became popular, she left the film industry and had a successful career as a voice teacher. Elizabeth Toner married S. Russell Chesley, a businessman and socialite in 1914. She had two sons, Harry Childs Jr., from her first marriage, and Russell Chesley Jr., from her second. She moved with her family to Los Angeles in 1918 to pursue her acting career. Her grandson, Russell H. Chesley, is an entertainment industry executive and motion picture writer and producer.

The one hundred word fictional drabble for today, “Don’t Like Your Tone,” was inspired by Bessie’s decision to change careers and become a “voice” teacher. To quote Friedrich Nietzsche, “We often refuse to accept an idea merely because the tone of voice in which it has been expressed is so unsympathetic to us.” There’s an axiom about arguments, “10% of conflicts are due to a difference of opinion. 90% are due to the wrong tone of voice. Alas, Bessie, we need you today more than ever!”

DON'T LIKE YOUR TONE

“Russel,” Bessie Toner, said to her husband. “I’m giving up making pictures and opening a studio to teach actors how to talk.”

“That’s nice, dear, but everyone I know already knows how to talk.”

“Not really. Talkies and radio need people who enunciate properly and can communicate emotions with the tone of their voices and the slightest inflection when they speak.”

“Will people pay for that? My dear, I’m at a lost as to why you think you’re qualified to teach such a thing.”

Bessie froze him with a word. “Really!”

Russell blanched. “Sorry. I understand now. You’ll be perfect.”

NATIONAL ANTHEM

June 14: On this day in 1918, Captain Edgar Rice Burroughs of the Second Illinois Infantry Reserve Militia gave a speech on Flag Day in Oak Park Illinois.

The entire speech may be read at: https://www.erbzine.com/mag28/2853.html

The drabble for today is “National Emblem,” a 100 word-excerpt from that speech. Pretty good advice.

NATIONAL ANTHEM

"We should be proud to openly acknowledge our love of country and of flag, which stands for the best and noblest ideals which we cherish -- it is no better and no worse than these ideals - the flag is what we make it. If as individuals our ideals are unworthy so will our flag become unworthy in the eyes of the other peoples of the world and thus it behooves us to foster in our own bosoms characteristics of honor and integrity, of chivalry and humanity that our beloved flag may reflect only the highest. This is our duty.""

DESERVED DEDICATION

June 15: On this day in 1930, Edgar Rice Burroughs began the western story, “That Damn Dude.” He changed the title to “The Brass Heart.” It was published by Thrilling Magazine as “The Terrible Tenderfoot” and by ERB Inc. as “The Deputy Sheriff of Comanche County.” Collier's rejected the story. The story was also rejected by the Saturday Evening Post, Liberty, Ladies Home Journal, Blue Book, Argosy (twice), and College Humor. Five years later he re-submitted the manuscript to Liberty under the title "The Brass Heart" using the pseudonym, John Mann. Liberty rejected it again. The story eventually saw print in Thrilling Adventures in 1940.

Details about the publishing travails of the novel are to be found at: https://www.erbzine.com/mag7/0777.html

By cosmic coincidence, yesterday, I received my copy of “The Terrible Tenderfoot,” as published in conjunction with the 2022 Dum-Dum hosted by Jimmie Goodwin in San Antonio, Texas. The copy is signed by Jimmie and by artist Douglas Kluba and was limited to 100 copies. Thank you, Jimmie.

The photograph is of Edgar Rice Burroughs, Florence, Mary Lucas Pfleuger (in the flowered dress), and her husband Wayne – September 7, 1940. The novel was dedicated to Mary Lucas Pfleuger and I often wondered who she was and why ERB dedicated a book to her.

The drabble for today, Deserved Dedication,” is fictional, but ERB and the Pfleugers often played bridge, so could be.

DESERVED DEDICATION

Joan Burroughs Pierce said, “Dad, I don’t understand why “The Brass Heart” hasn’t sold. It’s a perfectly good western.”

“I agree.”

“One question. Who is Mary Lucas Pfleuger? You dedicated the book to her.”

“She and her husband regularly play bridge with me. He’s a big deal with the sugar farmers association.”

“Anything else?”

“She bids and plays like a madwoman. She overbid us to seven no trump doubled and redoubled at a three cents a point. I told her if she made it, I’d dedicate a book to her. She did. We earned a $100 each on that hand.”