Me Tarzan, you Jane

This well-known catchphrase, supposedly drawn from the Tarzan movies, was actually never used in any of the Tarzan movies, nor was it ever used in any of the Tarzan books written by Edgar Rice Borroughs. It may have been coined, however, by one of the many actors who played Tarzan, namely Johnny Weissmuller. There is a story that one day, during the late 1930s, Weismuller saw his co-star Maureen O’Sullivan struggling with a suitcase in the studio parking lot. Weismuller reputedly said, “Here let me help you with that, after all, me Tarzan, you Jane” said with a smile as he helped put the suitcase in the trunk of her car. This interchange was overheard by nearby studio hands who perpetuated Weismuller’s quip. This story has not been verified, but one would like to believe it’s true. It remains fact that the line was never uttered in any Tarzan film or book.