Sara Shane, Tarzan Movie Actress, Dead at 94

Actress Sara Shane passed away this summer, her family has just announced to the public. Shane had a long and legendary career in Hollywood, including a starring role in Tarzan’s Greatest Adventure with Gordon Scott in 1959. She was 94 years old when she died on July 31.

Shane’s family publicized the news of her passing in a public obituary, which was picked up by The Hollywood Reporter this week. It said that Shane died on the Gold Coast of Australia, but did not give any other notable details for the general public. Shane was born in St. Louis, Missouri and worked in the U.S. for most of her on-screen career, but later in life she lived and worked in Australia. Shane acted during the “Golden Age Era” of Hollywood, securing a film contract with MGM and later with Universal International.

Shane appeared in some musicals, making her a certified triple threat, and did much of her best-remembered work in the late 1950s. She appeared in The King and Four Queens in 1955 with Clark Gable and was lauded for her performance in Tarzan. Although that was her last film, she continued working in television steadily through 1964.

Shane was married to real estate tycoon William Hollingsworth from 1949 until 1957. They had one son together named Jamie. Their divorce seems to have been part of the reason Shane left Hollywood and pursued other, more eccentric business ventures. She was a long-time director of the Hippocrates Health Centre in Queensland, Australia.

Shane also found some success as an author in those decades on some interesting projects. In 1974 she published a non-fiction novel called Zulma, which was reportedly her account of the life of a pre-op trans woman named Zulma whom Shane had met while visiting La Mesa Prison in Mexico.

In the 21st century, Shane became interested in alternative medicine and active in its promotion. She wrote a book called Take Control of Your Health and Escape the Sickness Industry, which was published in 2000. Eight years later, she wrote, produced and co-presented a documentary called One Answer to Cancer, which was distributed directly to DVD. It condemned some conventional medical approaches to cancer treatment and promoted the controversial home remedy known as “black salve.”

Shane’s family held a funeral for her in mid-August. her films are streaming now on various platforms, including Tarzan’s Greatest Adventure on Amazon Prime Video.